Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, and they will die.” ’ ”
Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.
Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”
Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”
Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh’s.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28 Here we see though God’s wrath be kindled, yet…
Here we see though God’s wrath be kindled, yet there is a certain mercy showed even to his enemies.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv18–29 Exo 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I…
Exo 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.
Ver. 18. Such as hath not been in Egypt.] Dio maketh mention of a shower of blood and of water, that fell in Egypt a little before it was subjected by Augustus, in quae loca ne stilla quidem aquae ante ceciderat, saith he; where never any drop of water, much less of blood, ever fell before. {a}
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{a} Dio, in Aug.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 Since they were a kingdom or a nation.
Since they were a kingdom or a nation.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v22 The threatened plague of hail is here summoned by…
The threatened plague of hail is here summoned by the powerful hand and rod of Moses (Exo 9:22, Exo 9:23), and it obeys the summons, or rather the divine command; for fire and hail fulfil God's word, Psa 148:8. And here we are told,
I. What desolations it made upon the earth. The thunder, and fire from heaven (or lightning), made it both the more dreadful and the more destroying, Exo 9:23, Exo 9:24. Note, God makes the clouds, not only his store-houses whence he drops fatness on his people, but his magazines whence, when he pleases, he can draw out a most formidable train of artillery, with which to destroy his enemies. He himself speaks of the treasures of hail which he hath reserved against the day of battle and war, Job 38:22, Job 38:23. Woeful havoc this hail made in the land of Egypt. It killed both men and cattle, and battered down, not only the herbs, but the trees, Exo 9:25. The corn that was above ground was destroyed, and that only preserved which as yet had not come up, Exo 9:31, Exo 9:32. Note, God has many ways of taking away the corn in the season thereof (Hos 2:9), either by a secret blasting, or a noisy hail. In this plague the hot thunderbolts, as well as the hail, are said to destroy their flocks, Psa 78:47, Psa 78:48; and see Psa 105:32, Psa 105:33. Perhaps David alludes to this when, describing God's glorious appearances for the discomfiture of his enemies, he speaks of the hailstones and coals of fire he threw among them, Psa 18:12, Psa 18:13. And there is a plan reference to it on the pouring out of the seventh vial, Rev 16:21. Notice is here taken (Exo 9:26) of the land of Goshen's being preserved from receiving any damage by this plague. God has the directing of the pregnant clouds, and causes it to rain or hail on one city and not on another, either in mercy or in judgment.
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II. What a consternation it put Pharaoh in. See what effect it had upon him, 1. He humbled himself to Moses in the language of a penitent, Exo 9:27, Exo 9:28. No man could have spoken better. He owns himself on the wrong side in his contest with the God of the Hebrews: "I have sinned in standing it out so long." He owns the equity of God's proceedings against him: The Lord is righteous, and must be justified when he speaks, though he speak in thunder and lightning. He condemns himself and his land: "I and my people are wicked, and deserve what is brought upon us." He begs the prayers of Moses: "Entreat the Lord for me, that this direful plague may be removed." And, lastly, he promises to yield up his prisoners: I will let you go. What could one desire more? And yet his heart was hardened all this while. Note, The terror of the rod often extorts penitent acknowledgments from those who have no penitent affections; under the surprise and smart of affliction, they start up, and say that which is pertinent enough, not because they are deeply affected, but because they know that they should be and that it is meet to be said. 2. Moses, hereupon, becomes an intercessor for him with God. Though he had all the reason in the world to think that he would immediately repent of his repentance, and told him so (Exo 9:30), yet he promises to be this friend in the court of heaven. Note, Even those whom we have little hopes of, yet we should continue to pray for, and to admonish, Sa1 12:23. Observe, (1.) The place Moses chose for his intercession. He went out of the city (Exo 9:33), not only for privacy in his communion with God, but to show that he durst venture abroad into the field, notwithstanding the hail and lightning which kept Pharaoh and his servants within doors, knowing that every hail-stone had its direction from his God, who meant him no hurt. Note, Peace with God makes men thunderproof, for thunder is the voice of their Father. (2.) The gesture: He spread abroad his hands unto the Lord - an outward expression of earnest desire and humble expectation. Those that come to God for mercy must stand ready to receive it. (3.) The end Moses aimed at in interceding for him: That thou mayest know, and be convinced, that the earth is the Lord's (Exo 9:29), that is, that God has a sovereign dominion over all the creatures, that they all are ruled by him, and therefore that thou oughtest to be so. See what various methods God uses to bring men to their proper senses. Judgments are sent, judgments removed, and all for the same end, to make men know that he Lord reigns. (4.) The success of it. [1.] He prevailed with God, Exo 9:33. But, [2.] He could not prevail with Pharaoh: He sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, Exo 9:34, Exo 9:35. The prayer of Moses opened and shut heaven, like Elias's (Jam 5:17, Jam 5:18), and such is the power of God's two witnesses (Rev 11:6); yet neither Moses nor Elias, nor those two witnesses, could subdue the hard hearts of men. Pharaoh was frightened into a compliance by the judgment, but, when it was over, his convictions vanished, and his fair promises were forgotten. Note, Little credit is to be given to confessions upon the rack. Note also, Those that are not bettered by judgments and mercies are commonly made worse.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv18–29 Behold, tomorrow about this time,.... It was now the…
