Exodus Chapters 9, 10 Commentary by Mark Dunagan

The Book Of Exodus Chapters 9:8-10:29

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Chapter 9:8-9:35: The Plague Of Boils

9:8-10 This plague was predicted and apparently it immediately followed Moses throwing the fine soot into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. Some try to argue that this was simply a natural event, some disease caused by the rotting carcasses left in the wake of the fifth plague. But once again we see miraculous elements. The boils are instant, upon both man and beast. And the outbreak is linked to the fine dust that Moses had tossed into the air. “Festering boils” (lit., “boils breaking out in sores”) were fiery, burning sores covered with blains” (Gispen p. 98). Such sores may have included blisters, ulcers, running sores, possibly something like that which Job suffered (Job 2:7).

Points To Note: 1. This plague, like the others had some serious theological implications for the Egyptians. Many Egyptian deities were viewed as having the power to heal.

Imhotep, the god of medicine and the guardian of healing sciences. “The inability of these gods to act in behalf of the Egyptians surely must have led to deep despair and frustration. Magicians, priests, princes, and commoners were all equally affected by the pain of this judgment, a reminder that the God of the Hebrews was a sovereign God and superior to all man-made idols” (Davis pp. 124-125). 2. We again see the power of God. God can take something as mundane and seemingly useless as ashes, and use them to bring tremendous pain and suffering upon unbelievers. 3. “Egyptians were constantly aware of the possibility of infectious diseases and sores.

This is reflected in the fact that Sekhmet, a lion-headed goddess, was supposed to have had the power of both creating epidemics and bringing them to an end. A special priesthood was devoted to her called Sunu.

Amulets and other objects were employed by the Egyptians to ward off evil in their lives” (Davis p. 123).

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9:11 It appears that Pharaoh might have continued to call for the magicians, even though they had previously failed and admitted their impotence (8:19).

Such reveals the stubbornness in Pharaoh’s heart. Even today, some people will keep on going back to something that has failed them every time in the past, i.e., various sinful pleasures, drugs, etc…”For the first time they (the magicians) were specifically called victims of the plague, and therein lay Moses’ complete victory over them; they were not mentioned again in the subsequent narrative” (Gispen p. 97).

9:12 “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart”-this is the first time that the text specifically says that God himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Remember, Pharaoh’s heart is already incredibly hard. A tender heart, a heart receptive to the truth will be humbled during a time of hardship. But, like a rebellious child with a bad attitude who only becomes more defiant in the face of punishment, in punishing Pharaoh, Pharaoh only determines to resist further.

God’s Warning To Pharaoh 9:13-14 “The seventh plague was preceded by a specific warning from Moses… and this time accompanied with significant explanation….It might be observed that while the Egyptians left no trace of these experiences on their monuments, they were not able to prevent the spread of this story to other nations (Exodus 15:14; Josh. 2:10; 9:9; 1 Samuel 4:8)” (Davis p. 125).

“I will send all My plagues on you and your servants”-Note the mercy and grace of God being extended to Pharaoh. This is the final warning before plagues of greater intensity hit, and points toward the final decisive blow. Does Pharaoh need further proof that Jehovah is God? Is he ready to admit that he was wrong? Is he so stubborn and proud that he is willing to subject himself and his own people to further suffering?

9:15 God doesn’t beat around the bush. God says, “I could have easily wiped you out long ago”. Actually, the plagues were sample or small demonstrations of God’s power. “In verses 15-16 the Lord informed Pharaoh that it was not His lack of power, but rather His restraint that allowed Pharaoh to continually oppose Him” (Gispen p. 100) Point To Note: Far from wanting Pharaoh to be destroyed, God has allowed Pharaoh to live, because among other things, God wants Pharaoh to realize that there is a true God who rules all (9:14). On a very practical level, the plagues have been God’s

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attempt at trying to teach Pharaoh the truth, make a believer out of him, and save his soul. Why would God care if Pharaoh or the Egyptians acknowledged His existence or not, if not for God’s desire to see them turn to Him? (2 Peter 3:9).

When we see wicked and evil people succeeding, especially in spreading their evil, we need to realize that God could have eliminated that person long ago.

But God is giving them time to repent (Romans 2:1-5). If God thinks that their soul is worth that much---should we not also have the same attitude?

