Éxodo 9

1 ENTONCES Jehová dijo á Moisés: Entra á Faraón, y dile: Jehová, el Dios de los Hebreos, dice así: Deja ir á mi pueblo, para que me sirvan;

2 Porque si no lo quieres dejar ir, y los detuvieres aún,

3 He aquí la mano de Jehová será sobre tus ganados que están en el campo, caballos, asnos, camellos, vacas y ovejas, con pestilencia gravísima:

4 Y Jehová hará separación entre los ganados de Israel y los de Egipto, de modo que nada muera de todo lo de los hijos de Israel.

5 Y Jehová señaló tiempo, diciendo: Mañana hará Jehová esta cosa en la tierra.

6 Y el día siguiente Jehová hizo aquello, y murió todo el ganado de Egipto; mas del ganado de los hijos de Israel no murió uno.

7 Entonces Faraón envió, y he aquí que del ganado de los hijos de Israel no había muerto uno. Mas el corazón de Faraón se agravó, y no dejó ir al pueblo.

8 Y Jehová dijo á Moisés y á Aarón: Tomad puñados de ceniza de un horno, y espárzala Moisés hacia el cielo delante de Faraón:

9 Y vendrá á ser polvo sobre toda la tierra de Egipto, el cual originará sarpullido que cause tumores apostemados en los hombres y en las bestias, por todo el país de Egipto.

10 Y tomaron la ceniza del horno, y pusiéronse delante de Faraón, y esparcióla Moisés hacia el cielo; y vino un sarpullido que causaba tumores apostemados así en los hombres como en las bestias.

11 Y los magos no podían estar delante de Moisés á causa de los tumores, porque hubo sarpullido en los magos y en todos los Egipcios.

12 Y Jehová endureció el corazón de Faraón, y no los oyó; como Jehová lo había dicho á Moisés.

13 Entonces Jehová dijo á Moisés: Levántate de mañana, y ponte delante de Faraón, y dile: Jehová, el Dios de los Hebreos, dice así: Deja ir á mi pueblo, para que me sirva.

14 Porque yo enviaré esta vez todas mis plagas á tu corazón, sobre tus siervos, y sobre tu pueblo, para que entiendas que no hay otro como yo en toda la tierra.

15 Porque ahora yo extenderé mi mano para herirte á ti y á tu pueblo de pestilencia, y serás quitado de la tierra.

16 Y á la verdad yo te he puesto para declarar en ti mi potencia, y que mi Nombre sea contado en toda la tierra.

17 ¿Todavía te ensalzas tú contra mi pueblo, para no dejarlos ir?

18 He aquí que mañana á estas horas yo haré llover granizo muy grave, cual nunca fué en Egipto, desde el día que se fundó hasta ahora.

19 Envía, pues, á recoger tu ganado, y todo lo que tienes en el campo; porque todo hombre ó animal que se hallare en el campo, y no fuere recogido á casa, el granizo descenderá sobre él, y morirá.

20 De los siervos de Faraón el que temió la palabra de Jehová, hizo huir sus criados y su ganado á casa:

21 Mas el que no puso en su corazón la palabra de Jehová, dejó sus criados y sus ganados en el campo.

22 Y Jehová dijo á Moisés: Extiende tu mano hacia el cielo, para que venga granizo en toda la tierra de Egipto sobre los hombres, y sobre las bestias, y sobre toda la hierba del campo en el país de Egipto.

23 Y Moisés extendió su vara hacia el cielo, y Jehová hizo tronar y granizar, y el fuego discurría por la tierra; y llovió Jehová granizo sobre la tierra de Egipto.

24 Hubo pues granizo, y fuego mezclado con el granizo, tan grande, cual nunca hubo en toda la tierra de Egipto desde que fué habitada.

25 Y aquel granizo hirió en toda la tierra de Egipto todo lo que estaba en el campo, así hombres como bestias; asimismo hirió el granizo toda la hierba del campo, y desgajó todos los árboles del país.

26 Solamente en la tierra de Gosén, donde los hijos de Israel estaban, no hubo granizo.

27 Entonces Faraón envió á llamar á Moisés y á Aarón, y les dijo: He pecado esta vez: Jehová es justo, y yo y mi pueblo impíos.

28 Orad á Jehová: y cesen los truenos de Dios y el granizo; y yo os dejaré ir, y no os detendréis más.

29 Y respondióle Moisés: En saliendo yo de la ciudad extenderé mis manos á Jehová, y los truenos cesarán, y no habrá más granizo; para que sepas que de Jehová es la tierra.

30 Mas yo sé que ni tú ni tus siervos temeréis todavía la presencia del Dios Jehová.

31 El lino, pues, y la cebada fueron heridos; porque la cebada estaba ya espigada, y el lino en caña.

32 Mas el trigo y el centeno no fueron heridos; porque eran tardíos.

33 Y salido Moisés de con Faraón de la ciudad, extendió sus manos á Jehová, y cesaron los truenos y el granizo; y la lluvia no cayó más sobre la tierra.

34 Y viendo Faraón que la lluvia había cesado y el granizo y los truenos, perseveró en pecar, y agravó su corazón, él y sus siervos.