Behold, tomorrow about this time,.... It was now the fourth day of the month Abib, and the fifth when the following was inflicted:
I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail; which should fall very thick, and the hailstones be very numerous and heavy, and the storm last long:
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such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof, even until now; not since the earth or land itself was founded, for that was founded when the rest of the world was, and the sense then would be the same as since the foundation of the world; and so the Targum of Jonathan seems to understand it, paraphrasing the words,"from the day that men were made, even until now.''And a like expression is used of a storm of hail, thunder, and lightning, and earthquakes yet to come, which will be such as has not been since men were upon the earth, with which this plague may be compared, Rev 16:19, but here is meant since Egypt was inhabited, or rather formed into a kingdom, and founded as such, which had been many hundreds of years before this time; there was a king of Egypt in Abraham's time; the first founder of this empire, and king of it, was Mizraim, the son of Ham, from whom it had its name, by which it is usually called in Scripture. This supposes that it did sometimes rain in Egypt, contrary to a vulgar notion, or otherwise there would have been no room for the comparison; though it must be owned that rain is rare in Egypt, especially in some parts of it; See Gill on Zac 14:18.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv18, 29 Since the foundation thereof - Since it was a…
Since the foundation thereof - Since it was a kingdom.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 The SEVENTH plague - the HAIL.
The SEVENTH plague - the HAIL.
Verse 18. To-morrow about this time] The time of this plague is marked thus circumstantially to show Pharaoh that Jehovah was Lord of heaven and earth, and that the water, the fire, the earth, and the air, which were all objects of Egyptian idolatry, were the creatures of his power; and subservient to his will; and that, far from being able to help them, they were now, in the hands of God, instruments of their destruction.
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To rain a very grievous hail] To rain hail may appear to some superficial observers as an unphilosophical mode of expression, but nothing can be more correct. "Drops of rain falling through a cold region of the atmosphere are frozen and converted into hail;" and thus the hail is produced by rain. When it begins to fall it is rain; when it is falling it is converted into hail; thus it is literally true that it rains hail. The farther a hail-stone falls the larger it generally is, because in its descent it meets with innumerable particles of water, which, becoming attached to it, are also frozen, and thus its bulk is continualy increasing till it reaches the earth. In the case in question, if natural means were at all used, we may suppose a highly electrified state of an atmosphere loaded with vapours, which, becoming condensed and frozen, and having a considerable space to fall through, were of an unusually large size. Though this was a supernatural storm, there have been many of a natural kind, that have been exceedingly dreadful. A storm of hail fell near Liverpool, in Lancashire, in the year 1795, which greatly damaged the vegetation, broke windows, c., &c. Many of the stones measured five inches in circumference. Dr. Halley mentions a similar storm of hail in Lancashire, Cheshire, &c., in 1697, April 29, that for sixty miles in length and two miles in breadth did immense damage, by splitting trees, killing fowls and all small animals, knocking down men and horses, &c., &c. Mezeray, in his History of France, says "that in Italy, in 1510, there was for some time a horrible darkness, thicker than that of night, after which the clouds broke into thunder and lightning, and there fell a shower of hail-stones which destroyed all the beasts, birds, and even fish of the country. It was attended with a strong smell of sulphur, and the stones were of a bluish colour, some of them weighing one hundred pounds' weight." The Almighty says to Job: "Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" Job 38:22-23. While God has such artillery at his command, how soon may he desolate a country or a world! See the account of a remarkable hail-storm in Jos 10:11.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29 Exo 9:19. Send now therefore and gather thy cattle…
Exo 9:19. Send now therefore and gather thy cattle — This warning God gives to mitigate the severity of the judgment, to show his justice in punishing so wicked and obstinate a people as would not hearken either to his words or former works, and especially to make a difference between the penitent and the incorrigible Egyptians, it being far from God to inflict the same punishment on those who mourn because of any national crime, and those who for their profit or pleasure will continue to do wickedly.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv19, 24 Cattle. Some had escaped the former plague, or the…
Cattle. Some had escaped the former plague, or the Egyptians had purchased more from their neighbours, and in the land of Gessen. (Haydock) --- God tempers justice with mercy. (St. Augustine, q. 33.) --- Die. This message was accordingly delivered to Pharao. (Samaritan copy) (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv18, 20, 27 PLAGUE OF HAIL. (Exo. 9:18-35)
PLAGUE OF HAIL. (Exo. 9:18-35)
I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, &c.--The seventh plague which Pharaoh's hardened heart provoked was that of hail, a phenomenon which must have produced the greatest astonishment and consternation in Egypt as rain and hailstones, accompanied by thunder and lightning, were very rare occurrences.