9:16 “I have allowed you to remain”—God governs this world, including our own physical existence. “But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified” (Daniel 5:23). If we become frustrated with the evil ways of those in high places, let us quickly remember that they are always one breath away from suffering an eternity in hell. They need our prayers! (1 Timothy 2:1-2) God doesn’t want Pharaoh to end up lost, God doesn’t want Pharaoh to continue on this course of self-destruction, God has shown mercy and grace to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh has stubbornly refused it. In light of such passages as 1 Tim. 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9, we must reject the idea that God purposely kept Pharaoh from obeying Him. What a horrible idea! People tend to forget, that if God had actually done such to Pharaoh, God could also do such to them or their loved ones! On the same note it has always intrigued me that people who believe in the idea that God is only going to save those predestined

by Him for salvation, automatically assume that they are part of such a predestined class! Where is the person who believes in predestination, who believes that they are part of the group predestined to be lost? “in order to show you My power”-I allow you to live so that I might try to teach you a lesson. Note: Pharaoh is worth something to God, Pharaoh is worth trying to teach. “in order to proclaim My name through all the earth”-if the lesson is lost on Pharaoh, and on many of the Israelites who will grumble in the wilderness, it won’t be lost on people in the surrounding nations, people like Rahab (Joshua 2:9ff).

Point To Note: Pharaoh not only resisted God’s punishments, but he also hardened his heart when God took away a particular plague and gave him rest for a while! A stubborn person will not only resist the commands of God, but they will also abuse the grace of God. How can people blame God for the heart condition of this man, when this man hardened his heart when God removed calamities and gave him time to repent and think over his decision? In the parable of the sower we have a wonderful illustration of how the same word or message can open 3

hearts and harden hearts. The difference lies in the character and freewill of the person who hears the Word of God (Luke 8:11ff).

9:17 “still you exalt yourself”-God is trying to help Pharaoh see how ridiculous his the actions and attitudes look in light of the facts. In spite of all that he has suffered, he strangely seems wanting to experience more suffering. Truly, serving sin is a form of insanity.

The Hail

9:18 “The region of Cairo has about 2 inches of rainfall annually, and south of this area rain is a rare occurrence. It has been noted that many times in the southern parts of Egypt no rain falls at all; therefore, it is most superficial indeed to argue that what occurs here is nothing more than an exaggerated tale of a natural event…..The miraculous aspect of this event is also supported by the notice in verse 26 that only in the land of Goshen was there no hail” (Davis p.

126).

9:19 Once again, we see God’s mercy in that clear warning was given in advance---warning to unbelievers! And plenty of warning has also been given to unbelievers in our time (Acts 17:30-31; 2 Peter 3:9-10). “It is assumed that the cattle mentioned here are those that were not stricken by previous plagues or perhaps those cattle that had been brought from other countries…..Monarchs, in the inscriptions on their tombs, do not fail to mention the efforts that they made to improve livestock. Entire herds were brought in from the south and from Libya” (Davis p. 125).

9:20-21 The plagues had opened hearts among the Egyptians and Pharaoh wasn’t the only hard-hearted individual left in Egypt. In spite of all the other plagues, in spite of the fact that Moses had always been right, some continue to pay no attention to the word of the Lord. The world quibbles over how one can tell the difference between honest and dishonest people, or if such is even possible. In these verses we see the clear difference between open hearts and closed minds. Honest hearts obey God, accept the evidence and swallow their own pride. Note, to fear the Lord, means that one takes the word of God seriously. “The warning issued by Moses and Aaron was followed by many of Pharaoh’s servants as indicated in verse 20. This must have been somewhat distressing to the king of Egypt as he witnessed his own followers obeying the warnings of Moses and Aaron” (Davis p. 125).

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9:22-23 “fire ran down to the earth”-This could include a vivid description of many lightning strikes and possibly ground fires caused by a tremendous amount of lightning. See Psalm 78:47-48; 105:32-33. “on all the land of Egypt”-“Assuming that the hailstorm covered just the habitable area of Egypt, it would be a ribbon-shaped hailstorm, about ten miles wide and four hundred miles long” (Fields p. 208).

9:24 This storm was without historical precedent.

