Exodus 9
Introduction
Exodus 9 marks a dramatic escalation in the contest between the LORD and Pharaoh. The chapter contains three plagues -- the fifth (pestilence on livestock), the sixth (boils), and the seventh (hail) -- and each one intensifies both the scope of destruction and the theological stakes. The fifth plague kills Egypt's livestock while sparing Israel's, continuing the pattern of divine distinction established in the fourth plague. The sixth plague is notable because the magicians, who had managed to replicate earlier signs, are now so afflicted they cannot even stand before Moses. And for the first time, the text explicitly states that God himself hardened Pharaoh's heart (v. 12), shifting from the earlier formula where Pharaoh's heart simply "was heavy." The seventh plague is the longest and most theologically dense plague narrative, containing God's declaration that he has raised up Pharaoh for a specific purpose -- a verse Paul will quote in Romans 9:17 as a cornerstone of his argument about divine sovereignty.
The chapter also introduces a remarkable new development: some of Pharaoh's own officials begin to fear the word of the LORD and act on it (vv. 20-21). For the first time, the Egyptian monolith cracks, and individuals within Pharaoh's court respond to God's warnings. Meanwhile, Pharaoh himself delivers his most elaborate confession yet -- "I have sinned; the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked" (v. 27) -- only to harden his heart again as soon as the crisis passes. The furnace imagery of the boils plague carries special resonance: the כִּבְשָׁן ("kiln" or "furnace") evokes the brick kilns of Israel's forced labor, turning an instrument of Israel's oppression into an instrument of Egypt's judgment.
The Fifth Plague: Pestilence on Livestock (vv. 1-7)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go, 3 then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field -- on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'" 5 The LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the LORD will be upon your livestock that are in the field -- upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle, and upon the flocks -- a very severe pestilence. 4 And the LORD will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing belonging to the sons of Israel will die.'" 5 And the LORD set an appointed time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." 6 And the LORD did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died. But of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. 7 And Pharaoh sent to investigate, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But the heart of Pharaoh was heavy, and he did not let the people go.
Notes
דֶּבֶר ("pestilence, plague") -- This word specifically denotes an epidemic or plague, often on animals. It is distinct from מַגֵּפָה ("plague, blow"), which appears later in v. 14. The root is the same as דָּבָר ("word, thing"), and while the connection is debated, some scholars note the ironic resonance: God's דָּבָר ("word") brings דֶּבֶר ("pestilence"). The adjective כָּבֵד מְאֹד ("very severe") uses the same root (כָּבֵד, "heavy") that describes Pharaoh's heart throughout the narrative -- a subtle wordplay linking the weight of the plague to the weight of Pharaoh's obstinacy.
יַד יְהוָה ("the hand of the LORD") -- The יָד ("hand") of God is a recurring motif in the Exodus narrative, representing divine power in action. Here it falls specifically on livestock אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה ("that are in the field"), which some interpreters take as an important qualifier: the plague struck animals out in the open, not those sheltered indoors. This would help explain how Egyptians still possessed livestock later in the narrative (vv. 19-21) and at the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29).
The list of animals -- horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and flocks -- represents the full range of Egyptian pastoral wealth. סוּסִים ("horses") were associated with Egyptian military power and royal prestige. The destruction of livestock would have been economically catastrophic. Some scholars note that camels are not well-attested in Egypt during this period and suggest this reflects later editorial language; others argue the camel was known in Egypt earlier than sometimes supposed.
וְהִפְלָה יְהוָה ("and the LORD will distinguish") -- The Hiphil of פָּלָה means "to set apart, make distinct." This is the same verb used in Exodus 8:22 (Hebrew 8:18) regarding the fourth plague. The distinction between Israel and Egypt is a theological statement: God's people are not exempt from living in a fallen world, but God knows how to protect his own within it. The theme of divine distinction runs through the rest of the plagues and culminates in the Passover, where the blood on the doorposts marks the ultimate distinction between those under God's protection and those under his judgment.
לֹא יָמוּת מִכָּל לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דָּבָר ("not a thing belonging to the sons of Israel will die") -- The word דָּבָר here means "a thing" or "anything," but its presence alongside דֶּבֶר ("pestilence") creates a wordplay: the דֶּבֶר will not touch a single דָּבָר of Israel's.