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such as hath not been in Egypt--In the Delta, or lower Egypt, where the scene is laid, rain occasionally falls between January and March--hail is not unknown, and thunder sometimes heard. But a storm, not only exhibiting all these elements, but so terrific that hailstones of immense size fell, thunder pealed in awful volleys, and lightning swept the ground like fire, was an unexampled calamity.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 27 18. A very grievous hail — Hail is rare…
18. A very grievous hail — Hail is rare in Egypt, although it sometimes occurs. Thunderstorms are seldom experienced, and do no damage except washing away the mud walls of the poorer sort of dwellings.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 18. to-morrow] as vv. 5, 6. Comp. on Exo_8:23.
18. to-morrow] as vv. 5, 6. Comp. on Exo_8:23.
grievous] i.e. severe: see on Exo_8:24.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29 (18) Such as hath not been in Egypt since…
(18) Such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof.—Rain, and even hail, are not unknown at the present day in Lower Egypt, though they are, comparatively speaking, rare phenomena. Thunderstorms are especially uncommon, and when they occur are for the most part mild and harmless. A thunderstorm which killed a man in Thevenot’s time (Voyages, vol. i., p. 344) was regarded as most extraordinary, and “spread universal consternation.” There is hail from time to time between November and March; but it very seldom does any considerable damage.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv18–29 To-morrow about this time. As it might have been…
To-morrow about this time. As it might have been thought that Moses had done nothing very extraordinary in predicting a storm for the next day, a more exact note of time than usual was here given. Compare Exo_8:23 Exo_9:5. I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail. Rain, and, still more, hail are comparatively rare in Egypt, though not so rare as stated by some ancient authors (Herod, 3:10; Pomp. Mela, De Situ Orbis, 1:9). A good deal of rain falls in the Lower Country, where the north wind brings air loaded with vapour from the Mediterranean; particularly in the winter months from December to March. Snow, and hail, and thunder are during those months not very uncommon, having been witnessed by many modern travellers, as Pococke, Wansleben, Seetzen, Perry, Tooke, and others. They are seldom, however, of any great severity. Such a storm as here described (see especially vers. 23, 24) would be quite strange and abnormal; no Egyptian would have experienced anything approaching to it, and hence the deep impression that it made (ver. 27). Since the foundation thereof. Not "since the original formation of the country" at the Creation, or by subsequent alluvial deposits, as Herodotus thought (2:5-11), but "since Egypt became a nation" (see ver. 24). Modern Egyptologists, or at any rate a large number of them, carry back this event to a date completely irreconcilable with the Biblical chronology Bockh to B.C. 5702, Unger to B.C. 5613, Mariette and Lenormant to B.C. 5004, Brugsch to B.C. 4455, Lepsius to B.C. 3852, and Bunsen (in one place) to B.C. 3623. The early Egyptian chronology is, however, altogether uncerrain, as the variety in these dates sufficiently intimates. Of the dynasties before the (so-called) eighteenth, only seven are proved to be historical, and the time that the Old and Middle Empires lasted is exceedingly doubtful. All the known facts are sufficiently met by such a date as B.C. 2500-2400 for the Pyramid Kings, before whose time we have nothing authentic. This is a date which comes well within the period allowed for the formation of nations by the chronology of the Septuagint and Samaritan versions.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv18, 27, 29 The hail shall come down upon them.
Exo_9:18-26
The hail shall come down upon them.
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Brought home
I. God is the true home of the soul. Everything the soul needs is to be found in Him: nowhere else. Here is inviolable security, and everlasting peace.
II. Christ has come to bring us home to God.
III. The eternal blessedness of all who are brought home to God by christ. This is seen in two ways.
1. By what is escaped. The hail. Gods judgments. We have all been solemnly warned. The voice of God cries gather, (Exo_9:19). If we slight the call, our blood be upon our own heads! (Heb_12:25).
