What does Exodus 9:27 mean?
God promised to send a crippling hailstorm against Egypt (Exodus 9:18–19). This would be the seventh time He sent judgment (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10) in response to Pharaoh's refusal to release the Hebrew slaves (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7). When the storm came, it wrecked the entire Egyptian landscape (Exodus 9:24–25). Only the Hebrew land, Goshen, was spared (Exodus 9:26).The resulting destruction is so severe that Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron, while the storm is still raging, to confess his own mistakes and ask for relief (Exodus 9:28). Ironically, this is the first time the Hebrew word for "sin" is claimed in a confession in the book of Exodus. This word, hātā'ti, from the root chata', is first admitted in this story by a pagan king. In the book of Genesis, likewise, the first open confession comes from a non-Israelite king (Genesis 20:9). This is the greatest sign of humility Pharaoh has shown so far.
Moses is not fooled by the short-term repentance (Exodus 9:30). Pharaoh has changed his mind in the past, and he will do it again (Exodus 9:34–35). Worse, for Pharaoh, this will be the last step past the point of no return Isaiah 55:6; Luke 13:25; Hebrews 9:27). He has defied God too many times (Proverbs 29:1). After this, the Lord will turn the Egyptian king's attitude towards even more rebellion, to emphasize the reality of divine judgment (Exodus 4:21). Whether Pharaoh's later confessions are sincere (Exodus 10:16–17) makes no difference: his own sin has brought these consequences.