35 Y el corazón de Faraón se endureció, y no dejó ir á los hijos de Israel; como Jehová lo había dicho por medio de Moisés.

Éxodo 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The murrain of beasts. (1-7) The plague of boils and blains. (8-12) The plague of hail threatened. (13-21) The plague of hail inflicted. (22-35)

Verses 1-7 God will have Israel released, Pharaoh opposes it, and the trial is, whose word shall stand. The hand of the Lord at once is upon the cattle, many of which, some of all kinds, die by a sort of murrain. This was greatly to the loss of the owners; they had made Israel poor, and now God would make them poor. The hand of God is to be seen, even in the sickness and death of cattle; for a sparrow falls not to the ground without our Father. None of the Israelites' cattle should die; the Lord shall sever. The cattle died. The Egyptians worshipped their cattle. What we make an idol of, it is just with God to remove from us. This proud tyrant and cruel oppressor deserved to be made an example by the just Judge of the universe. None who are punished according to what they deserve, can have any just cause to complain. Hardness of heart denotes that state of mind upon which neither threatenings nor promise, neither judgements nor mercies, make any abiding impression. The conscience being stupified, and the heart filled with pride and presumption, they persist in unbelief and disobedience. This state of mind is also called the stony heart. Very different is the heart of flesh, the broken and contrite heart. Sinners have none to blame but themselves, for that pride and ungodliness which abuse the bounty and patience of God. For, however the Lord hardens the hearts of men, it is always as a punishment of former sins.

Verses 8-12 When the Egyptians were not wrought upon by the death of their cattle, God sent a plague that seized their own bodies. If lesser judgments do not work, God will send greater. Sometimes God shows men their sin in their punishment. They had oppressed Israel in the furnaces, and now the ashes of the furnace are made a terror to them. The plague itself was very grievous. The magicians themselves were struck with these boils. Their power was restrained before; but they continued to withstand Moses, and to confirm Pharaoh in his unbelief, till they were forced to give way. Pharaoh continued obstinate. He had hardened his own heart, and now God justly gave him up to his own heart's lusts, permitting Satan to blind and harden him. If men shut their eyes against the light, it is just with God to close their eyes. This is the sorest judgment a man can be under out of hell.

Verses 13-21 Moses is here ordered to deliver a dreadful message to Pharaoh. Providence ordered it, that Moses should have a man of such a fierce and stubborn spirit as this Pharaoh to deal with; and every thing made it a most signal instance of the power of God has to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies. When God's justice threatens ruin, his mercy at the same time shows a way of escape from it. God not only distinguished between Egyptians and Israelites, but between some Egyptians and others. If Pharaoh will not yield, and so prevent the judgment itself, yet those that will take warning, may take shelter. Some believed the things which were spoken, and they feared, and housed their servants and cattle, and it was their wisdom. Even among the servants of Pharaoh, some trembled at God's word; and shall not the sons of Israel dread it? But others believed not, and left their cattle in the field. Obstinate unbelief is deaf to the fairest warnings, and the wisest counsels, which leaves the blood of those that perish upon their own heads.

Verses 22-35 Woful havoc this hail made: it killed both men and cattle; the corn above ground was destroyed, and that only preserved which as yet was not come up. The land of Goshen was preserved. God causes rain or hail on one city and not on another, either in mercy or in judgment. Pharaoh humbled himself to Moses. No man could have spoken better: he owns himself wrong; he owns that the Lord is righteous; and God must be justified when he speaks, though he speaks in thunder and lightning. Yet his heart was hardened all this while. Moses pleads with God: though he had reason to think Pharaoh would repent of his repentance, and he told him so, yet he promises to be his friend. Moses went out of the city, notwithstanding the hail and lightning which kept Pharaoh and his servants within doors. Peace with God makes men thunder-proof. Pharaoh was frightened by the tremendous judgment; but when that was over, his fair promises were forgotten. Those that are not bettered by judgments and mercies, commonly become worse.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 9

This chapter relates the plague of murrain upon the cattle, and which yet was not upon the cattle of the Israelites, Ex 9:1-7 and the plague of boils and blains on man and beast, Ex 9:8-11 and Pharaoh's heart being hardened, Moses is sent to him with a message from the Lord, threatening him that all his plagues should come upon him, and particularly the pestilence, if he would not let Israel go; and signifying, that to show his power in him, and declare his name throughout the earth, had he raised him up, and a kind of amazement is expressed at his obstinacy and pride, Ex 9:12-17, and he is told that a terrible storm of hail should fall upon the land, and destroy all in the field; wherefore those that regarded the word of the Lord got their cattle within doors, but those that did not took no care of them, Ex 9:18-21 and upon Moses's stretching out his hand, when ordered by the Lord, the storm began, and destroyed every thing in the field throughout the land, excepting the land of Goshen, Ex 9:22-26 upon which Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, acknowledged his sin, and the justice of God, begged they would entreat for him, which Moses did; but when the storm was over, Pharaoh's heart was still more hardened, and he refused to let the people go, Ex 9:27-35.