Exodus 9 Study Notes
General
How did the sixth plague come about (Exodus 9:8-10)?
Answer: Moses flung furnace soot skyward in Pharaoh's sight, and painful sores erupted on people and animals
The LORD told Moses and Aaron to scoop up furnace soot in their hands, and Moses was to fling it skyward while Pharaoh watched. It would become fine dust across Egypt and cause festering boils on people and animals (9:8-9). They did it, and the boils broke out just as God said (9:10). Like the gnats, this plague came without any recorded warning to Pharaoh. Later, Egypt's boils became a well-known picture of God's judgment (Deuteronomy 28:27), and Revelation describes painful sores breaking out on God's enemies at the end (Revelation 16:2).
- Exodus 9:8-10 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.” So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.”Moses throws furnace soot into the air before Pharaoh, and festering boils break out on people and animals.
- Deuteronomy 28:27 (BSB)“The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.”The boils of Egypt became a byword for God's judgment, later threatened against covenant-breaking Israel.
- Revelation 16:2 (BSB)“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.”In the final judgments, painful sores again break out on God's enemies.
Theological
What is the instrument and effect of the sixth plague in 9:8-10?
Answer: Furnace soot scattered by Moses before Pharaoh becomes fine dust producing festering boils on man and animal
The two brothers gather furnace soot, and Moses flings it skyward before Pharaoh; it becomes fine dust over Egypt, bringing festering sores on people and animals (9:8-10). As with the gnats, no advance warning to Pharaoh is recorded. Egypt's boils become proverbial as a covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:27), and the imagery reappears in the bowl judgments (Revelation 16:2).
- Exodus 9:8-10 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.” So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.”Moses throws furnace soot into the air before Pharaoh, and festering boils break out on people and animals.
- Deuteronomy 28:27 (BSB)“The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors and scabs and itch from which you cannot be cured.”The boils of Egypt became a byword for God's judgment, later threatened against covenant-breaking Israel.
- Revelation 16:2 (BSB)“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.”In the final judgments, painful sores again break out on God's enemies.
General
True or False: According to Exodus 9:31-32, the hail ruined the barley and flax crops but spared the wheat and the spelt.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator adds a note that the barley and flax crops were ruined because the barley had ripened and the flax had come into bloom, while the wheat and the spelt survived because they ripen later in the season (9:31-32). This detail sets up the next plague. God would later warn that locusts would devour whatever the storm had spared (10:5), and that is exactly what happened (10:15). Step by step, Egypt's food supply was being stripped away.
- Exodus 9:31-32 (BSB)“(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom; but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)”The narrator explains that the flax and barley were destroyed but the wheat and spelt survived because they ripen later.
- Exodus 10:5 (BSB)“They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.”God later warns that locusts will devour whatever the hail left, which includes these surviving crops.
- Exodus 10:15 (BSB)“They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”The locusts do in fact consume what the hail had left behind.
Theological
True or False: 9:31-32 records that the barley and flax crops were ruined by the hail while the later-ripening wheat and the spelt came through.
Answer: True
This is true. The parenthetical note in 9:31-32 explains that the barley and flax crops were ruined, being further along in growth, while the wheat and the spelt, as later crops, were not. The detail prepares for the eighth plague, in which the locusts devour everything the storm had spared (10:5, 15), completing the destruction of Egypt's harvest.
- Exodus 9:31-32 (BSB)“(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom; but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)”The narrator explains that the flax and barley were destroyed but the wheat and spelt survived because they ripen later.
- Exodus 10:5 (BSB)“They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.”God later warns that locusts will devour whatever the hail left, which includes these surviving crops.
- Exodus 10:15 (BSB)“They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.”The locusts do in fact consume what the hail had left behind.
General
What does God tell Pharaoh in Exodus 9:15 about what He could already have done?
Answer: He could already have struck Pharaoh and his nation with a disease that erased them from the earth
God tells Pharaoh that by this time He could have reached out His hand and struck Pharaoh and his nation with a disease that would have erased them from the earth (9:15). Pharaoh was still alive only because God was holding back. The next verse explains why God held back: He had a purpose for Pharaoh's life (9:16). Paul describes God bearing patiently with those who deserve His wrath in order to show His power (Romans 9:22), and through Isaiah God says He restrains His anger on account of His own name (Isaiah 48:9).
- Exodus 9:15 (BSB)“For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.”God tells Pharaoh that He could already have wiped him and his people off the earth.
- Romans 9:22 (BSB)“What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?”Paul speaks of God patiently bearing with objects of His wrath so as to reveal His might, drawing on this narrative.
- Isaiah 48:9 (BSB)“For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off.”God restrains His wrath for the sake of His name, the same motive given in 9:16.
