Year of the Bible
Exodus 9
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 9:
Moses again warns Pharaoh about the consequences of not letting the Lord’s people go worship. When Pharaoh ignores the warning, death comes to the livestock of Egypt at the exact time the Lord said it would. The Hebrew livestock, however, is spared, illuminating God’s power and protection. Pharaoh’s heart remains hard, and a sixth plague brings disease to the Egyptians. Now, for the first time, we read that the Lord is hardening Pharaoh’s heart. This may be an attempt to explain how Pharaoh could be so obstinate in his refusal to let God’s people leave for worship. It may also symbolize that the Lord is finished trying to convince Pharaoh to do the right thing and will let Pharaoh walk the path he has chosen. Ultimately, this hardening allows God to reveal His wonders more fully (see 11:9). In a lengthy introduction prefacing the seventh plague, the Lord explains He has not directly removed Pharaoh because His ultimate triumph will bring Him recognition over all the earth. When warnings are given, some Egyptians wisely follow the advice and protect themselves from the upcoming hail and fire. Pharaoh shows some acknowledgement of his culpability by admitting he has sinned against the Hebrew’s God. This does not mean, however, that he believes he has sinned in the eyes of his own gods, and he refuses to let the Hebrews go to worship their God.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 9:
The Fifth Plague: Death of the Egyptians’ Livestock
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your cattle which are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.” ’” 5 And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did this thing; all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but of the cattle of the sons of Israel not one died. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the cattle of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague: Boils
8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes from the kiln, and let Moses throw them toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took ashes from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw them toward heaven, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
The Seventh Plague: Thunder and Hail
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants and your people, that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put forth my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; 16 but for this purpose have I let you live, to show you my power, so that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go. 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your cattle and all that you have in the field into safe shelter; for the hail shall come down upon every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home, and they shall die.” ’ ” 20 Then he who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his slaves and his cattle flee into the houses; 21 but he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his slaves 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 beast and every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt; 24 there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field throughout all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and the hail struck down every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh sent, and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28Entreat the Lord; for there has been enough of this thunder and hail; I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and stretched out his hands to the Lord; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
All creation obeys Him. In this Chapter we see the Power of God through hail, thunder, and lightening. Lord, help me ponder the experiences I've had of your Power in nature. Help me experience the comfort in you having power over all things.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
1 El Señor dijo a Moisés:
–Preséntate al Faraón y dile: «Así
dice el Señor, Dios de los hebreos: Deja
salir a mi pueblo para que me dé culto;
2 porque si tú te niegas a dejarles salir y
los sigues reteniendo, 3 la mano del Señor
recaerá sobre tus ganados del campo, sobre
los caballos, asnos, camellos, ovejas y
vacas; será una peste muy grave. 4 Pero el
Señor hará distinción entre el ganado de
Israel y el ganado de Egipto de modo que
no muera ninguno de los que pertenecen
a los hijos de Israel».
5 Y el Señor señaló un plazo diciendo:
–Mañana el Señor realizará esto en
el país.
6 Al día siguiente cumplió el Señor
su palabra y murió todo el ganado de
los egipcios, pero del ganado de los hijos
de Israel no murió ni uno. 7 El Faraón
mandó hacer averiguaciones y, en efecto,
del ganado de Israel no había muerto
ni uno. Sin embargo, se endureció el corazón
del Faraón y no dejó salir al pueblo.
8 Dijo el Señor a Moisés y a Aarón:
–Tomad dos puñados de hollín del
horno y que Moisés lo lance hacia el cielo
a la vista del Faraón; 9 se convertirá en
polvo por todo el país de Egipto y brotarán
úlceras pustulentas en hombres y
animales sobre todo el país de Egipto.
