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27,299 commentary entries
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:12
And the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Up to this time the hardening of Pharaoh's heart has been ascribed to himself, or expressed indefinitely as a process that was continually going on—now for the first time it is pos…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13-26
EXPOSITION THE SEVENTH PLAGUE. The sixth plague had had no effect at all upon the hard heart of the Pharaoh, who cared nothing for the physical sufferings of his subjects, and apparently was not himself afflicted by the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13
Rise up early. Compare Exodus 7:15, and Exodus 8:20. The practice of the Egyptian kings to rise early and proceed at once to the dispatch of business is noted by Herodotus. It is a common practice of oriental monarchs.…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13-21
Mercy in Judgment. I. GOD'S PURPOSE IN DEALING WITH THE WICKED BY CHASTISEMENT AND NOT BY JUDGMENT (13-16). God might have desolated the land, and let Israel pass unquestioned through the midst of it. But in Pharaoh and…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13-19
The method of the Divine Rule over bad men illustrated by God's message to Pharaoh. The message illustrates, 1. THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD TOWARDS SINNERS. "For now might I have stretched out my hand and smitten thee and…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13
Harden not your hearts. Our position in considering the dealings of God with men, resembles the position of scholars in some school observing and criticizing the conduct of the master. Certain inferences cannot be drawn…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13-16
The earth is the Lord's and the fulness of it. In this comprehensive message from Jehovah, standing as it does about midway in the course of his judgments upon Pharaoh, we have a peculiar and impressive application of t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:13-35
The plague of hail. This plague was introduced with ampler remonstrance. Moses was commanded to proceed to Pharaoh, and to warn him in stronger and more decisive language than he had yet employed of the folly of this in…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:14
I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart. A very emphatic announcement. At this time contrasts the immediate future with the past, and tells Pharaoh that the hour of mild warnings and slight plagues is g…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:15
For now I will stretch out my hand. It is generally agreed by modern writers that this translation fails to give the true sense of the original God does not here announce what he is going to do, but what he might have d…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:16
The road to ruin. "And in very deed for this cause," etc. (Exodus 9:16). The character and conduct of Pharaoh as a probationer under the moral government of the Ever Living God is worthy of special and separate consider…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:16
And in very deed, etc. Rather, "But truly for this cause have I caused thee to stand," i.e; "kept thee alive and sustained thee in the position thou occupiest" for to shew to thee my power—i.e; to impress thee, if it is…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:17-35
The seventh plague-the hail mingled with fire. I. CONSIDER THE PLAGUE ITSELF, 1. God has his "to-morrow"(Exodus 9:18) as well as Pharaoh (Exodus 8:10). Only when Pharaoh's "to-morrow" comes, there comes with it the evid…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:17
As yet. Rather "still." And the whole verse should be rendered—"Dost thou still oppose thyself against my people, so as not to let them go." The verb translated "oppose"—("exalt" in the A.V.)—is strictly "to raise a mou…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:18
To-morrow about this time. As it might have been thought that Moses had done nothing very extraordinary in predicting a storm for the next day, a more exact note of time than usual was here given. Compare Exodus 8:23; E…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:19
Thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field. During winter and early spring, the Egyptians kept their cattle "in the field," as other nations commonly do. When the inundation began, they were obliged to bring them i…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:20
He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh. It is a new fact that any of the Egyptians had been brought to "fear the word of Jehovah." Probably, the effect of the plagues had been gradually to con…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:21
He that regarded not. If there were men who believed in the power and truthfulness of Jehovah, there were probably more who did not believe. As Lot "seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law" (Genesis 19:14), so Mo…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:22-35
I. THE TERRORS OF GOD'S MIGHT. In that awful war of elements any moment might have been his last, and Pharaoh trembled. This plague evoked from him the first confession of sin. Hitherto he had reluctantly granted the re…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:22
Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven. The action was appropriate, as the plague was to come from the heaven. Similarly, in the first and second plagues, Aaron's hand had been stretched out upon the waters (Exodus 7:19…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:23
Moses stretched forth his rod. In the last set of three plagues, the earthly agent was Moses (Exodus 9:10; Exodus 10:13, Exodus 10:22), whose diffidence seems to have worn off as time went on, and he became accustomed t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:24
Fire mingled with the hail. Rather, "There was hail, and in the midst of the hail a fire infolding itself." The expression used is the same which occurs in Ezekiel 1:4. It seems to mean a fire that was not a mere flash,…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:25
The hall smote. It is to the hail and not to the lightning that the great destruction of men and beasts is attributed. Such lightning, however, as is spoken of, would probably kill some. All that was in the field. Accor…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:26
Only in the land of Goshen, etc. Compare Exodus 8:22; Exodus 9:4; Exodus 10:23. HOMILETICS