וַיִּכְבַּד לֵב פַּרְעֹה ("and the heart of Pharaoh was heavy") -- The verb כָּבַד is in the Qal, meaning Pharaoh's heart "became heavy" or "was heavy" -- an intransitive description of his inner state. This is distinct from v. 12, where the LORD actively "strengthened" (Piel of חָזַק) Pharaoh's heart. The text at this point still describes Pharaoh's hardening as something that happens within him, not something imposed from outside. Even after sending officials to verify that Israel's livestock was untouched -- evidence that the God of Israel is real and powerful -- Pharaoh refuses to yield.
The Sixth Plague: Boils (vv. 8-12)
8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. 9 It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land." 10 So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky before the eyes of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will become boils breaking out in blisters on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." 10 So they took the soot of the kiln and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils -- blisters breaking out on man and on beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses on account of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
Notes
פִּיחַ כִּבְשָׁן ("soot of the kiln/furnace") -- The word פִּיחַ ("soot, ashes") appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. The כִּבְשָׁן ("kiln, furnace") is the same type of structure used for brick-making. Given that Israel had been enslaved making bricks (Exodus 1:14, Exodus 5:7-8), the imagery is powerfully ironic: the very instrument of Israel's oppression becomes the instrument of Egypt's affliction. Moses takes the ashes of the slave kiln and turns them into a plague. The furnace also carries broader theological resonance -- Egypt is later called "the iron furnace" (כּוּר הַבַּרְזֶל) from which God brought Israel out (Deuteronomy 4:20, 1 Kings 8:51, Jeremiah 11:4).
שְׁחִין פֹּרֵחַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת ("boils breaking out in blisters") -- The word שְׁחִין refers to an inflamed skin condition, used elsewhere for skin diseases in the Levitical laws (Leviticus 13:18-23) and for Job's affliction (Job 2:7). The verb פָּרַח ("to bud, break out, sprout") is ironic -- a verb normally associated with life and growth (flowers blooming, skin healing) here describes the eruption of painful sores. The word אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת ("blisters, pustules") occurs only here and in the parallel account. The combination paints a picture of inflamed, pustulating sores covering the skin.
This plague is unique in several respects. It is the first plague initiated without a warning to Pharaoh. It is the first plague that directly afflicts human bodies. And it marks the decisive defeat of the חַרְטֻמִּים ("magicians") -- they had replicated the first two plagues (blood and frogs), failed to replicate the third (gnats), and now they cannot even לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה ("stand before Moses"). The phrase "stand before" implies official capacity -- they cannot discharge their professional function. The magicians' inability to stand contrasts with Moses, who is commanded to "stand before Pharaoh" (Exodus 9:13). Paul references this defeat of the magicians in 2 Timothy 3:8-9, naming them Jannes and Jambres (names from Jewish tradition not found in the Old Testament).
וַיְחַזֵּק יְהוָה אֶת לֵב פַּרְעֹה ("and the LORD strengthened the heart of Pharaoh") -- This is the first time in the plague narrative that God is the explicit subject of the hardening. The verb is חָזַק in the Piel (intensive active), meaning "to make strong, to stiffen, to fortify." Up to this point, the text has used passive or intransitive formulations: Pharaoh's heart "was heavy" (כָּבַד) or "was strong" (חָזַק in Qal). Now God actively intervenes. This transition was predicted in Exodus 4:21 and Exodus 7:3, where God told Moses beforehand that he would harden Pharaoh's heart. The theological weight of this verse is enormous -- it raises the question of the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility that Paul will address directly in Romans 9:14-24.
Interpretations
The hardening of Pharaoh's heart is one of the most debated theological issues in the Exodus narrative. Three major positions exist. (1) The Augustinian/Reformed tradition emphasizes divine sovereignty: God actively hardens Pharaoh's heart as an expression of his sovereign will. Pharaoh is already a sinner deserving judgment; God's hardening is a judicial act upon a man who has already chosen rebellion. Theologians like Calvin and Edwards argue that God has the right to use even human obstinacy for his purposes. (2) The Arminian/Wesleyan tradition notes that Pharaoh first hardened his own heart (in plagues 1-5), and only afterward did God actively harden it (beginning in plague 6). God's hardening is thus a confirmation of Pharaoh's own freely chosen direction -- God "gave him over" to what he had already chosen, much as in Romans 1:24-28. (3) The classical Jewish interpretation (represented by Maimonides and others) views the hardening as the removal of Pharaoh's capacity for repentance as a just punishment for his earlier sins -- Pharaoh forfeited the opportunity to repent because he had resisted God so persistently. All three positions agree that Pharaoh was genuinely culpable; they differ on the precise mechanism and sequence of divine and human agency.
