Exodus 9:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord 's.

NIV: Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

NASB: Moses said to him, 'As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will no longer be hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’S.

CSB: Moses said to him, "When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth belongs to the Lord.

NLT: All right,' Moses replied. 'As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.

KJV: And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord'S.

NKJV: So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread 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.

Moses will appeal to God to end the vicious hailstorm (Exodus 9:24–25). It's clear that this power belongs to the Lord, and Moses is merely reaching out to God in supplication. The hail and thunder would end after Moses' request as yet another sign that all of creation and nature belong to the Lord. This also reflects the creation account in Genesis 1—2. God was now showing His control over the earth through His various plagues and the distinctions He made between the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen (Exodus 9:26).

Though Pharaoh would continue to oppose the Lord, the people of Egypt saw this as a sign of God's power as well. This will even inspire the people to question their king's decisions (Exodus 10:7). The Egyptians would eventually give their own silver and gold to encourage the Israelites to go away (Exodus 11:1–2; 12:36).

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.