2. By what is enjoyed (Exo_9:26). The security of the children of Israel in Goshen, while the storm raged so terribly all around them, touchingly represents the peace of Gods people in time and in eternity (Isa_32:18).
IV. The subject suggests solemn questions.
1. Where art thou? In the field, exposed, and defenceless, or, at home?
2. Dost thou fear God? (Exo_9:20-21). True fear leads to obedience. But many are heedless of counsel and warning, and Gods judgments are put out of sight (Psa_10:5).
3. What are you doing to bring others home? If we believe in the wrath to come, we cannot rest in inaction. (W. Forsyth, M. A.)
Lessons
1. Human faith of Gods threatenings may make men fear and tremble at Gods word. Human it may be called in respect of the principle, though the testimony on which it was grounded were Divine.
2. Such fear may make men careful to shun temporal judgments.
3. Wicked men, through fear, may flee from temporal plagues but not eternal (Exo_9:20).
4. Among wicked men some may refuse human faith which some embrace.
5. Unbelief will not suffer men to lay any of Gods words to heart.
6. Regardless of Gods threatenings, maketh men leave them and theirs to vengeance (Exo_9:21). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Lessons
1. Gods warnings of judgments being not regarded, He quickly gives the word for execution.
2. To encourage faith, God calleth His servants to assist in working vengeance.
3. God makes use of signals to induce judgments sometimes by the hand of His instruments.
4. Gods word maketh such signs effectual that they may be feared.
5. Gods word creates hail for vengeance, as sometimes in mercy.
6. Man and beast, herbs and all to the utmost extent, are subjected to Gods hail at His command (Exo_9:22). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Salutary fears
Threatened judgments test men. Some are more susceptible to the presence of God than others.
I. These men feared Gods threatened judgment. Fear often arises from faith in Gods word. Fear is the alarum of the soul. It is often the first emotion in a new life. It often brings in love, as the needle draws in the thread.
II. Their fear led to appropriate action. They prepared for the coming storm. There is shelter for all in Christ, and in Him alone.
III. Their fear led to welcome safety. Obedience brought its reward. Mens property would be safer if they had greater respect for the word of God. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Belief of the word of God
1. Makes men tremble.
2. Makes men wise.
3. Makes men safe.
4. Makes men singular. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Disregard of God
1. Ruinous.
2. Presumptuous.
3. Foolish.
4. Common.
5. Inexcusable. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Gods command over the elements
I. That the material universe is gifted with numerous and contrary agencies and elements.
1. The elements of nature called into exercise by this plague were numerous. There was rain, hail, fire and thunder.
2. The elements of nature called into existence by this plague were contrary. The rain was contrary to the fire. There are very opposite elements in the great universe around us; yet all exist in harmony. One element counteracts and yet co-operates with another. The elements of nature blend in one glorious ministry for man; though sin often turns them into messengers of justice.
3. The elements of nature called into existence by this plague were emphatic. When the elements of the material universe are arrayed against man they are emphatic in their message. The thunder speaks in loud voice. It has a message to the soul. There is a moral significance in the storm.
II. That God has complete control over all the elements of the material universe.
1. So that He can commission His servants to use them according to His will.
2. So that He can make them rebuke the sin of man. He can arm the universe against a wicked soul.
3. God can prevent them from working injury to the good. The heathen imagined that divers Gods were over divers things; some ruling the air, some the fire, some the water, some the mountains, and some the plains. But God here demonstrates to the Egyptians His complete authority over the whole of nature. This truth is consoling to the good.
III. That the material prosperity of a nation is greatly dependent upon the elements of nature, and that therefore God alone can give true prosperity to a people.
1. The fields and gardens of Egypt were ruined.
2. The flax and barley of Egypt were ruined. Egypt was from early times the granary of the world (Gen_41:57). And thus we see how the prosperity of a nation is dependent upon the natural government of God in the material world. Let rulers remember this. And let not the people forget it. Sin is a curse to any nation. National righteousness is national prosperity and elevation.