The Seventh Plague: God's Warning and Purpose (vv. 13-21)
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 14 Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go. 18 Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. 19 So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.'" 20 Those among Pharaoh's officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter, 21 but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and station yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 14 For this time I am sending all my plagues against your heart and against your servants and against your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been wiped from the earth. 16 But for this very reason I have made you stand: to show you my power, and so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still raising yourself up against my people by not letting them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will rain down very heavy hail, the likes of which has never been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 So now, send word -- bring your livestock and all that you have in the field to safety. Every person and beast that is found in the field and is not gathered indoors -- the hail will come down on them, and they will die.'" 20 Whoever feared the word of the LORD among Pharaoh's servants hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not set his heart to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
Notes
אֶל לִבְּךָ ("against your heart") -- The plagues are described as being sent אֶל לִבְּךָ, literally "to your heart" or "against your heart." This is striking because Pharaoh's heart is precisely the organ that has been resisting God. The plagues are not random acts of destruction; they are targeted at Pharaoh's inner resistance. God is making his case directly to Pharaoh's conscience.
כִּי אֵין כָּמֹנִי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ ("for there is no one like me in all the earth") -- This is a statement of absolute divine incomparability, a theme central to the theology of Exodus. The plagues are not merely punishments but demonstrations -- pedagogical acts designed to teach Pharaoh (and Egypt, and Israel, and all subsequent readers) that the LORD is unique, without rival. This same language appears in the Song of Moses after the Red Sea crossing: "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD?" (Exodus 15:11).
הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ ("I have made you stand / I have raised you up") -- This is the Hiphil of עָמַד ("to stand"), meaning "to cause to stand, to set up, to establish." The verb is at the center of one of the most significant Old Testament quotations in the New Testament. The Hebrew carries a range of meaning: "I have caused you to stand" (i.e., kept you alive when I could have destroyed you), "I have established you" (i.e., placed you in your position of power), or "I have raised you up" (i.e., brought you onto the stage of history). The Septuagint translates with a different nuance: dieterethas ("you were preserved/spared"), and Paul in Romans 9:17 quotes the LXX form: exegeira se ("I raised you up"), which emphasizes God's active placement of Pharaoh in his role. The theological point in both the Hebrew and Paul's usage is the same: Pharaoh's very existence and power serve God's purposes, not Pharaoh's own. God has sustained Pharaoh through plague after plague, not because Pharaoh deserves mercy, but because God has a purpose for him.
בַּעֲבוּר הַרְאֹתְךָ אֶת כֹּחִי ("in order to show you my power") -- The double purpose clause is significant: God's purposes are (1) הַרְאֹתְךָ אֶת כֹּחִי ("to show you my power") and (2) לְמַעַן סַפֵּר שְׁמִי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ ("so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth"). The verb סָפַר in the Piel means "to recount, tell, declare" -- God's name will become the subject of proclamation throughout the world. This is fulfilled in the narrative itself: Rahab in Jericho tells the Israelite spies that the people of Canaan heard about the exodus and melted in fear (Joshua 2:10-11). The Philistines likewise recall the plagues generations later (1 Samuel 4:8).
מִסְתּוֹלֵל ("exalting yourself, raising yourself up") -- This rare Hithpolel form of סָלַל ("to heap up, raise") describes Pharaoh's self-exaltation against God's people. The KJV renders it "exaltest thou thyself," and the BSB has "you lord it over." The form suggests repeated or reflexive action -- Pharaoh keeps piling himself up, building himself into an obstacle. The irony is sharp: in v. 16, God says "I have raised you up" (הֶעֱמַדְתִּיךָ), while in v. 17, Pharaoh "raises himself up" (מִסְתּוֹלֵל). The one who was raised up by God now raises himself against God.
הַיָּרֵא אֶת דְּבַר יְהוָה ("the one who feared the word of the LORD") -- This is a remarkable moment in the narrative. Among Pharaoh's own officials, some have come to יָרֵא ("fear, reverence") the LORD's word. They act on God's warning and shelter their servants and livestock. Others לֹא שָׂם לִבּוֹ אֶל דְּבַר יְהוָה ("did not set his heart to the word of the LORD") -- a phrase meaning they paid no attention to it, they did not take it to heart. This division within the Egyptian court foreshadows the "mixed multitude" that will leave Egypt with Israel (Exodus 12:38) and illustrates that even within a rebellious nation, individuals can respond to God's revelation. The phrase "feared the word of the LORD" anticipates the broader biblical theme of the "fear of the LORD" as the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10).