Theological
What does 9:15 reveal about God's dealings with Pharaoh up to this point?
Answer: Pharaoh's survival is due to God's deliberate restraint, since God could already have annihilated him and his people
God declares that He could already have stretched out His hand and struck Pharaoh and his nation with a disease that would have cut them off from the earth (9:15). Pharaoh's continued existence is therefore the result of God's deliberate forbearance, and 9:16 gives its purpose. Paul reflects this in describing God patiently bearing with objects of His wrath so as to reveal His might (Romans 9:22), and Isaiah 48:9 shows the LORD restraining His wrath on account of His name.
- Exodus 9:15 (BSB)“For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.”God tells Pharaoh that He could already have wiped him and his people off the earth.
- Romans 9:22 (BSB)“What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?”Paul speaks of God patiently bearing with objects of His wrath so as to reveal His might, drawing on this narrative.
- Isaiah 48:9 (BSB)“For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off.”God restrains His wrath for the sake of His name, the same motive given in 9:16.
General
What did the seventh plague do to Egypt (Exodus 9:23-25)?
Answer: Hail with flashing lightning struck people, animals, and plants in the open, and left every tree bare
Moses raised his staff toward the sky, and God unleashed thunder, hail, and lightning that flashed down to the ground (9:23). The storm was worse than anything seen in Egypt in its whole history (9:24). Everywhere in Egypt the hailstones killed people and animals left in the open, flattened every plant, and left every tree bare (9:25). The psalms remember this as God's own act of judgment (Psalm 105:32-33; Psalm 78:47-48), and Revelation describes a final plague of huge hailstones on God's enemies (Revelation 16:21).
- Exodus 9:23-25 (BSB)“So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.”At Moses' outstretched staff the LORD sends thunder, hail, and lightning that strike people, animals, plants, and trees across Egypt.
- Psalm 105:32-33 (BSB)“He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land. He struck their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.”The psalmist recalls God giving hail with lightning and shattering Egypt's trees.
- Psalm 78:47-48 (BSB)“He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.”The psalmist recounts God destroying vines, fig trees, and livestock with hail and lightning.
- Revelation 16:21 (BSB)“And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.”In the final judgments massive hail again falls on God's enemies.
Theological
How does 9:23-25 describe the seventh plague?
Answer: The LORD sends thunder, hail, and lightning of unprecedented severity that strike man and beast in the open, beat down plants, and shatter trees
At Moses' outstretched staff, the LORD sends thunder and hail, with lightning striking the earth (9:23); the storm is unprecedented in Egypt's history (9:24), striking people and animals in the open, beating down every plant, and stripping every tree (9:25). The narrator repeatedly names the LORD as the agent. Psalm 105:32-33 and Psalm 78:47-48 recount the plague as God's judgment, and Revelation 16:21 reprises it in the final judgments.
- Exodus 9:23-25 (BSB)“So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.”At Moses' outstretched staff the LORD sends thunder, hail, and lightning that strike people, animals, plants, and trees across Egypt.
- Psalm 105:32-33 (BSB)“He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land. He struck their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.”The psalmist recalls God giving hail with lightning and shattering Egypt's trees.
- Psalm 78:47-48 (BSB)“He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.”The psalmist recounts God destroying vines, fig trees, and livestock with hail and lightning.
- Revelation 16:21 (BSB)“And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.”In the final judgments massive hail again falls on God's enemies.
General
What happened to Pharaoh's magicians during the plague of boils (Exodus 9:11)?
Answer: They were covered with boils like the other Egyptians and could not even stand before Moses
The magicians were unable even to appear in front of Moses, since the sores covered them as they covered every other Egyptian (9:11). Earlier they had copied some signs, then failed with the gnats (8:18). Now they cannot even show up. This is the last time they are mentioned in the plague account. Their defeat is complete: those who once opposed Moses are themselves struck by the judgment. Paul later says that the foolishness of the men who opposed Moses became plain to all (2 Timothy 3:8-9).
- Exodus 9:11 (BSB)“The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.”The magicians are so afflicted with boils that they cannot even stand before Moses.
- Exodus 8:18 (BSB)“The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.”The magicians had already failed to reproduce the gnats, the first sign of their defeat.
- 2 Timothy 3:8-9 (BSB)“Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.”Paul says the folly of those who opposed Moses became plain to everyone.
Theological
What does 9:11 record about the magicians, and how does it complete their story?
Answer: Afflicted by the boils like all the Egyptians, they cannot stand before Moses, and they disappear from the narrative
The magicians are unable even to appear in front of Moses, since the sores afflict them as they do every Egyptian (9:11). Their trajectory is complete: from imitation (7:11, 22; 8:7), to failure and confession (8:18-19), to personal affliction and absence. This is their final appearance in the plague narrative. The opponents of Moses are exposed exactly as Paul describes, their folly made plain to all (2 Timothy 3:8-9).