9:25-26 Obviously the hail was large enough to kill people, animals and completely destroy standing trees. Once again, God demonstrates His power over the weather to such an extent that He can determine in the same general area where the severe storm will hit and where it won’t touch anything. God can draw a line between a hurricane and absolutely peaceful and beautiful weather.

Pharaoh’s Confession 9:27 It is interesting as to what scared Pharaoh and got his attention and what didn’t scare him. For some reason, this plague really got under his skin and shook him up for a while.

“I have sinned this time”-“The fact that he mentions ‘this time’ might reflect some of the arrogance and the shallowness of Pharaoh’s confession. The second observation of this king is that Jehovah was righteous. This memorable statement is most significant since only a few months prior he refused to even acknowledge the existence of Jehovah (5:2)” (Davis p. 127).

“I and my people are the wicked ones”-In contrast to his previous claim that the Israelites were lazy. Eventually, the sinner will eat every unbelieving word that they have ever spoken against God and His truth.

9:28 But Pharaoh seems motivated more by wanting the thunder and hail removed than by his heart being truly humbled. His confession here may be much like that of Saul’s (1 Samuel 15:24), a confession which the circumstances had wrung from a heart which was still far from God. Note that Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron, he seems to have given up on his magicians. Pharaoh is like many sinners, who will say anything to give themselves an advantage or to escape a difficult situation. When you are serving sin, the truth means little to you. Hardened sinners often ridicule those who try to hold them accountable to the promises they have made, and they view people as naïve who believe that one’s word or promise is binding.

9:29 Once again, the miraculous elements of this plague are clearly evident.

“The fact that Moses first wanted to leave the city shows that he and Aaron were not afraid that they would be struck by the hail; thus, even more than Goshen’s

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being spared, showed the Lord’s omnipotence in protecting his people.

Second….Moses wanted to show that they sought the Lord in solitude, in that part of Egypt that was hardest hit: the open field…the hail and thunder would cease so that Pharaoh would know that the earth belonged to the Lord (Psalm 24:1)” (Gispen p. 103).

9:30 Moses makes it plain to Pharaoh that he isn’t naïve. He has been willing to give Pharaoh the benefit of the doubt, but the only one really being hurt by Pharaoh’s little cat and mouse game, will be Pharaoh and his people. “Moses does not believe that pharaoh will keep his word, yet he grants the request so that pharaoh may be without excuse (Romans 1:20)” (Cole p. 99). Moses knew this information because God had revealed it to him (Exodus 4:21; 9:35). See Isaiah 26:10.

People need to remember making false claims of repentance is an additional sin that one is adding to all their other sins (Romans 2:1-5). It is a sin to say you are sorry, or you are going to change or serve God and then fail in keeping such a promise. God doesn’t like liars and fair-weather friends (Revelation 21:8).

Point To Note: Often members of the Church tend to beat up on themselves for accepting someone’s apparent repentance only to see them lapse back into sin. Please note: There is no shame or embarrassment in wanting to forgive someone and accepting their words as being truthful and sincere. Love always seek to believe the best about a person’s intentions (1 Corinthians 13:7). Never let such examples of insincere repentance drive you to a point of being cynical about every person who comes forward. If someone doesn’t follow through on their repentance, all the shame is upon that person.

9:31-32 Flax and barley were the only crops destroyed during this plague.

Which indicates that this occurred in late January or early in February. The flax ripened about the same time as barley and was usually cut in the month of March. Wheat harvest was approx., one month later. Flax was widely cultivated, especially since the Egyptians did not like woolen materials, which were worn by nomads. Flax provided the linen for the garments of the priests throughout the land of Egypt. Spelt was a grain much like wheat, kind of an inferior wheat, and was often used in making bread. Note the details! These verses are not to be taken figuratively, rather they are simply stating what happened, and explain that there was something left for the locusts to consume.

9:33-35 In spite of the fact that Pharaoh didn’t keep his promise, Moses still kept his side of the agreement. Just because other people are deceitful and dishonest, doesn’t mean that we are allowed to be deceitful in dealing with them.

God doesn’t buy the argument that I don’t have to be honest with dishonest people, or I don’t have to be truthful to people who won’t believe the truth.

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Note that not only Pharaoh, but his servants also hardened their hearts (9:24).