Lessons:
1. That the material universe is under the rule of God.
2. That the good are Divinely protected in danger.
3. The national prosperity is the gift of heaven. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The plague of hail
A plague of hail, with lightning and thunder, must have been far more awful and portentous in Egypt than in any other country; for there rain was almost unknown, thunderstorms were of rare occurrence, and lightning, when it appeared, was generally of a harmless kind. Modern travellers, indeed, speak of snowstorms, and of thunder and lightning happening occasionally in lower Egypt; but such phenomena appear to have been almost unknown in earlier times. Herodotus says--During the reign of Psammenitus, Egypt beheld a most remarkable prodigy. There was rain at the Egyptian Thebes, a circumstance which never happened before, and which, as the Thebans themselves assert, has never occurred since. In the higher parts of Egypt it never rains; but at that period it rained in distinct drops (1. iii, c. 10). Plutarch also observes that In Egypt no moisture of the air is ever condensed into showers (de facie, c. 25). Pococke mentions a storm of hail followed by rain in the province of Arsinoe, which the natives were so far from considering as a blessing, that they observed rain was productive of scarcity, and that the inundation of the Nile alone was serviceable. The Egyptians were much given to the observance of all unusual phenomena, and looked upon them as portentous. According to Herodotus, Whenever any unusual circumstance occurs they commit the particulars of it to writing, and mark the events which follow (1. 2, c. 38). If distinct drops of rain were regarded as a prodigy worthy of being thus recorded, what must have been the effect of a storm like this, when the hail fell with sufficient violence to destroy both man and beast, and the fire also ran along the ground? The Egyptians, says Diodorus, denominated fire Hephaistos, esteeming it a mighty deity, which contributed largely towards the generation and ultimate perfection of to Lucian, The Persians sacrifice to fire and the Egyptians to water (de Jove trag. c. 24). Porphyry says--Even to this day, at the opening of the temple of Serapis, the worship is made by fire and water, for they reverence water and fire above all the elements. These deities now came down upon Egypt with destruction and terror; the very gods in which they trusted turned against them. (T. S. Millington.)
Folly of disregarding warning
Foolhardiness is not bravery! it is wicked waste of life. At one of the naval engagements between the Federal and Confederate forces, the officer in charge kept ordering the men at the ships guns to Look out! and when a shot came bursting near them to Lie down! Most of them obeyed; but some, either from a spirit of bravado or a belief in the doctrine of fatalism, disregarded, saying it was useless to dodge a cannon-ball, and they would chance the risks. By and by a shot came, glanced on the gun, taking off the gunners cap and the heads of three of the young men who defied the order. It came with a hissing sound, three sharp spats and a heavy report told their sad fate. (H. O. Mackey.)
A warning disregarded
A gentleman was travelling in Italy in the summer months. As he left Rome he was warned of the danger of sleeping at Baccano. He was told to travel all night rather than stop at that place, as a malignant fever prevailed there. He arrived there about bed-time. The air was balmy and the accommodation inviting. He concluded to stop for the night. Those whose interests would be promoted by his doing so told him there was no danger. He rose in the morning and proceeded on his journey. Some days after he had reached Florence the fever developed itself, and he was soon in his grave. Sinners are warned of the consequences of sinful acts. They are persuaded to disregard the warning. They sin, and the threatened consequences do not immediately appear. They think they shall escape; but ere long Gods immutable law overtakes them, and they perish. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Safe amidst danger
A walk along our New York streets has an occasional surprise for the man who keeps his eyes open. Not often, however, does he meet one so pleasant as that which greeted the eye of a pedestrian hurrying along a block near the North River. A brilliant scarlet spot in the cobble stone pavement constantly trodden by horses feet, and worn by wheels of ice waggons, ash carts and heavy business trucks, drew the passer to a nearer look; and, behold, there, from the scorching sand of a crevice in the pavement had sprung up a thin stem of the portulaca; a single flower had opened its scarlet petals, and was lifting its orange tinted stamens to the sun. There seemed not one chance in a million that the tender plant could have escaped the crushing hoofs and wheels and the tools of the workmen at that moment repairing the pavement; yet there was the lovely blossom, and there at sunset it folded its tiny wings to sleep. Could one fail to learn a lesson of implicit trust in an ever-watchful Father above?
Gods regard for His own
Miss Gordon Cumming tells the following thrilling story of a Chinese convert at Oiong, whose piety had obtained for him the sobriquet of Praise the Lord. Miss Cumming says: A fire broke out in one of the streets of the town, and at first it was not expected to reach as far as where Praise the Lord lived. As it spread, however, it neared the street where his house stood, and it was evident to the onlookers that all the buildings were doomed. His heathen neighbours hastily collected all their idols, and placed them as a barricade against the approaching flames. The zealous old Christian, seizing his mattock, and swinging it round him, soon reduced the gods of wood and clay to a mass of fragments. Then, having denounced the folly which could trust in senseless images, he lifted up his hands to heaven, and in the hearing of the already wildly excited mob he called upon the great Creator, the true God, his heavenly Father, to save the homes of himself and his neighbours from the threatening fire. It was not the first time that he had proved the promise, While they are yet speaking I will hear, and now he looked for an immediate answer, which would show to the heathen that the God who could stay the fire was the true God. Nor was he disappointed; almost before they could note any physical reason for the change the flames seemed blown back upon themselves--the wind had suddenly veered round, and though many of the houses close by had been scorched, those of the old man and his neighbours escaped unharmed, and the marvelling crowd saw the conflagration recede as swiftly as it had approached.