Interpretations
Verse 16 is one of the most theologically significant verses in Exodus, and Paul's quotation of it in Romans 9:17 makes it central to the debate over divine sovereignty and election. The Reformed tradition reads Paul's use of this verse as affirming unconditional divine sovereignty: God raises up rulers and nations according to his own purposes, and he has the right to use even rebellious agents to display his glory. The passage is part of Paul's argument that God's election does not depend on human will or effort but on God's mercy (Romans 9:16). The Arminian tradition reads the verse as describing God's providential use of Pharaoh's freely chosen rebellion -- God did not create Pharaoh's wickedness but sustained Pharaoh in power (rather than destroying him) in order to use the situation for a greater purpose. On this reading, "raised you up" means "kept you alive" rather than "caused you to exist for this purpose." Both readings acknowledge the text's clear assertion that God's purposes are being accomplished through the plague narrative, and both affirm that Pharaoh is genuinely culpable for his resistance.
The Hail Falls (vv. 22-26)
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt -- on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt." 23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. 25 Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree. 26 The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt -- on man and on beast and on every plant of the field in the land of Egypt." 23 And Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD gave thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 And there was hail, and fire flashing continuously in the midst of the hail -- very heavy, the likes of which had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And 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.
Notes
קֹלֹת וּבָרָד ("thunder and hail") -- The word קֹלֹת (plural of קוֹל) literally means "voices" or "sounds." It is the standard word for thunder in the Hebrew Bible, the same word used for the "thunders" at Sinai (Exodus 19:16). The language here anticipates the theophany at Sinai, connecting the plagues with the coming revelation at the mountain. When Pharaoh uses the phrase קֹלֹת אֱלֹהִים in v. 28, he literally says "voices/thunders of God" -- unwittingly acknowledging the divine origin of the storm.
וַתִּהֲלַךְ אֵשׁ אָרְצָה ("and fire ran to the ground") -- The "fire" (אֵשׁ) that הָלַךְ ("walked, went") earthward describes lightning striking the ground. The image of fire "walking" is vivid and unusual. In v. 24, the fire is described as מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד ("flashing continuously in the midst of the hail"). The Hithpael of לָקַח ("to take") here means something like "seizing upon itself" or "flashing back and forth" -- fire was intertwined with the hailstones, an unnatural and terrifying combination. The rabbis noted the paradox: fire and ice coexisting, each suspended in its nature to accomplish God's purpose.
מֵאָז הָיְתָה לְגוֹי ("since it became a nation") -- The hailstorm is described as unprecedented in the entire history of Egypt as a civilization. The word גּוֹי ("nation") applied to Egypt here will later be applied to Israel when they become a nation at Sinai. Egypt's long history -- a source of national pride -- is no protection against the God of a slave people.
וַיַּךְ הַבָּרָד ("and the hail struck") -- The verb נָכָה in the Hiphil means "to strike, to smite." The hail שִׁבֵּר ("shattered") every tree -- a Piel intensive form indicating violent, thorough destruction. The agricultural devastation is total for everything in the field. Yet Goshen is again protected: רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן ("only in the land of Goshen") was there no hail. The adverb רַק ("only, exclusively") underscores the precision of the divine distinction -- the storm stopped at the border of Israelite territory.
Pharaoh's Confession and Moses' Response (vv. 27-32)
27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said. "The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer." 29 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 that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God." 31 (Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom; 32 but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)
27 Then Pharaoh sent and called 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." 28 Plead with the LORD -- there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you will stay no longer." 29 And Moses said to him, "As soon as I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will stop, and the hail will be no more, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the LORD. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God." 31 (Now the flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they ripen late.)
Notes
חָטָאתִי הַפָּעַם ("I have sinned this time") -- Pharaoh's confession is his most elaborate yet. He uses the verb חָטָא ("to sin, miss the mark") and follows it with a remarkable theological statement: יְהוָה הַצַּדִּיק ("the LORD is the righteous one") and וַאֲנִי וְעַמִּי הָרְשָׁעִים ("and I and my people are the wicked ones"). The adjective צַדִּיק ("righteous") describes one who is in the right, who acts justly. The adjective רָשָׁע ("wicked") describes one who is in the wrong, guilty. This is technically correct theology -- Pharaoh has the right categories. But as the narrative will show, his confession is driven by pain, not by genuine repentance. The qualifier הַפָּעַם ("this time") may subtly betray Pharaoh -- he acknowledges sinning "this time" while implicitly refusing to account for all the previous times.