Unbelief likes the company of other unbelievers. Somehow unbelievers feel that there is safety in numbers, i.e., “If enough people reject the Bible, then that proves that the Bible isn’t the word of God”.

“One cannot help but be touched with the sorrow that must have existed in the thousands of homes throughout Egypt. Those who had labored long and hard in the hot sun witnessed in a few moments the total destruction of their crops.

Their desperate cries to their deities had not brought relief….The economy and the life of the people were very much involved in agricultural success….The black and burned fields of flax were a silent testimony to the impotence and incapability of wooden and stone deities. They indeed had ears but did not hear” (Davis pp. 127-128).

II. Chapter 10: 10:1 Not only was the heart of Pharaoh stubborn, but so were the hearts of his servants. Please note, in the last plague, God had hardened the heart of Pharaoh by removing the problem and giving him time to repent!

10:2 The lessons from these plagues were to be passed on to future generations. Biblical truth isn’t limited by time and culture. Even though God might not directly intervene as He did on this occasion, such doesn’t mean that God is powerless or doesn’t care. What was written aforetime was written for our learning (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11-13). “This plague reveals another purpose for the judgments. Besides humbling Pharaoh and bringing about Israel’s deliverance, the plagues showed Israel God’s power, which they were to tell to their children and grandchildren” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p.

124). Psalms 78 and 105 were examples of the way that these events were told and retold in song. See Deut. 7:8, 18-19.

Point To Note: God doesn’t feel that each generation should be left alone to discover the truth for themselves. When children are left to teach themselves, they typically miss the truth! Over and over in the Scriptures God commands parents to instill the truth into their children (Deut. 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4). Remember faith is rekindled by being reminded of all of God’s great works in the past, for God doesn’t change, and remains just as powerful (Hebrews 13:8). Hence God’s victory over Egypt is the heritage of all believers.

10:2 “how I made mockery of the Egyptians”-actions which bring shame and disgrace. God had used small and mundane things to humble Egypt. The

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mighty Egyptian nation was humbled and brought to its knees by frogs, gnats, hail, locusts, etc….

10:3 “how long”-It is one thing to be defiant, it is another to remain defiant in view of all the evidence being presented.

10:4 The consequences of continued rebellion are clearly stated. God is very fair with Pharaoh. In spite of his unbelief, God has allowed him to live and remain in power. Which will he chose? Let the people go or suffer from a locust infestation of unheard of magnitude? (10:6) 10:5-6 “The locust is perhaps nature’s most awesome example of the collective destructive power of a species….Locust plagues were very much feared in ancient Egypt, so much so that the peasants were in the habit of praying to a locust god…A locust is capable of eating its own weight daily. One square mile of a swarm will normally contain from 100,000,000 to 200,000,000 of the creatures…Swarms covering more than 400 square miles have been recorded” (Davis p. 128). During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s a locust plague hit Africa, lasting some 14 years, affecting five-million square miles, an area nearly double the size of the United States.

10:7 The servants of Pharaoh finally crack. They had probably been out in the land and had witnessed the devastation from the previous plagues. They believed that what Moses said should be taken seriously. Moved by the appeals of his advisors, Pharaoh will attempt to negotiate a compromise with Moses.

10:8-11 Pharaoh is willing to allow the men to leave, but the women and children must remain as hostages.

Points To Note: 1. Verse 10 “Thus may the Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Take heed, for evil is in your mind”: A. Once again, the person who is truly doing evil accuses Moses and Aaron of plotting evil. B. Pharaoh seems to be saying that he doesn’t think that Jehovah could deliver them any more than he would deliver them. “He practically dared Jehovah to do anything….Pharaoh’s restriction of permission to depart to the men only was pure tyranny, without reason or mercy. Even the Egyptians, according to Herodotus, held religious festivals at which women were in the habit of going with men….Oppressors often permit adults to exercise religious observances, while they seek to control the children and educate them away from the faith of their fathers” (Fields pp. 219-220). 2. Verse 11 seems to be an ultimatum, “take this for it is the best offer that you will get”. But the people of God are not to compromise the commands of God.

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10:12-15 “Egypt was deprived of her natural beauty with tragic economic, social and theological consequences. Nut, the Egyptian sky goddess, could not control these locusts and Osiris, the god of crop fertility, could not prevent the destruction of the crops” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 125). “The fact that the wind blew so long suggests that the locusts were blown in from a great distance.