The flax and barley of Egypt
Herodotus says--The manufacture of linen is peculiar to the Colchians and the Egyptians. The linen which comes from Colchis, the Greeks call Sardonian; the linen of Egypt, Egyptian (1. 2, c. 105). Plinys account of it is--The flax of Egypt, though the least strong of all as a tissue, is that from which the greatest profits are derived. There is no tissue known that is superior to those made from the thread of the Egyptian xylon, either for whiteness and softness, or dressing; the most esteemed vestments worn by the priests of Egypt are made by it (Hist. Nat. 1. 19, c. 2). Pliny mentions four varieties of flax, and first among them the Tanaitic, growing in the lower district of Egypt, Zoan, which was the seat of Pharaohs government. The destruction of the flax deprived the people of the material for their chief manufacture, and put a stop to the trade which they carried on with neighbouring nations, who sent their treasure into the country to pay for it. The ruin of the barley was equally injurious. Egypt appears to have been from a very early period the granary of the world. Thither Abraham went down to sojourn when the land in which he dwelt was visited with famine; and thither the sons of Jacob, under similar necessity, naturally turned for help. (T. S. Millington.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On vv22, 27, 29
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
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REV. WM. ADAMSON
Hail-plague! Exo_9:22. The Psalmist says that the vines, and sycamores, and fig-trees—yea and all the trees in their coasts, were destroyed by the hailstones and coals of fire. Hail was an unheard-of thing in Egypt, while fire was esteemed a mighty deity. Porphyry declares that at the opening of the Temple of Serapis the worship is made by fire and water, for they reverence fire and water above the elements. Thus the deities which they adored were employed by Jehovah to destroy the things in which they delighted. Gardens were a source of pleasure and profit Everywhere flowers abounded, and every visitor received a bouquet of real flowers, Wilkinson asserts, as token of welcome on entering a house. The Egyptians even worshipped the green herbs of the field, if we are to believe Pliny—an author whose assertion in this instance is supported by the sarcasm of Juvenal, when he says of Egypt:—
“O holy nation, sacro-sanct abodes!
Where every garden propagates its gods.”
Hail Symbols! Exo_9:25. The invasion of the temporal Roman empire by Alaric and his Goths is likened to a storm of hail and fire mingled with blood, by which a third part of the power, princes and populace were destroyed under the figure of earth, trees and grass. As Gibbon says, the conquering Alaric made three descents upon Italy urged forward—according to his own assertion—by a secret preternatural impulse. He and his hordes came from the frozen regions of the north in a winter of unusual severity; and many years afterwards the deep and bloody lines of their march could be traced by the traveller. They spared neither feeble age nor gentle sex. The tall sycamore trees of pride, grandeur and nobility were overthrown; while the lowly and tender grass of the commonalty was beaten down. But more disastrous were the results of the appalling showers of hail that began to fall upon the spiritual Roman empire from the French Revolution. In Revelation 16; Exo_5:21 the stones are represented as of a great weight, and coming once more from the frozen regions of the north. They have been considered to symbolize—
(1) The enormous cannon balls of modern warfare, or—
(2) The terrible atheistic and revolutionary theories of modern times, or—
(3) The oppressive cruelties to be inflicted by Russia and her dependencies upon Palestine or Rome. Because of these men are represented as blaspheming God because of the plague of the hail. The beast, with all his confederates and supporters, like Pharaoh, dies impenitent; and, like Pharaoh,—
“Sinks as sinks a millstone
In the mighty waters.”
—Bickersteth.
Divine Control! Exo_9:26. The present Emperor of Abyssinia, Prince Kassai, is always attended by tame lions. When he is seated upon his throne, to receive foreign ambassadors in state, these unchained monarchs of the wild crouch at their lord’s feet. No courtier or guest need fear these beasts, so long as the king restrains them; but, when he is offended with prince or visitor, he has only to utter the word, and at once the quiet, crouching lions spring up and devour the offender. God’s judgments are harmless to the saints, but they are terrible to the wicked rebels. And they are all the more terrible because they are not the outcome of caprice or despotic influence, but of righteous and inflexible justice and truth.