- Exodus 9:11 (BSB)“The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.”The magicians are so afflicted with boils that they cannot even stand before Moses.
- Exodus 8:18 (BSB)“The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.”The magicians had already failed to reproduce the gnats, the first sign of their defeat.
- 2 Timothy 3:8-9 (BSB)“Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.”Paul says the folly of those who opposed Moses became plain to everyone.
General
True or False: Later parts of the Bible show that God's purpose in 9:16, that His name be made known throughout the world, was actually fulfilled.
Answer: True
This is true. God said He had raised up Pharaoh so that His power would be shown and His name would be announced throughout the whole earth (9:16). Later Scripture shows that this happened. Rahab in Jericho told the Israelite spies that her people had heard what the LORD had done and that their hearts had melted with fear (Joshua 2:9-11). Generations later, the Philistines trembled at the thought of the God who had struck Egypt with plagues (1 Samuel 4:8). Nehemiah's prayer says that the signs against Pharaoh won God a lasting reputation (Nehemiah 9:10).
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God's stated aim is that His name be proclaimed throughout the earth.
- Joshua 2:9-11 (BSB)“and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.”Decades later Rahab in Canaan testifies that the report of what the LORD did had reached her people.
- 1 Samuel 4:8 (BSB)“Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.”Generations later the Philistines still speak with dread of the God who struck Egypt with plagues.
- Nehemiah 9:10 (BSB)“You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.”Israel's later prayer confesses that God made a name for Himself through the signs against Pharaoh.
Theological
True or False: Later Scripture records the fulfillment of God's stated aim in 9:16 that His name be announced throughout the world.
Answer: True
This is true. The purpose clause of 9:16, that God's name be announced throughout the world, is visibly fulfilled in subsequent Scripture. Rahab testifies that the report of the LORD's deeds had melted the hearts of Canaan (Joshua 2:9-11); the Philistines, generations later, dread the God who struck Egypt with plagues (1 Samuel 4:8); and the post-exilic community confesses that the signs against Pharaoh won God an enduring renown (Nehemiah 9:10). Pharaoh's resistance became the very means by which God's fame spread among the nations.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God's stated aim is that His name be proclaimed throughout the earth.
- Joshua 2:9-11 (BSB)“and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.”Decades later Rahab in Canaan testifies that the report of what the LORD did had reached her people.
- 1 Samuel 4:8 (BSB)“Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.”Generations later the Philistines still speak with dread of the God who struck Egypt with plagues.
- Nehemiah 9:10 (BSB)“You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.”Israel's later prayer confesses that God made a name for Himself through the signs against Pharaoh.
General
True or False: The hail fell on Goshen as heavily as on the rest of Egypt.
Answer: False
This is false. The only region spared from the hail was Goshen, Israel's home (9:26). God protected His people just as He had done in the plague of flies (8:22-23) and the plague on livestock. He would do so again in the plague of darkness, when Israel's homes were lit while the rest of Egypt was dark (10:23).
- Exodus 9:26 (BSB)“The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.”Goshen, where the Israelites lived, is the one place spared from the hail.
- Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)“But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””God had begun setting apart Goshen in the plague of flies.
- Exodus 10:23 (BSB)“No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.”In the ninth plague the Israelites have light while Egypt is in darkness, continuing the same distinction.
Theological
True or False: According to 9:26, Goshen suffered the hail along with the rest of Egypt.
Answer: False
This is false. 9:26 specifies that Goshen, Israel's home, was the only place without hail. The distinction introduced with the flies (8:22-23) and continued with the livestock (9:4) is maintained here and will recur in the darkness, when Israel has light in its dwellings (10:23).
- Exodus 9:26 (BSB)“The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.”Goshen, where the Israelites lived, is the one place spared from the hail.
- Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)“But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””God had begun setting apart Goshen in the plague of flies.
- Exodus 10:23 (BSB)“No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.”In the ninth plague the Israelites have light while Egypt is in darkness, continuing the same distinction.
General
Why does God say He will send all His plagues on Pharaoh (Exodus 9:13-14)?
Answer: So that Pharaoh will learn the LORD has no equal anywhere on earth
Once again God sends Moses to meet Pharaoh at dawn with the demand to release His people (9:13). This time God warns that He will send the full force of His plagues against Pharaoh, his officials, and his people, so that Pharaoh will learn the LORD has no equal anywhere on earth (9:14). Moses had said something similar during the plague of frogs (8:10). God is unique. Through Isaiah He says nothing compares to Him and that His purpose will stand (Isaiah 46:9-10), and Moses told Israel that they were shown these mighty works so they would know the LORD alone is God (Deuteronomy 4:35).