The power of the Lord reached far beyond the borders of Egypt, and ruled over every land” (Fields p. 220). “In one day they can eat the growing food grains that took a year to grow; and the price of bread will soar beyond the reach of the poor (who then may be reduced to eating locusts!). Palm trees bending with fruit may be reduced to bare spars, golden grainfields to stubble, and even wild marsh reeds disappear” (Fields p. 221).

10:16 “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you”-“Once again comes the easy confession of sin, and the shallow repentance that springs only from a desire to avert the consequences (Heb. 12:17)” (Cole p. 100). Pharaoh isn’t the worst man who every lived, in fact, every time we promise to God that we will change and we don’t change, we are acting just like Pharaoh.

10:17-19 “In spite of the fact that Pharaoh had demonstrated obstinance and dishonesty, Moses turned from the royal court and prayed for deliverance from the plague. One must admire the patience of Moses with respect to the plan of God. He did not cringe nor did he challenge God regarding this long process…..While this plague was ended, the effects of this plague and the previous ones certainly meant famine for the land of Egypt, and famine meant widespread robbery and social unrest” (Davis pp. 132-133).

10:19 This locust infestation was miraculous in nature. “Only God could remove such a scourge. Swarms of fully mature locusts are almost impossible to discourage once they have settled to feed” (Fields p. 222).

10:20 Once again, what contributed to Pharaoh’s stubbornness was the grace and mercy of God! Some people will abuse God’s patience and long-suffering (Romans 2:1-5).

The Darkness 10:21 This plague would come without any warning.

10:22-23 “thick darkness”-“Various explanations have been offered as to the means by which this was accomplished. The usual approach is to assume that the land of Egypt was struck with a devastating sandstorm….However, the entire plague cannot be ascribed merely to swirling sand in the skies over Egypt. Its miraculous nature is made clear by the fact that Israel did have light and

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apparently was able to continue life normally. Perhaps what we have in this instance is a combination of a violent sandstorm coupled with a supernatural darkness which made mobility impossible. The suggestion that this was brought about by an eclipse of the sun hardly deserves serious consideration in the light of the details of this context” (Davis p. 133).

“In light of Egyptian theology and practice, this plague was very significant. To a large degree it struck at the very heart of Egyptian worship and humbled one of Egypt’s greatest gods. The sun god Ra was considered one of the great blessings in the land of Egypt. His faithfulness in providing the warmth and light of sun day after day without fail caused them to express great joy over the faithfulness of this deity” (Davis p. 133). Remember, this is total darkness in a land which had sunshine 99.9 percent of the year.

Another Compromise 10:24-25 This was Pharaoh’s fourth attempted compromise (8:25,28; 10:11).

Points To Note: 1. For good reason Pharaoh wanted the herds and flocks of the Israelites to remain in the land. “These animals, if retained, would help replenish Egypt’s loss of animal life in the fifth and seventh plagues” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 125). 2. But Moses refused to compromise, such animals would be needed for sacrifice. 3. “not a hoof will be left behind”—clearly letting Pharaoh know that one even one animal will be left.

10:27 What hardened Pharaoh’s heart this time appears to be God’s unwillingness to bend in the least. Some people can’t handle the idea that one must come to God on God’s terms, period. The individual that must do all the compromising and changing, is the sinner.

10:28-29 On first sight this might seem to contradict 12:31. But we aren’t given the precise details of how Pharaoh in 12:31 told Moses that they could leave.

Did Pharaoh merely send a message to Moses and Aaron without a personal interview? Another thought is that instead of Moses coming before Pharaoh, the Egyptians and Pharaoh following this last plague would come before Moses (11:8; 12:30-31).

Final Notes:

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“The great pageantry which accompanied the worship of the gods at the temples must have been greatly diminished during these months of tragedy and disaster.

The political and religious prestige of Pharaoh quite certainly suffered as indicated by the frustration of Pharaoh’s own servants at his inability to bring an end to the problem….Who would have expected in an age of unparalleled prosperity and military prestige, such as that which characterized the Eighteenth Dynasty, the people of Egypt would find themselves on their knees humbled before Jehovah, the God of enslaved Hebrews?” (Davis p. 137).

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