10 Tomaron hollín del horno y se presentaron
ante el Faraón; Moisés lo lanzó
hacia el cielo; y brotaron úlceras pustulentas
en hombres y animales. 11 Ni los
magos pudieron mantenerse ante Moi-sés a causa de las erupciones, pues tenían
las mismas erupciones que los demás
egipcios. 12 Pero el Señor endureció
el corazón del Faraón y no les escuchó,
como había predicho el Señor a Moisés.
13 Dijo el Señor a Moisés:
–Levántate temprano, preséntate
ante el Faraón y dile: «Así dice el Señor,
Dios de los hebreos: Deja salir a mi pueblo
para que me dé culto. 14 Porque esta
vez voy a enviar todas mis plagas sobre
ti, sobre tus siervos y sobre tu pueblo,
para que sepas que no hay como yo
en toda la tierra. 15 Pues si hubiera extendido
mi mano y os hubiera herido con
peste a ti y a tu pueblo, habríais desaparecido
de la tierra. 16 Pero para esto te he
mantenido en pie, para mostrarte mi poder
y para que sea anunciado mi nombre
en toda la tierra. 17 Todavía te alzas frente
a mi pueblo, para no dejarle salir. 18 Pues
mira, mañana a esta hora haré llover un
granizo tan fuerte como no lo ha habido
en Egipto desde el día de su fundación
hasta el presente. 19 Ahora pues, manda
poner a salvo tu ganado y cuanto tengas
en el campo; todo hombre o animal
que se encuentre en el campo sin haberse
recogido en casa morirá bajo el granizo
que caerá sobre ellos».
20 Algunos siervos del Faraón que temieron
la palabra del Señor, hicieron
refugiarse en casa a sus siervos y a sus
ganados; 21 pero los que no atendieron la
palabra del Señor, dejaron a sus siervos
y ganados en el campo.
22 El Señor dijo a Moisés:
–Extiende tu mano hacia el cielo
y que caiga granizo en todo el país de
Egipto sobre hombres y animales y sobre
toda la hierba del campo en el país
de Egipto.
23 Moisés extendió su bastón hacia el
cielo y el Señor lanzó truenos y granizo;
y cayeron rayos sobre la tierra; el Señor
hizo llover granizo sobre el país de
Egipto. 24 Llegó el granizo, y rayos junto
con el granizo; cayó con tal fuerza
como no lo había hecho en todo el país
de Egipto, desde que fue fundado. 25 El
granizo hirió en todo el país de Egipto
a cuanto había en el campo, tanto hombres
como animales; el granizo estropeó
toda la hierba del campo y destrozó todos
los árboles del campo. 26 Sólo en el
territorio de Gosen, donde habitaban
los hijos de Israel, no cayó el granizo.
27 El Faraón mandó llamar a Moisés
y a Aarón y les dijo:
–He pecado esta vez. El Señor es justo,
pero mi pueblo y yo somos impíos.
28 Implorad al Señor, que cesen ya los
truenos y el granizo. Os dejaré marchar;
no continuaréis retenidos.
29 Le respondió Moisés:
–Cuando salga de la ciudad, alzaré
mis manos hacia el Señor; cesarán los
truenos y no habrá más granizo; para
que sepas que la tierra entera es del Señor.
30 Aunque bien sé que ni tú ni tus
siervos teméis todavía al Señor Dios.
31 El lino y la cebada quedaron destrozados,
pues la cebada ya estaba granada
y el lino en flor. 32 En cambio, el
trigo y la espelta no quedaron destrozados,
por ser tardíos.
33 Salió Moisés de la presencia del Faraón,
fuera de la ciudad, alzó sus manos
hacia el Señor y cesaron los truenos y
el granizo y no cayó más lluvia sobre la
tierra. 34 Al ver el Faraón que había cesado
la lluvia, el granizo y los truenos,
volvió a pecar y endureció su corazón,
lo mismo él que sus servidores. 35 Se obcecó,
pues, el corazón del Faraón y no
dejó marchar a los hijos de Israel, como
había predicho el Señor por medio de
Moisés.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).