- Exodus 9:13-14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.”God warns that He will now send the full weight of His plagues so that Pharaoh will know no one is like Him.
- Exodus 8:10 (BSB)““Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.”The same theme of the LORD's incomparability appeared when Pharaoh chose the time for the frogs to leave.
- Isaiah 46:9-10 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares that there is none like Him and that His purpose will stand.
- Deuteronomy 4:35 (BSB)“You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.”Israel was shown these works so that they would know the LORD alone is God.
Theological
What purpose does the LORD state in 9:14 for the intensification of the plagues?
Answer: That Pharaoh may learn the LORD has no equal anywhere on earth
Introducing the seventh plague, the LORD sends Moses early to Pharaoh with the renewed demand (9:13) and warns that He will now send all His plagues against Pharaoh, his officials, and his people, so that Pharaoh may learn the LORD has no equal anywhere on earth (9:14). The incomparability theme recurs from 8:10 and belongs to the core of biblical monotheism: God has no rival, and His counsel stands (Isaiah 46:9-10); Israel witnessed these works to learn that the LORD alone is God (Deuteronomy 4:35).
- Exodus 9:13-14 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.”God warns that He will now send the full weight of His plagues so that Pharaoh will know no one is like Him.
- Exodus 8:10 (BSB)““Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.”The same theme of the LORD's incomparability appeared when Pharaoh chose the time for the frogs to leave.
- Isaiah 46:9-10 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares that there is none like Him and that His purpose will stand.
- Deuteronomy 4:35 (BSB)“You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.”Israel was shown these works so that they would know the LORD alone is God.
General
How do Pharaoh's officials respond to God's warning about the hail (Exodus 9:20-21)?
Answer: Those who took the LORD's word seriously sheltered their servants and animals, while those who ignored it left them out in the fields
The officials split into two groups. Those who took the LORD's word to heart rushed their servants and animals indoors, while those who paid no attention to it left theirs outside (9:20-21). What made the difference was whether they believed what God said. Even among Pharaoh's own court, some took God seriously. Proverbs teaches that reverence for the LORD is where true knowledge begins (Proverbs 1:7). Hebrews praises Noah for acting on God's warning about events still unseen (Hebrews 11:7). The Hebrew midwives had earlier shown the same fear of God over fear of Pharaoh (1:17).
- Exodus 9:20-21 (BSB)“Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter, but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.”Some of Pharaoh's officials take God's warning seriously and shelter their servants and animals; others ignore it.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, shown by the officials who heeded God's word.
- Hebrews 11:7 (BSB)“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”Noah, warned about things not yet seen, acted in godly fear to save his household, the same response the God-fearing officials show.
- Exodus 1:17 (BSB)“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.”The Hebrew midwives had feared God rather than Pharaoh, the same contrast between fearing God and following the king.
Theological
What distinguishes the two groups of officials in 9:20-21?
Answer: Their response to the LORD's word: those who feared it acted to shelter servants and livestock, those who disregarded it left them exposed
The narrative divides Pharaoh's officials not by rank or nationality but by their response to the LORD's word: those who feared it hurried their slaves and animals into shelter, while those who disregarded it left them in the field (9:20-21). Reverence for the LORD, expressed as trust in His warning, is where knowledge begins (Proverbs 1:7), exemplified by Noah, who acted in godly fear on a warning about things unseen (Hebrews 11:7), and earlier by the midwives who feared God rather than Pharaoh (1:17).
- Exodus 9:20-21 (BSB)“Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter, but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.”Some of Pharaoh's officials take God's warning seriously and shelter their servants and animals; others ignore it.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, shown by the officials who heeded God's word.
- Hebrews 11:7 (BSB)“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”Noah, warned about things not yet seen, acted in godly fear to save his household, the same response the God-fearing officials show.
- Exodus 1:17 (BSB)“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.”The Hebrew midwives had feared God rather than Pharaoh, the same contrast between fearing God and following the king.
General
What happens once the hail and thunder stop (Exodus 9:33-35)?
Answer: Pharaoh sins again and hardens his heart, together with his officials, and refuses to release Israel
Moses left the city and lifted his hands in prayer, and the storm stopped (9:33). But once Pharaoh noticed that the storm was over, he sinned once more and made his heart hard, together with his officials (9:34). So Pharaoh's heart stayed hard and he refused to release Israel, as God had foretold by Moses (9:35). The text calls it sin; Pharaoh is fully responsible. Yet in the very next verse God says that He Himself had hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials (10:1). Both are true of the same event: Pharaoh freely and guiltily hardened himself, and God was sovereignly carrying out His purpose through it. The Philistines later warned one another not to harden their hearts as Pharaoh did (1 Samuel 6:6), and Proverbs says that stubborn hearts lead to disaster (Proverbs 28:14).
