Exodus 9:1-12

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, and say to him,¹ “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.² For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,the hand of the Lord will strike with a deadly pestilence your livestock in the field: the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.³ But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt,⁴ so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.”’ The Lord set a time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.’

And on the next day the Lord did so; all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died.⁵ Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened,⁶ and he would not let the people go.



Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,⁷ ‘Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses⁸ throw it in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust all over the land of Egypt, and shall cause festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt.’⁹
So they took soot from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.¹⁰ But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,¹¹ and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

1 Moses is again being commanded to speak to Pharaoh himself

2 Again the drumbeat, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”

3 The livestock are a tool in the battle being the Hebrews and the Egyptians

4 Just like the last plague, the distinction between the fortunes of the Hebrews and the Egyptians is made clear

5 These plagues are rising in intensity.

6 Why did he inquire yet pay no attention? Hardening of his heart still look self-driven.

7 Aaron is at least still present and being spoken to.

8 But Moses is performing the significant action.

9 Now disease moves to humans – even more intense.

10 A special emphasis that the plague affects the spiritual power-holders of the Egyptians as well as everyone else.

11 Now it is suddenly emphasized that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Why?

Take-home: The plagues increase in intensity from things happened around the Egyptians to disease directly hitting them and their livestock. The Hebrews are specifically excluded. Unlike the previous plagues which were reversed by God, these plagues do not appear to be reversed, for Pharaoh makes no sign of relenting at all despite the great suffering of his people. God is now named as the one hardening Pharaoh's heart, creating a theological difficulty/question.