Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 9
Overview:
The
Murrain of beasts.
(1-7) The
Plague of boils and
Blains.
(8-12) The
Plague of
Hail threatened.
(13-21) The
Plague of
Hail
inflicted.
(22-35)
1-7 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
stupefied, 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.
8-12 When the Egyptians were not wrought upon
By the
Death of
their
Cattle,
God sent a
Plague that seized their own bodies. If
lesser judgments do not work,
God will send greater. Sometimes
God shows men their
Sin in their
Punishment. They had oppressed
Israel in the furnaces, and now the
Ashes of the
Furnace are
made a terror to them. The
Plague itself was very grievous. The
Magicians themselves were struck with these boils. Their power
was restrained before; but they continued to withstand
Moses,
and to confirm
Pharaoh in his unbelief, till they were forced to
give way.
Pharaoh continued obstinate. He had hardened his own
Heart, and now
God justly gave him up to his own
Heart's lusts,
permitting
Satan to
Blind and harden him. If men shut their eyes
against the
Light, it is just with
God to close their eyes. This
is the sorest
Judgment a
Man can be under out of
Hell.
13-21 Moses is here ordered to deliver a dreadful message to
Pharaoh.
Providence ordered it, that
Moses should have a
Man of
such a fierce and stubborn
Spirit as this
Pharaoh to
Deal with;
and every thing made it a most signal instance of the power
God has to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies.
When
God's
Justice threatens ruin, his
Mercy at the same time
shows a way of escape from it.
God not only distinguished
between Egyptians and Israelites, but between some Egyptians and
others. If
Pharaoh will not yield, and
So prevent the
Judgment
itself, yet those that will take warning, may take shelter. Some
believed the things which were spoken, and they feared, and
housed their servants and
Cattle, and it was their
Wisdom. Even
among the servants of
Pharaoh, some trembled at
God's
Word; and
shall not the sons of
Israel dread it? But others believed not,
and left their
Cattle in the
Field. Obstinate unbelief is deaf
to the fairest warnings, and the wisest counsels, which leaves
the
Blood of those that perish upon their own heads.
22-35 Woeful havoc this
Hail made: it killed both men and
Cattle; the
Corn above ground was destroyed, and that only
preserved which as yet was not come up. The land of
Goshen was
preserved.
God causes
Rain or
Hail On one
City and not
On
another, either in
Mercy or in
Judgment.
Pharaoh humbled himself
to
Moses.
No Man could have spoken better: he owns himself
wrong; he owns that the
Lord is righteous; and
God must be
justified when he speaks, though he speaks in
Thunder and
Lightning. Yet his
Heart was hardened all this while.
Moses
pleads with
God: though he had reason to think
Pharaoh would
repent of his
Repentance, and he told him
So, yet he promises to
be his friend.
Moses went out of the
City, notwithstanding the
Hail and
Lightning which kept
Pharaoh and his servants within
Doors. Peace with
God makes men
Thunder-proof.
Pharaoh was
frightened
By the tremendous
Judgment; but when that was over,
his fair promises were forgotten. Those that are not bettered
By
judgments and mercies, commonly become worse.