- Exodus 9:34-35 (BSB)“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.”When the storm stops, Pharaoh sins again and hardens his heart along with his officials, and his heart remains hard as the LORD had said.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”Immediately after, the LORD says He Himself has hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials, the same event viewed from God's side.
- 1 Samuel 6:6 (BSB)“Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people out so they could go on their way?”The Philistines recall that Pharaoh and the Egyptians hardened their own hearts, confirming their guilt.
- Proverbs 28:14 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.”Whoever hardens his heart falls into trouble, as Pharaoh and Egypt will.
Theological
How do 9:34-35 and 10:1 together describe the hardening after the hail?
Answer: Pharaoh and his officials sin and harden their own hearts, and the LORD also declares that He has hardened them
When the storm ceases, Pharaoh sins once more and makes his heart hard, together with his officials (9:34); the result is stated passively in 9:35, that his heart became hard and he refused to release Israel, as God had foretold by Moses. The narrator labels the act sin, establishing culpability. Yet in 10:1 the LORD says that He has hardened the heart of Pharaoh and his officials. The same hardening is thus ascribed both to the human agents and to God: Pharaoh wills his rebellion freely and guiltily, while God sovereignly ordains and uses it, without being the author of sin. The Philistines cite Pharaoh's self-hardening as a warning (1 Samuel 6:6), and Proverbs 28:14 states its consequence.
- Exodus 9:34-35 (BSB)“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.”When the storm stops, Pharaoh sins again and hardens his heart along with his officials, and his heart remains hard as the LORD had said.
- Exodus 10:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,”Immediately after, the LORD says He Himself has hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials, the same event viewed from God's side.
- 1 Samuel 6:6 (BSB)“Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people out so they could go on their way?”The Philistines recall that Pharaoh and the Egyptians hardened their own hearts, confirming their guilt.
- Proverbs 28:14 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.”Whoever hardens his heart falls into trouble, as Pharaoh and Egypt will.
General
True or False: After Pharaoh confirmed that none of Israel's livestock had died, he released Israel (Exodus 9:7).
Answer: False
This is false. Pharaoh sent officials to check, and they found that not one of Israel's animals had died (9:7). He had clear proof that God was keeping His word exactly, sparing Israel while judging Egypt. Yet his heart became hard, and he still refused to release the people. This verse describes the hardening without saying who caused it. Evidence alone does not change a heart set against God. Jesus said that people who refuse to heed God's word stay unconvinced even by a resurrection (Luke 16:31), and John notes that many saw Jesus' signs and still refused to believe (John 12:37).
- Exodus 9:7 (BSB)“Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.”Pharaoh confirms that no Israelite animal died, yet his heart is hardened and he will not release the people.
- Luke 16:31 (BSB)“Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’””People who refuse God's word are not persuaded even by extraordinary evidence.
- John 12:37 (BSB)“Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.”Many signs performed in people's presence did not produce faith, the same pattern seen in Pharaoh.
Theological
True or False: Pharaoh's investigation in 9:7 confirming Israel's exemption led him to release the people.
Answer: False
This is false. Pharaoh's inquiry confirms that not one Israelite animal has died (9:7), verifying the precise distinction the LORD had announced. Yet his heart became hard, and he refused to release the people. The verse uses the passive without naming an agent. The episode shows that unbelief is not remedied by evidence; Luke 16:31 and John 12:37 describe the same phenomenon of people confronted with unmistakable signs who still do not believe.
- Exodus 9:7 (BSB)“Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.”Pharaoh confirms that no Israelite animal died, yet his heart is hardened and he will not release the people.
- Luke 16:31 (BSB)“Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’””People who refuse God's word are not persuaded even by extraordinary evidence.
- John 12:37 (BSB)“Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.”Many signs performed in people's presence did not produce faith, the same pattern seen in Pharaoh.
General
What does Pharaoh say during the hail, and how does Moses assess it (Exodus 9:27-30)?
Answer: He admits his sin and calls the LORD just, but Moses knows he still has no reverence for God
Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, admitting that this time he had sinned; the LORD was in the right, and he and his people were in the wrong. He asked them to pray, saying the storm had gone on long enough, and promised to let Israel go (9:27-28). His words sound like repentance, but Moses told him plainly that he knew Pharaoh and his officials still had no reverence for the LORD (9:30). Pharaoh wanted the pain to stop, not a changed relationship with God. Paul distinguishes godly sorrow, which leads to real repentance, from worldly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). Pharaoh would make the same kind of confession again (10:16-17), much like King Saul, who admitted his sin but excused it by blaming his fear of the people (1 Samuel 15:24-25).
