Matthew Henry on Exodus 9:1-7

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · Matthew Henry · CC0 1.0 Universal

God will have Israel released, Pharaoh opposes it, and the trial is, whose word shall stand. The hand of the Lord at once is upon the cattle, many of which, some of all kinds, die by a sort of murrain.

This was greatly to the loss of the owners; they had made Israel poor, and now God would make them poor. The hand of God is to be seen, even in the sickness and death of cattle; for a sparrow falls not to the ground without our Father.

None of the Israelites' cattle should die; the Lord shall sever. The cattle died. The Egyptians worshipped their cattle. What we make an idol of, it is just with God to remove from us. This proud tyrant and cruel oppressor deserved to be made an example by the just Judge of the universe.

None who are punished according to what they deserve, can have any just cause to complain. Hardness of heart denotes that state of mind upon which neither threatenings nor promise, neither judgements nor mercies, make any abiding impression.

The conscience being stupified, and the heart filled with pride and presumption, they persist in unbelief and disobedience. This state of mind is also called the stony heart. Very different is the heart of flesh, the broken and contrite heart.

Sinners have none to blame but themselves, for that pride and ungodliness which abuse the bounty and patience of God. For, however the Lord hardens the hearts of men, it is always as a punishment of former sins.

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commentaryThe Plagues of Egypt. (b. c. 1491.)THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT. (B. C. 1491.) Here is, I. Warning given of another plague, namely, the murrain of beasts. When Pharaoh's heart was hardened, after he had seemed to relent under the former plague, then Moses is sen…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1-8The plague of murrain of beasts. I. THE ALTERNATIVE AGAIN (Exodus 9:1, Exodus 9:2). Surely Pharaoh was well warned. The analogy of the third plague would have led us to expect that on this occasion—after a second and gl…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7GOD'S MERCY IN TEMPORAL JUDGMENTS. Hitherto no great loss had been inflicted; now their cattle is taken. In God's mercy the afflictions deepen that Egypt may forsake the path of death. When the Lord's hand falls in heav…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7The fifth plague-the murrain among the beasts. I. THE USE WHICH GOD HERE MAKES OF THE LOWER CREATION. In the three plagues immediately preceding God made the lower creation his scourges. He took little creatures, the ba…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7EXPOSITION THE FIFTH PLAGUE. Hitherto the plagues had been directed rather against the persons of the Egyptians than against their property. Property had perhaps suffered somewhat in the preceding plague, if it was real…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1Excepting in the designation of Jehovah as "the Lord God of the Hebrews," this verse is an almost exact repetition of the first verse of Exodus 8:1-32. Such repetitious are very characteristic of the most ancient writin…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7The burthen of man's sin presses on the brute creation, as well as on man himself. "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Romans 8:22). Brutes are to a large extent co-partners with man…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 9:3Thy cattle which is in the field. The word "cattle" here is to be taken generally, as including under it the various kinds particularised. The cattle are mentioned as being at this time "in the field," because during th…Joseph S. Exell and contributors