“Angels of life and death alike are His;
Without His leave they pass no threshold o’er.
—Lowell.
CRITICAL NOTES.—
Exo_9:23. The fire ran along upon the ground] Rather: “Then came fire towards the earth.”
Exo_9:24. Fire mingled with the hail] More exactly: “Fire catching hold of itself in the midst of the hail.”
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Exo_9:22-26
THE PLAGUE OF RAIN, HAIL AND FIRE; OR, GOD’S COMMAND OVER THE ELEMENTS OF THE MATERIAL UNIVERSE
Moses had uttered the solemn warning, and now goes forth into the fields, and stretches out his hand toward heaven; and the windows of heaven are opened, and the wrath of God pours down. That firmament which had rained water upon the old world, and fire upon Sodom, now sends forth both fire and water upon the land of Egypt (Psa_148:8; Job_38:22; Psa_105:32, Psa_78:47, Psa_18:13). A plague of hail, with lightning and thunder, must have been more awful and portentuous in Egypt than in any other country; for there rain was almost unknown, thunderstorms were of rare occurrence, and lightning, when it appeared, was generally of a harmless kind. The Egyptians were much given to the observance of all unusual phenomena, and looked upon them as portentuous. Fire was esteemed a mighty deity. And thus we see here these plagues were directed against the worship of Egypt. This plague was evidently miraculous. It fell in Egypt which was not a country subject to tempests. There was fire and water together, the rain not extinguishing the fire. It was all over the land of Egypt; yet Goshen was free. Also the time of the storm was predicted.
I. That the material universe is gifted with numerous and contrary agencies and elements.
1. The elements of nature called into exercise by this plague were numerous. There was rain, hail, fire and thunder. These are a necessity of the material universe. They are useful and beneficial; but they are also capable of great devastation and woe. The world has hidden within itself the elements of its own well-being, or of its woe. These elements of nature are often symbolical. The rain, of heavenly blessing; the fire, of the Holy Spirit; the thunder, of the voice of God.
2. The elements of nature called into existence by this plague were contrary. The rain was contrary to the fire. There are very opposite elements in the great universe around us; yet all exist in harmony. One element counteracts and yet co-operates with another. The elements of nature blend in one glorious ministry for man; though sin often turns them into messengers of justice.
3. The elements of nature called into existence by this plague were emphatic. When the elements of the material universe are arrayed against man they are emphatic in their message. The thunder speaks in loud voice. It has a message to the soul. There is a moral significance in the storm. Jonah in the tempest. The elements of nature are sometimes sent after men to bring them to God. God speaks to man through nature.
II. That God has complete control over all the elements of the material universe.
1. So that He can commission His servants to use them according to His will. God told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, and there should be hail in all the land of Egypt. And so the Divine Being operates upon the laws of nature by the intervention of man. He can give man power over natural phenomenon. Hence we see that not merely has He the power to rule nature Himself, but also to delegate it to an inferior creature.
2. So that He can make them rebuke the sin of man. The elements of nature frequently rebuke the sins of men and nations. They afflict the proud monarch and his people. God can arm the universe against a wicked soul. He can torment the sinner in this life, and that by natural phenomenon. He can breathe a pestilence into the air. He can plague men by the sometimes refreshing rain. The gentle ministries of nature are fierce when sent on warlike errands to conquer the sin of man.
3. That God can prevent them from working injury to the good. “Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.” Moses would be out in, and exposed to, this terrible storm, as the lifting up of his hand had instrumentally brought it from the heavens. But good men are safe in tempests. Nature can do them no harm. God protects them. The hairs of their head are all numbered. A kind Providence watches over the good. And thus we see how God governs the agencies of the natural world. The heathen imagined that divers gods were over divers things; some ruling the air, some the fire, some the water, some the mountains, and some the plains. But God here demonstrates to the Egyptians His complete authority over the whole of nature. This truth is consoling to the good.
III. That the material prosperity of a nation is greatly dependent upon the elements of nature, and that therefore God alone can give true prosperity to a people.
1. The fields and gardens of Egypt were ruined. “And the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.” The Egyptians bestowed great care upon their gardens, which were ornamental, and were very carefully watered. Flowers and fruits were presented upon the altars of the gods. Amongst the fruits of Egypt were the date, grape, pomegranate, olive, fig, and various kinds of melons. Gardens and fields were now destroyed. The Egyptians worshipped the produce of the soil, even garlic and onions.
