Exodus 9:1

9:1-7 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.

Then the Lord said unto Moses,.... The same day the plague of the flies was removed: go in unto Pharaoh boldly, without any fear of him or his court: and tell him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: speak in the name of Jehovah, the God whom the Hebrews worship, and who owns them for his people, and has a special love for them, and takes a special care of them, and is not ashamed to be called their God, as poor and as oppressed as they be: let my people go, that they may serve me; this demand had been often made, and, though so reasonable, was refused.

IX. THE FIFTH PLAGUE. (1-3) The nature of the fifth plague is manifest, and admits of no dispute. It was a rinderpest, or murrain upon cattle; which, however, unlike most similar disorders, attacked the greater number of the domesticated animals—horses, asses, camels, oxen, and sheep. Thus it was “very grievous” (Exodus 9:3). Horses were highly prized by the Egyptians, and were a comparatively recent importation, having been unknown before the time of the seventeenth, or “Shepherd” Dynasty. They were at first used only in war; then by rich men, in peace, to draw their chariots. They had now, however, it would seem, come to be employed also in agriculture. (Note the words “in the field.”) Asses were the ordinary beasts of burthen, and abounded in Egypt anciently as indeed they do at the present day. The Egyptian monuments mention cases where a single landowner owned as many as seven or eight hundred of them. Camels are not represented by the Egyptian sculptors, but are mentioned in the inscriptions (Chabas, Etudes sur l’ Antiquité Historique, pp. 400-413), and must have been employed in the trade between Egypt and the Sinaitic peninsula. Both oxen and sheep were numerous, and constituted a great part of the wealth of individuals. The plague fell upon such animals as were “in the field” at the time—i.e., in the open air, and not confined in stables or sheds.

It was the Egyptian practice to house a considerable portion of their cattle; but at the probable season of this plague—December or January—the majority would be in the pastures. Thus the Egyptian losses were very heavy, and the king, no doubt, suffered with the rest, for the Egyptian monarchs were large cattle-owners (Genesis 47:6; Genesis 47:17), The Pharaoh was, however, less impressed by this plague than by the fourth, and made no sign of submission.

CHAPTER 9 Ex 9:1-7. Murrain of Beasts.God threatens to smite his cattle with a pestilence, Exodus 9:1-3; but spares Israel’s, Exodus 9:4. Appoints a time for the execution hereof, Exodus 9:5; wherein the Egyptians’ cattle dies, Exodus 9:6. Pharaoh’s obstinacy, Exodus 9:7. God strikes all Egypt with boils, which is the sixth plague, Exodus 9:10. The magicians are not able to stand before Moses, Exodus 9:11. Pharaoh’s heart hardened according to the word of the Lord, Exodus 9:12. God commands Moses to repeat his message, Exodus 9:13; and threatens Pharaoh with more grievous plagues, Exodus 9:14. God’s end in raising up Pharaoh, Exodus 9:16. The seventh plague, viz. hail and rain, Exodus 9:18. God’s counsel for the securing of their cattle, Exodus 9:19. The execution of this plague, Exodus 9:23. The effects of it, Exodus 9:25. The land of Goshen is preserved, Exodus 9:26. Pharaoh’s confession, Exodus 9:27. Moses’ prayer for him, Exodus 9:29. He foretells Pharaoh’s obstinacy, Exodus 9:30. By Moses’s entreaty the plague is stayed, Exodus 9:33. Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened, Exodus 9:34,35. No text from Poole on this verse.

The fifth plague consisted of a severe Murrain, which carried off the cattle (מקנה, the living property) of the Egyptians, that were in the field. To show how Pharaoh was accumulating guilt by his obstinate resistance, in the announcement of this plague the expression, "If thou refuse to let them go" (cf. Exodus 8:2 ), is followed by the words, "and wilt hold them (the Israelites) still" (עוד still further, even after Jehovah has so emphatically declared His will).

[Bible] 8:27. We will go three days' journey into the wilderness; and we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. 8:28. And Pharao said: I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but go no farther: pray for me. 8:29. And Moses said: I will go out from thee, and will pray to the Lord: and the flies shall depart from Pharao, and from his servants, and from his people to morrow: but do not deceive any more, in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. 8:30. So Moses went out from Pharao, and prayed to the Lord. 8:31. And he did according to his word: and he took away the flies from Pharao, and from his servants, and from his people: there was not left so much as one. 8:32. And Pharao's heart was hardened, so that neither this time would he let the people go. Exodus Chapter 9 The fifth plague is a murrain among the cattle. The sixth, of boils in men and beasts. The seventh, of hail. Pharao promiseth again to let the people go, and breaketh his word. 9:1. And the Lord said to Moses: Go in to Pharao, and speak to him: Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let my people go to sacrifice to me. 9:2. But if thou refuse, and withhold them still: 9:3. Behold my hand shall be upon thy fields; and a very grievous murrain upon thy horses, and asses, and camels, and oxen, and sheep. 9:4. And the Lord will make a wonderful difference between the possessions of Israel and the possessions of the Egyptians, that nothing at all shall die of those things that belong to the children of Israel. 9:5. And the Lord appointed a time, saying: To morrow will the Lord do this thing in the land. 9:6. The Lord therefore did this thing the next day: and all the beasts of the Egyptians died, but of the beasts of the children of Israel there died not one. All the beasts... That is, many of all kinds. 9:7. And Pharao sent to see; and there was not any thing dead of that which Israel possessed. And Pharao's heart was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

[Reformed Biblical] their utmost power and diligence to prevent it. Exodus 8:27 For we know not what kind or number of sacrifices to offer to him till we come thither. Exodus 8:28 Exodus 8:29 Exodus 8:30 Exodus 8:31 Exodus 8:32 ## Exodus 9:1 EXODUS CHAPTER 9 God threatens to smite his cattle with a pestilence, Exo_9:1-3; but spares Israel’s, Exo_9:4. Appoints a time for the execution hereof, Exo_9:5; wherein the Egyptians’ cattle dies, Exo_9:6. Pharaoh’s obstinacy, Exo_9:7. God strikes all Egypt with boils, which is the sixth plague, Exo_9:10. The magicians are not able to stand before Moses, Exo_9:11. Pharaoh’s heart hardened according to the word of the Lord, Exo_9:12. God commands Moses to repeat his message, Exo_9:13; and threatens P haraoh with more grievous plagues, Exo_9:14. God’s end in raising up Pharaoh, Exo_9:16. The seventh plague, viz. hail and rain, Exo_9:18. God’s counsel for the securing of their cattle, Exo_9:19. The execution of this plague, Exo_9:23. The effects of it, Exo_9:25. The land of Goshen is preserved, Exo_9:26. Pharaoh’s confession, Exo_9:27. Moses’ prayer for him, Exo_9:29. He foretells Pharaoh’s obstinacy, Exo_9:30. By Moses’s entreaty the plague is stayed, Exo_9:33. Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened, Exo_9:34,35. Exodus 9:2 Exodus 9:3 The hand of the Lord; in an immediate manner, not by my rod, that thou mayst know it is not I, but the Lord, which doth all these things to thee. ##