Exodus 9:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.

NIV: Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.

NASB: Then Pharaoh sent 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 the wicked ones.

CSB: Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned this time," he said to them. "The Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the guilty ones.

NLT: Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. 'This time I have sinned,' he confessed. 'The Lord is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong.

KJV: And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

NKJV: And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked.

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.

Exodus 9:27–35 shows that Pharaoh is entirely to blame for his stubbornness against God. After a catastrophic seventh plague, the king claims to be convinced. He begs for the hailstorm to stop (Exodus 9:24–25). Moses agrees but is not fooled by the apparent change of heart. As soon as the hail and lightning stop, Pharaoh once again (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) deliberately defies God. This is a point of no return (Proverbs 29:1). After this, God will ensure that Pharaoh remains obstinate (Exodus 4:21) to establish an example of divine judgment.

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.