2. The flax and barley of Egypt were ruined. “And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled” (Exo_9:31). The mention of these productions enables us to ascertain the time of the year when the storm occurred—about the beginning of March. This would be a great blow to the commerce of the country. Egypt had always been famous for fine linen (1Ki_10:28; Pro_7:16; Eze_27:7). The destruction of the flax deprived the people of the material for their chief manufacture, and put a stop to the trade which they carried on with neighbouring nations, who sent their treasures into the country to pay for it. The ruin of the barley was equally injurious. Egypt was from early times the granary of the world (Gen_41:57). And thus we see how the prosperity of a nation is dependent upon the natural government of God in the material world. Let rulers remember this. And let not the people forget it. Sin is a curse to any nation. National righteousness is national prosperity and elevation. LESSONS:
1. That the material universe is under the rule of God.
2. That the good are divinely protected in danger.
3. That national prosperity is the gift of heaven.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Exo_9:22. When God’s warnings are not regarded He soon gives the command for execution.
To encourage faith, God calleth His servants to assist in working vengeance. God makes use of signals to induce judgments sometimes by the hand of His instruments.
God’s word maketh such signs effectual that they may be feared.
God’s word creates hail for vengeance, as sometimes in mercy. Man and beast, herbs and all to the utmost extent, are subjected to God’s hail, at His command.
Exo_9:23-26. God’s servants are ready with hand and sign to prosecute His commands exactly.
God’s hand is with the hand of His servants to effect the work which they signify.
Jehovah alone hath thunder, hail, and fire at command to give, and send on enemies which he pleaseth.
Showers of hail and fire God can command to come and run upon the earth at His pleasure.
Contrary elements God useth together to make His judgments more terrible. Fire and hail.
Most grievous and unparalleled vengeance God hath determined on Egypt literal and spiritual.
The posterity of sinful nations, may see greater plagues than all their fathers from the beginning of them.
God’s avenging hail is smiting hail even to destruction. Man, beast, herb, trees shall perish by hail and fire when He commands it.
Discrimination of persons in judgment is God’s peculiar prerogative.
No avenging hail or fire shall burn God’s Israel. God’s people are kept in peace and safety, when His hail and fire fall upon the world.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v22 The Plague of the Hail
The Plague of the Hail
v. 22. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, as a sign before all men that the plague was now to begin, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, plants of every kind, throughout the land of Egypt.
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v. 23. And Moses stretched forth his rod, his hand which held his shepherd’s staff, toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, He gave forth voices accompanied with hail, as a most powerful revelation of His divine omnipotence. And the fire ran along upon the ground in the form of ball lightning which is particularly destructive; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. It is a sublime description of a thunderstorm accompanied with a terrific fall of hail, causing a devastation such as no ordinary storm will bring about.
v. 24. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, in addition to the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
v. 25. And the hail smote, throughout all the land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; they were not only struck down, but killed; and the hail smote every herb of the field, all the smaller plants, and brake every tree of the field, not only by stripping the trees of their foliage, but by cutting off twigs and branches.
v. 26. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. The Lord did not include His people in the plague.
v. 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. That was not the voice of true repentance, but merely of slavish fear, of abject terror, a confession intended only to secure deliverance from the destruction of the plague.
v. 28. Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thundering and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. He immediately attaches the condition that they should not ask for, nor extend, the time of their festival beyond the three days originally named. A truly repentant heart will humbly bow under the punishment of the Lord, and will not presume to say when the limit has been reached.
v. 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, in a gesture of earnest pleading; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s, that all the land and all the powers of nature are in His hand, that He controls them as He pleases.
v. 30. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not fear the Lord God; it was obvious that their repentance was not of the right kind.
v. 31. And the flax and the barley was smitten, that was the extent of the damage done by the hail; for the barley was in the ear, the stalks had made heads, and the flax was boiled, it was in bloom. In their case, therefore, there was a total loss.
v. 32. But the wheat and the rye, or spelt, were not smitten; for they were not grown up, they belong to the late grains.
v. 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.
v. 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. They added to their former sin and deliberately made their obduracy greater.
v. 35. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses. The man who hardens his heart against the influence of God’s Word thereby invites the judgment of the Lord upon him. making it impossible for him to repent in truth. The condition of Pharaoh’s heart may also be seen from the fact that he broke his promise to Moses. Where there is no fear of the Lord, all obligations of morality and decency are discarded.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29 "Pay attention to the important thing I am about…
Listen!
"Pay attention to the important thing I am about to tell you"
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translationWords
Egypt
cow
die
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv20, 26, 27, 29 9:20-21 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were beginning to make…
9:20-21 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were beginning to make appropriate deductions from their experiences thus far and to take precautions, while others imitated their master’s refusal to submit. Pride often dominates reason.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.