- Exodus 9:27-28 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.””Pharaoh admits his sin, calls the LORD righteous, and asks for prayer, promising to release Israel.
- Exodus 9:30 (BSB)“But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.””Moses discerns that Pharaoh and his officials still do not fear the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”Distinguishes godly sorrow that leads to repentance from worldly sorrow, the kind Pharaoh shows.
- Exodus 10:16-17 (BSB)“Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.””Pharaoh later confesses again under pressure, showing a pattern rather than a change of heart.
- 1 Samuel 15:24-25 (BSB)“Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.””King Saul also confessed sin while excusing it by his fear of the people, a parallel of confession without true repentance.
Theological
What does 9:30 reveal about Pharaoh's confession in 9:27-28?
Answer: It acknowledges sin and the LORD's righteousness, but Moses discerns that Pharaoh and his officials still lack reverence for the LORD
Pharaoh's words are theologically correct: he has sinned, the LORD is in the right, and he and his people are guilty (9:27); he asks for intercession and promises release (9:28). Yet Moses discerns that neither Pharaoh nor his officials yet fear the LORD (9:30). This is confession under duress, driven by the desire for relief rather than by godly sorrow that produces repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). The pattern recurs in 10:16-17 and parallels Saul's confession, which admitted sin while excusing it by his fear of the people (1 Samuel 15:24-25). Right words about God are not the same as a heart turned toward Him.
- Exodus 9:27-28 (BSB)“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.””Pharaoh admits his sin, calls the LORD righteous, and asks for prayer, promising to release Israel.
- Exodus 9:30 (BSB)“But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.””Moses discerns that Pharaoh and his officials still do not fear the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10 (BSB)“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”Distinguishes godly sorrow that leads to repentance from worldly sorrow, the kind Pharaoh shows.
- Exodus 10:16-17 (BSB)“Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.””Pharaoh later confesses again under pressure, showing a pattern rather than a change of heart.
- 1 Samuel 15:24-25 (BSB)“Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.””King Saul also confessed sin while excusing it by his fear of the people, a parallel of confession without true repentance.
General
What happened in the fifth plague, according to Exodus 9:3-6?
Answer: A deadly disease struck the Egyptians' animals on the day God set, but not a single Israelite animal died
God warned that His hand would bring a severe disease on Egypt's animals in the fields: horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats (9:3). But He would treat Israel's animals differently, so that none of theirs would die (9:4). God even named the day it would happen, the next day, and on that day the Egyptians' livestock died while not one Israelite animal was lost (9:5-6). God had begun setting Israel apart in the plague of flies (8:22-23), and He would say it outright again before the last plague (11:7). Every creature's life is in God's hand (Job 12:10), so He can strike or spare exactly as He chooses.
- Exodus 9:3-6 (BSB)“then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’” The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.”The LORD announces and then sends a deadly plague on Egypt's livestock at a set time, sparing every Israelite animal.
- Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)“But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””In the previous plague God first announced that He would set His people apart from the Egyptians.
- Exodus 11:7 (BSB)“But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”Before the final plague God states the principle that He distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.
- Job 12:10 (BSB)“The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.”The life of every living creature is in God's hand, which is why He can take or spare animals as He wills.
Theological
What features of the fifth plague (9:3-6) display the LORD's sovereign control?
Answer: A fixed time announced in advance and a precise distinction that spared every Israelite animal while Egypt's livestock died
The fifth plague is attributed to the LORD's own hand and strikes Egypt's herds and flocks out in the open (9:3). Two features underline divine sovereignty: the LORD sets the time in advance, naming the next day (9:5), and He draws an exact line between Israel's livestock and Egypt's, so that not one Israelite animal dies (9:4, 6). The distinction begun with the flies (8:22-23) continues and will be stated as a principle before the final plague (11:7). Every creature's life rests in the LORD's hand (Job 12:10).
- Exodus 9:3-6 (BSB)“then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’” The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.”The LORD announces and then sends a deadly plague on Egypt's livestock at a set time, sparing every Israelite animal.
- Exodus 8:22-23 (BSB)“But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’””In the previous plague God first announced that He would set His people apart from the Egyptians.
- Exodus 11:7 (BSB)“But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”Before the final plague God states the principle that He distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.
- Job 12:10 (BSB)“The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.”The life of every living creature is in God's hand, which is why He can take or spare animals as He wills.
General
How does the apostle Paul use Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9:17-18?
