Ex. 9:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Ex. 9:2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
Ex. 9:3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
Ex. 9:4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.
Ex. 9:5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
The LORD sends Moses back to Pharaoh to tell him that the “LORD God of the Hebrews” says to let His people go so they can serve Him. If Pharaoh refuses again, the LORD will cause a plague on all livestock in the fields of the Egyptians. Again, none of the livestock of Israel would be affected. The time was set for the next day.
It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew for the word “serve” includes to work, serve, and be enslaved, as well as worship. The Israelites were to be the servants of God—not Pharaoh. They were to love the LORD their God with all their heart, soul and might. One choose to love God in this way is choosing to be a bondslave—a slave by choice.
Clarke: “The murrain is a very contagious disease among cattle, the symptoms of which are a hanging down and swelling of the head, abundance of gum in the eyes, rattling in the throat, difficulty of breathing, palpitation of the heart, staggering, a hot breath, and a shining tongue; which symptoms prove that a general inflammation has taken place.”
Ex. 9:6 And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.
Ex. 9:7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
Obviously, Pharaoh did not relent. Again—it came down just as the LORD said. Pharaoh even sent his men to investigate as to whether any of the livestock of the Hebrews had been affected. Still, his heart was unyielding; and he refused to let the people go.
Pride is a terrible thing! He was willing to let his own people suffer just to prove he was in charge.
Guzik: “This plague was directed against the Egyptian god Hathor who was thought to be a mother goddess was in the form of a cow. In addition, Egyptian religion considered cattle sacred and the cow was often a symbol of fertility.”
Ex. 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
Ex. 9:9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
Ex. 9:10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
Ex. 9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
Ex. 9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
The next sign again takes places without giving Pharaoh the opportunity to avoid it. The LORD instructed Moses to take handfuls of ash from a furnace and toss it in the air in the presence of Pharaoh. When the ash hit the air, it spread over Egypt and caused boils to break out on men and animals throughout the land. When this happened, the magicians could not even stand before Moses because they were covered with boils. This time we are told that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he refused to let the people go—just as the LORD had told Moses. This same declaration was made at the time Moses turned the rod into a snake.
It’s interesting that Moses and Aaron were allowed continued access to the Pharaoh. Evidently, there was enough fear in his heart not to try to harm them or to forbid them from approaching him. Come to think of it, that is how we often deal with God when we don’t want to obey. We are aware that He is there and all powerful, but we figure we can just ignore what He says.
The fact that God would harden someone’s heart is a hard truth. I believe it can be explained in the same way that predestination or “being chosen as a child of God” is explained. Romans 8:29 says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate….” The Bible is so clear on the fact that God gave man a choice to obey Him or not and that we are not preprogrammed. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows what each one of us is going to choose. Therefore, He chooses to utilize our choices to bring glory to Him—as in the case of Pharaoh. He didn’t prevent Pharaoh from knowing the truth. He acted on the knowledge that Pharaoh would never respond to the truth. Even though I understand what I am saying, it’s amazing to understand God’s intimate knowledge of each one of His created beings.
God could have intervened and freed His people at any time. Instead, He chose to provide many signs to the Egyptians and their Pharaoh declaring who He was. Not only that, I think He was building the faith of the Israelites in the process. This was all part of the foundation that would leave them with no excuse for their lack of trust en route to the “promised land.”
Courson: “The furnace referred to here is generally believed to be that of the god Typhoon wherein humans were sacrificed in order to stave off boils and sores for the remaining population.”
Guzik: “This plague was probably directed against the Egyptian god Imhotep, who was said to be the god of medicine.”
Ex. 9:13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Ex. 9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
Ex. 9:15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
Ex. 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
The LORD sends Moses to again confront Pharaoh early the next morning with the command from the “LORD God of the Hebrews” to let the people go and serve Him. If he doesn’t cooperate, the LORD is going to send a plague that will be felt in his heart, a reference to his physical being, and by all his servants and his people. He even tells Pharaoh that He could wipe out the whole Egyptian population at will. Then He tells Pharaoh that he has been raised up for the purpose of showing God’s power and to have God’s name proclaimed throughout all the earth.
Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Ex. 9:17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
Ex. 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
Ex. 9:19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Ex. 9:20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
Ex. 9:21 And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Since Pharaoh still refused to let the people go, God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that on the next day the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt will occur. He even warns Pharaoh that he should have the people bring in their livestock from the field to a place of shelter because any man or animal not under shelter will die. Some of Pharaoh’s officials were listening and believed the word of the LORD; they brought their slaves and livestock inside. Others chose to ignore the warning.
It seems that some of the Egyptians are starting to respect the God of Israel, showing more wisdom than their ruler.
Ex. 9:22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
Ex. 9:23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
Ex. 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Ex. 9:25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
Ex. 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
On the next day (implied), the LORD had Moses stretch out his hand toward heaven, and the hail fell on all the fields of Egypt. He stretched his rod toward heaven, and God sent thunder, hail and fire (from lightning?) to the ground. It destroyed everything in the fields and stripped every tree. However, it did not hail in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived.
Guzik: “This plague was directed against several Egyptian gods. Notable among them was Nut, the sky goddess.”
Ex. 9:27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
Ex. 9:28 Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
Ex. 9:29 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’S.
Ex. 9:30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.
Ex. 9:31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
Ex. 9:32 But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
Ex. 9:33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
Ex. 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
Ex. 9:35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.