הַעְתִּירוּ אֶל יְהוָה ("plead with the LORD") -- The Hiphil of עָתַר ("to pray, entreat, plead") is an intensive form suggesting urgent, fervent intercession. Pharaoh demands that Moses intercede with the very God he refuses to obey. This pattern -- Pharaoh begging for relief during the plague, then reneging afterward -- has become predictable. Moses knows it, as v. 30 makes explicit.
כִּי לַיהוָה הָאָרֶץ ("for the earth belongs to the LORD") -- Moses declares the purpose of stopping the hail: to demonstrate that the earth is the LORD's. This is not merely a statement about weather control but a claim of cosmic sovereignty. The earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD (Psalm 24:1). Pharaoh acts as though he owns Egypt and its people; Moses asserts that even the land of Egypt belongs to Israel's God.
טֶרֶם תִּירְאוּן מִפְּנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים ("you do not yet fear the LORD God") -- Moses sees through Pharaoh's confession. The word טֶרֶם ("not yet, before") implies that genuine fear of God has not yet arrived, despite the dramatic confession. Moses distinguishes between being terrified by consequences and fearing God. True fear of the LORD involves submission and obedience, not merely panic during a crisis. Moses' blunt assessment is prophetic -- he knows Pharaoh will renege again.
The agricultural aside in vv. 31-32 is a rare parenthetical note offering precise seasonal detail. The פִּשְׁתָּה ("flax") was גִּבְעֹל ("in bud/bloom") and the שְׂעֹרָה ("barley") was אָבִיב ("in the ear" -- ripe, with developed grain heads). Both were destroyed because they were tall and mature, vulnerable to hail. The חִטָּה ("wheat") and כֻּסֶּמֶת ("spelt") survived because they were אֲפִילֹת ("late-ripening, still in early growth"). This detail is significant for two reasons: it establishes the time of year as approximately January-February (when barley and flax are mature in Egypt), and it sets up the eighth plague of locusts, which will destroy the surviving wheat and spelt crops. The word אָבִיב later gives its name to the first month of the Israelite calendar, the month of the Exodus (Exodus 13:4).
Pharaoh Hardens His Heart Again (vv. 33-35)
33 Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart -- he and his officials. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
33 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. And the thunder and the hail stopped, and the rain was no longer poured out on the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again and made his heart heavy -- he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was strong, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Notes
וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו אֶל יְהוָה ("and he spread out his hands to the LORD") -- The verb פָּרַשׂ ("to spread out, extend") describes a posture of prayer with open palms extended toward heaven. Moses prays outside the city, not in Pharaoh's presence -- his intercession is directed to God, not performed for show. This is the same prayer posture Solomon will use at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:22) and that Isaiah describes in the context of genuine versus hypocritical worship (Isaiah 1:15).
וַיֹּסֶף לַחֲטֹא ("and he sinned again") -- The construction with יָסַף ("to add, do again") plus the infinitive construct literally means "he added to his sinning." Pharaoh's sin is cumulative; each refusal compounds the previous ones. What follows is notable: וַיַּכְבֵּד לִבּוֹ הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו ("and he made his heart heavy, he and his servants"). The Hiphil of כָּבַד here indicates active, voluntary hardening -- Pharaoh "caused his heart to be heavy." This is in contrast to v. 12, where God hardened Pharaoh's heart. The two agencies are presented side by side in the same chapter, and the text does not resolve the tension between them -- both are true. Pharaoh is genuinely choosing to resist, and God is genuinely working within that resistance.
וַיֶּחֱזַק לֵב פַּרְעֹה ("and the heart of Pharaoh was strong") -- The final verse returns to the Qal of חָזַק, a middle-voice formulation: Pharaoh's heart "became strong" or "was firm." The chapter thus contains three different hardening formulations: Pharaoh's heart "was heavy" (v. 7, Qal of כָּבַד), the LORD "strengthened" Pharaoh's heart (v. 12, Piel of חָזַק), and Pharaoh "made his heart heavy" (v. 34, Hiphil of כָּבַד). The closing note, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה ("just as the LORD had spoken through Moses"), frames everything that has happened as the fulfillment of what God foretold. Nothing has caught God off guard. Pharaoh's resistance, as real as it is, operates within the scope of God's declared purposes.