Answer: To show that God shows mercy to those He chooses and hardens those He chooses, for His own glory
In 9:16 God tells Pharaoh that He raised him up for exactly this reason: to show His power in him and to make His name known across the world. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:17 and then concludes that God shows mercy to those He chooses and hardens those He chooses (Romans 9:18). This teaches God's sovereignty, meaning His complete right and power to rule over all things, including who receives mercy. Pharaoh was not a mistake or an obstacle to God's plan; God raised him up for His own purpose and used his rebellion to display His glory. Proverbs says the LORD made all things for His own ends, even wicked people for a day of disaster (Proverbs 16:4). Yet Pharaoh was never a helpless victim. He really and willingly hardened his own heart (8:15, 32) and is justly condemned. When someone objects that God then has no right to blame anyone, Paul answers that the creature has no standing to argue with his Creator (Romans 9:19-20).
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God declares that He raised Pharaoh up to display His power and make His name known throughout the earth.
- Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul quotes this verse to prove that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- Romans 9:19-20 (BSB)“One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?””Paul answers the objection that God cannot then blame anyone, affirming both God's sovereignty and human accountability.
- Proverbs 16:4 (BSB)“The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.”The LORD has made everything for His purpose, even the wicked for the day of disaster.
Theological
What doctrinal conclusion does Paul draw from 9:16 in Romans 9:17-18?
Answer: God sovereignly shows mercy to whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills, displaying His power and name
9:16 declares that God raised Pharaoh up precisely to display His power in him and to spread His name across the world. Paul cites the verse in Romans 9:17 and draws the conclusion that God shows mercy to whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills (Romans 9:18). The text grounds Pharaoh's very existence and elevation in God's prior purpose, and his resistance served that purpose rather than frustrating it: the LORD made all things for His own ends, even wicked people for a day of calamity (Proverbs 16:4). At the same time, Scripture never makes Pharaoh a passive instrument without guilt; he hardened his own heart (8:15, 32) and is justly judged. Paul meets the objection that God cannot then find fault by upholding the Creator's right over the creature (Romans 9:19-20), holding divine sovereignty and human responsibility together.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God declares that He raised Pharaoh up to display His power and make His name known throughout the earth.
- Romans 9:17-18 (BSB)“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul quotes this verse to prove that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- Romans 9:19-20 (BSB)“One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?””Paul answers the objection that God cannot then blame anyone, affirming both God's sovereignty and human accountability.
- Proverbs 16:4 (BSB)“The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.”The LORD has made everything for His purpose, even the wicked for the day of disaster.
General
What lesson does Moses say the stopping of the hail will teach Pharaoh (Exodus 9:29)?
Answer: That the earth belongs to the LORD
Moses told Pharaoh that once he left the city, he would lift his hands in prayer, and the storm would stop, so that Pharaoh would learn that the world belongs to the LORD (9:29). The storm started and stopped at God's word because the whole world is His. David sang that the earth and everything in it belong to the LORD (Psalm 24:1), and God told Israel at Sinai that all the world is His (19:5). Still, Moses knew Pharaoh did not yet fear God (9:30), a condition Paul describes as living without any reverence for God (Romans 3:18).
- Exodus 9:29 (BSB)“Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.”Moses promises to pray once outside the city so that the storm will stop and Pharaoh will know the earth belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
- Exodus 19:5 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.”God later tells Israel at Sinai that the whole earth is His.
- Romans 3:18 (BSB)““There is no fear of God before their eyes.””Paul concludes his description of sinful humanity with the absence of any fear of God, the condition Moses sees in Pharaoh.
Theological
What truth does Moses say the cessation of the hail will demonstrate (9:29)?
Answer: That the whole world belongs to the LORD
Moses promises to lift his hands in prayer once outside the city, so that the storm will cease and Pharaoh will learn that the whole world belongs to the LORD (9:29). The LORD's control over the storm demonstrates His ownership of all creation, a truth confessed in Psalm 24:1 and restated at Sinai (19:5). Pharaoh's problem, however, is not a lack of information: Moses knows he still has no reverence for the LORD (9:30), the condition that caps Paul's description of human sinfulness in Romans 3:18.
- Exodus 9:29 (BSB)“Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.”Moses promises to pray once outside the city so that the storm will stop and Pharaoh will know the earth belongs to the LORD.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
- Exodus 19:5 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.”God later tells Israel at Sinai that the whole earth is His.
- Romans 3:18 (BSB)““There is no fear of God before their eyes.””Paul concludes his description of sinful humanity with the absence of any fear of God, the condition Moses sees in Pharaoh.
General
What does Exodus 9:12 say about Pharaoh's heart after the boils?