Pharaoh sends for Moses and Aaron again. This time he admitted that he had sinned, that he and his people are wicked, and that the LORD is righteous. He asked them to pray to the LORD to stop the thunder and hail, and he would let the people go.
Moses again tells Pharaoh exactly what will happen so he will understand that it is the LORD God who is in control of things on earth. He would go out of the city, spread out his hands in prayer to the LORD, and the thunder and hail would stop—BUT he added that he knew that Pharaoh and his officials still did not fear God. It is noted that the flax and barley were destroyed, but the wheat and rie (rye) were not since they had not yet ripened.
Moses did as he had said he would—the rain , thunder and hail stopped—and again Pharaoh and his servants hardened their hearts, and he would not let the people go. ALL happened just “as the LORD had spoken to Moses.”
Ex. 10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
Ex. 10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
The LORD again commands Moses to go back to Pharaoh. He also again tells him that He is the one hardening Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of his servants. Again, I believe God is using Pharaoh’s will to accomplish His purpose. I don’t believe He is causing Pharaoh or his servants to act contrary to their own will.)
The LORD explains that He wants the Israelites to be able to tell their children and grandchildren in the coming years about the miraculous signs God had performed in Egypt and how He had dealt harshly with Egypt. These stories of God’s deliverance would help them remember that He is the LORD, THE authority in heaven and earth!
Courson: “There’s no testimony without tests. A vibrant, passionate, and authentic walk with the Lord does not come from secondhand theology. It only comes through the things we experience personally.”
Ex. 10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
Ex. 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Ex. 10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
Ex. 10:6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
Ex. 10:7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
Again, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that if he doesn’t let the people go, “the LORD God of the Hebrews” will send locusts into the country the next day. They basically ask him what it is going to take for him to realize that he has no choice but to let the people go. The locusts will cover the ground in such numbers that the ground will not be visible. They will eat everything left from the hail, including the trees. They will even fill the houses. Pharaoh’s officials had had enough. They begged Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Egypt was being ruined (because of his pride).
Ex. 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
Ex. 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
Ex. 10:10 And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
Ex. 10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
So Moses and Aaron were called back and asked who all would be going to worship. Pharaoh was told that all the people, flocks and herds would go to hold a feast unto the LORD. Pharaoh basically said, “fat chance.” He said that only the men could go, and then Moses and Aaron were driven out.
Guzik: “What Pharaoh wanted is what many of us want in the flesh: a way to 'give in' to God, without fully submitting to Him.”
Ex. 10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
Ex. 10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Ex. 10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
Ex. 10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
So at God’s command, Moses stretched out his rod over Egypt, and God caused an east wind to blow across the land all day and night. By the next morning, the wind had brought the locusts; and they invaded Egypt, devouring every green thing left from the hail.
Locust swarms are amazing and devastating. In fact, they started appearing in huge swarms against last year (2020). I found the following information at nationalgeographic.com in an article dated May 12, 2020: “With their seemingly bottomless appetites, locusts can cause devastating agricultural losses. An adult desert locust can munch through its own bodyweight, about 0.07 ounces, of vegetation every day. Swarms can swell to 70 billion insects—enough to blanket New York City more than once—and can destroy 300 million pounds of crops in a single day. Even a more modest gathering of 40 million desert locusts can eat as much in a day as 35,000 people.”
Guzik: “Yahweh showed Himself greater than the Egyptian god Set, thought to be the protector of crops.”
Wiersbe: “The plague of locusts was the most devastating natural calamity to hit the land of Egypt in all of Egyptian history. In destroying the vegetation, God not only left the land bankrupt, but He triumphed over Osiris, the Egyptian god of fertility and crops.”
Note: Research shows many varying lists of the gods of Egypt and their supposed area of authority.
Ex. 10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
Ex. 10:17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
Ex. 10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
Ex. 10:19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
Ex. 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
Again, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. Again, he admits his sin and then asks for forgiveness and for Moses to pray and ask God to remove the locusts. So Moses prayed, and God changed the wind to a west wind that carried the locusts to the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in Egypt. However, once again, the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart; and he would not let the people go.
Ex. 10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
Ex. 10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Ex. 10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Once again without warning to Pharaoh, the LORD commanded Moses to stretch his hand toward the sky to cause “a darkness that could be felt” all over Egypt—except where the Israelites lived. The darkness lasted three days. No one was able to see anyone else. No one was able to move around for three days. This evidently affected their ability to utilize any other type of light.
Clarke: “Probably this was occasioned by a superabundance of aqueous vapors floating in the atmosphere, which were so thick as to prevent the rays of the sun from penetrating through them; an extraordinarily thick mist supernaturally, i.e., miraculously, brought on. So deep was the obscurity, and probably such was its nature, that no artificial light could be procured; as the thick clammy vapors would prevent lamps, etc., from burning, or if they even could be ignited, the light through the palpable obscurity, could diffuse itself to no distance from the burning body.”
Wiersbe: “…the darkness over the land for three days proved that Jehovah was greater than Ra (or Re) and Horus, both of whom the Egyptians revered as sun gods.”
Ex. 10:24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
Ex. 10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
Ex. 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
Ex. 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Finally, Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron and tells them to go ahead and take the women and children, but to leave the livestock. It is really mind-boggling that Pharaoh thought he could get God to compromise after all the evidence that He had power over the gods of Egypt. Moses told him that they needed their livestock for sacrifices and wouldn’t know which ones they needed until they got to the place of worship. Again, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the people go.
Ex. 10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
Ex. 10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
This time Pharaoh told Moses to leave and threatened him with his life if he came before him again. Moses basically said so be it.