Exodus 9:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them."’"

NIV: Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ "

NASB: So now, send word, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.'?’?'

CSB: Therefore give orders to bring your livestock and all that you have in the field into shelters. Every person and animal that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on them."

NLT: Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’'

KJV: Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast 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.

NKJV: Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.” ’ ”

Of the ten plagues (Exodus 3:20), this one is unique since it comes with the opportunity to reduce losses. The Lord has threatened Egypt with a historic hailstorm (Exodus 9:18). Here, Moses—through Aaron (Exodus 4:14–16)—delivers a message that those who bring their servants and animals indoors will be safe from the lethal weather.

Some of Pharaoh's servants have begun to acknowledge the power of Israel's God. Court magicians credited the plagues with divine power (Exodus 8:19). In response to this new prediction, some Egyptians will take precautions (Exodus 9:20–21). Those who ignore the advice will lose everything left unprotected (Exodus 9:25). Unfortunately, crops nearing harvest cannot be moved inside, so they will be lost (Exodus 9:31).

A crucial detail is that this vicious storm will not affect the Hebrews (Exodus 9:26). The supernatural judgments brought by God display His power (Exodus 6:7; 7:5; 9:14; 10:1–2). The disasters also counter Egyptian faith in various idols by demonstrating God's power over various spheres of nature. When the hail only strikes Egyptian land, and not the homes of Israelites (Exodus 9:26), it proves that the event is unnatural; weather gods like Set and Horus have no power.

Exodus 9:13–26 explains the seventh plague on Egypt (Exodus 3:20). Because Pharaoh has stubbornly resisted the Lord (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7), God has begun to harden Pharaoh's heart as a means of judgment (Exodus 9:12). Moses offers a warning for Egyptians to take shelter against a coming storm. Some listen, others do not. God sends a terrifying, brutal storm of hail and lightning that kills everything and everyone in the open fields. Only the Hebrew land of Goshen is spared.

After four devastating plagues, Pharaoh continues to resist God's command to free the Hebrew slaves. Through Moses, the Lord sends two more: death of Egyptian livestock and an epidemic of skin lesions. Pharoah refuses to respond to the first, and God makes him stubborn after the second. This leads to the most terrifying sign yet: the seventh plague of hail and fire. Pharoah claims to repent. Yet as soon as the hail stops, he again chooses obstinance. After this, the Lord will use Pharaoh as a tool to demonstrate divine judgment.

Moses and Aaron brought the Lord's command that Pharaoh should release Hebrew slaves (Exodus 5:1–4). Over and over, Egypt's king was obstinate. This resulted in divine plagues meant to demonstrate God's power and authority (Exodus 7:20; 8:6, 17, 24). In this chapter, God sends three more disasters: a plague on livestock, an epidemic of skin sores, and an obliterating storm of hail and lightning. Pharaoh will once again choose stubbornness, passing a point of no return (Proverbs 29:1). For the remaining plagues (Exodus 10—12) and after (Exodus 14:4), Pharaoh will be a living example of the Lord's divine judgment (Exodus 4:21).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.