Answer: The LORD made Pharaoh's heart hard, as He had told Moses
Exodus 9:12 says the LORD made Pharaoh's heart hard, so that he refused to heed, in keeping with what God had told Moses. This is the first time the story of the plagues says that God Himself did the hardening. God had announced this ahead of time (4:21; 7:3), and up to now the text had said either that Pharaoh's heart became hard or that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (8:15, 32). Both are true together. God rules over even a stubborn king's heart, and Paul teaches from this account that God hardens whom He chooses (Romans 9:18). Yet God does not tempt anyone to do evil (James 1:13); Pharaoh freely chose his rebellion and was fully guilty. God's hardening confirmed Pharaoh in the path he himself kept choosing.
- Exodus 9:12 (BSB)“But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”For the first time in the narration of the plagues, the LORD is named as the one who hardens Pharaoh's heart.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had announced beforehand that He would harden Pharaoh's heart.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul concludes from the Pharaoh account that God hardens whom He wills.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God never tempts anyone to evil, so His hardening does not make Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.
Theological
What is distinctive about the hardening statement in 9:12?
Answer: It is the first time in the narration of the plagues that God is explicitly the subject of the hardening
9:12 states that the LORD made Pharaoh's heart hard, so that he refused to heed, in keeping with what God had told Moses. Although God had announced His intention beforehand (4:21; 7:3), this is the first time the plague narrative names the LORD as the agent; earlier narrator statements are either passive (7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:7) or name Pharaoh as the subject (8:15, 32). Paul draws the doctrinal conclusion that God hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). This divine hardening does not make God the author of sin (James 1:13). It is a sovereign and just act in which God confirms a sinner in the rebellion he culpably chooses, so that Pharaoh remains fully responsible even as God's purpose is carried out.
- Exodus 9:12 (BSB)“But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”For the first time in the narration of the plagues, the LORD is named as the one who hardens Pharaoh's heart.
- Exodus 4:21 (BSB)“The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”God had announced beforehand that He would harden Pharaoh's heart.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul concludes from the Pharaoh account that God hardens whom He wills.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God never tempts anyone to evil, so His hardening does not make Him the author of Pharaoh's sin.
General
What does God tell Pharaoh to do before the hail comes (Exodus 9:18-19)?
Answer: Order that all livestock and everything in the fields be brought under shelter, because anything left outside will die
God accuses Pharaoh of still setting himself up against God's people and refusing to release them (9:17). He then announces that at this time the next day He will send the heaviest hail Egypt had ever experienced since its founding (9:18). But God also gives a warning: bring the animals and all that is outdoors under shelter, because any person or animal left outside would perish in the storm (9:19). Even in judgment, God gave the Egyptians a way to protect themselves if they took His word seriously. The hail belonged to God, kept ready for His purposes (Job 38:22-23; Psalm 148:8). Paul says God's patience and kindness are meant to lead people to repentance (Romans 2:4).
- Exodus 9:17-19 (BSB)“Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go. Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’””God charges Pharaoh with exalting himself against Israel, announces unprecedented hail, and urges him to shelter people and animals.
- Job 38:22-23 (BSB)“Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?”God keeps hail in His storehouses for days of battle, showing the hail as His own weapon.
- Psalm 148:8 (BSB)“lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”Hail is among the elements that carry out God's word.
- Romans 2:4 (BSB)“Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”God's kindness and patience are meant to lead to repentance, as the warning here gives opportunity to act.
Theological
What mercy accompanies the announcement of the seventh plague in 9:17-19?
Answer: A warning to bring livestock and all that is outdoors under shelter so that they will not perish
The LORD indicts Pharaoh for exalting himself against His people (9:17) and announces for the next day a hail unprecedented in Egypt's history (9:18). Yet the announcement includes a merciful warning: shelter livestock and all that is outdoors, for whatever remains outside will perish (9:19). Judgment is preceded by opportunity. The hail itself is the LORD's instrument, drawn from His storehouses for days of battle (Job 38:22-23) and fulfilling His word (Psalm 148:8). God's forbearance and warnings are meant to lead to repentance (Romans 2:4).
- Exodus 9:17-19 (BSB)“Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go. Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’””God charges Pharaoh with exalting himself against Israel, announces unprecedented hail, and urges him to shelter people and animals.
- Job 38:22-23 (BSB)“Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, which I hold in reserve for times of trouble, for the day of war and battle?”God keeps hail in His storehouses for days of battle, showing the hail as His own weapon.
- Psalm 148:8 (BSB)“lightning and hail, snow and clouds, powerful wind fulfilling His word,”Hail is among the elements that carry out God's word.
- Romans 2:4 (BSB)“Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?”God's kindness and patience are meant to lead to repentance, as the warning here gives opportunity to act.