Q² p 1-5. Liberation demanded (warning).
q 6. Plague inflicted.
q 7-. Plague verified.
p -7. Liberation refused.1491 B.C.
Exodus 9)
1 Then the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Thus says the Lord God (Yahaveh Elohim) of the Hebrews (occurs only 3 times, 9:113 and 10:3), 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
2 For if you refuse to let them go, and will hold them still,
3 Behold, the hand of the Lord (Fig. Anthropopatheia, and Metonymy, "hand" being put for the judgment inflicted by it) is upon your cattle which is in the field (the cattle &c., were in the field in the spring and early summer), upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain (or pestilence, see v.15).
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 son's of Israel.' ' "
5 And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land."
6 And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the sons of Israel died not one.
7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the sons of Israel dead.
And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the People go.
R² r 8,9. Yahaveh command (no warning).
s 10. Plague inflicted.
s 11. Plague not imitated.
r 12. Yahaveh's hardening (1st occ.).
8 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains (= an inflammatory pustule) upon mankind, and upon beast (other than those "in the field", v.3), throughout all the land of Egypt."
10 And they took ashes of the furnace (i.e. one of the altars on which human sacrifices were sometimes offered to propitiate their god Typhon, [i.e. the Evil Principle]. These were daughters being offered to avert the plagues, and Moses, using the ashes in the same way, produced another plague instead of averting it), and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with pustules upon man, and upon beast.
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.
12 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
P³ t 13-19. Warning given.
u 20,21. People's regard and disregard.
t 22-26. Warning fulfilled.
u 27-35. Pharaoh's regard and disregard.
13 And the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of the Hebrews, 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
14 For I will at this time send all my plagues into your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people; that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth.
15 For now I will stretch out My hand, that I may smite you and your people with pestilence; and you shalt be cut off from the earth.
16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised you up (= preserved you, through all the plagues and till the end), for to show in you My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.
17 As yet do you exalt yourself against My people, that you will not let them go? (Question not asked for information)
18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail (plague directed against Isis and Osiris, see 12:12), such as has not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
19 Send therefore now, and gather your cattle, and all that you have 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.' ' "
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
22 And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth your 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."
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.
24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail (= fire catching hold of itself like a chain), very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
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 broke every tree of the field.
26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time: the Lord) is the Righteous One, and I and my people are wicked ones. (In the sense of the restless activity of fallen nature; where it refers to the activity of the impious and ungodly, or robbers.)
28 Entreat the Lord {for it is enough} that there be no more mighty thunderings (Heb. "Voices of Elohim" = a strong superlative) and hail; and I will let you go, and you all shall stay no longer."
29 And Moses said to him, "As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know how that the earth is the Lord's.
30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God."
a. flax.
b. barley. These ripened in middle of February
b. barley or early in March. Israel left in.
a. flax. April.
31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. (a word of Scandinavian origin, like bulged, i.e. swelled, or ripe. But Heb.= blossom, i.e. the capsules formed. True to the season in Egypt to this day.)
32 But the wheat and the rye were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
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.
35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses. (Literally by the hand of Moses, hand being put for instrumentality.)