Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Exodus 9:3 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 3. 3Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Exodus 9:3 voices “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…,” identifying the actor, speech, instruction, or consequence that this unit needs.
Read It With
- Exodus 9:1–7
Read Exodus 9:3 with 9:1–7. Exodus 9:3 voices “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…,” identifying the actor, speech, instruction, or consequence that this unit needs. The whole unit shows: The demand to release Israel is backed by a severe livestock pestilence with a set time and distinction; Pharaoh verifies Israel's preservation yet remains unyielding.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Exodus 8:20–32 establishes the preceding movement: A warned swarm devastates Egyptian houses while Goshen is distinguished; Pharaoh offers limited worship concessions, requests prayer, and again hardens his heart. This unit escalates that movement: The demand to release Israel is backed by a severe livestock pestilence with a set time and distinction; Pharaoh verifies Israel's preservation yet remains unyielding. At 9:3, the wording “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…” makes this verse's contribution precise. Exodus 9:3 voices “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…,” identifying the actor, speech, instruction, or consequence that this unit needs.
What Remains True
Because Exodus 9:3 contributes “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…” to “Livestock Pestilence Distinguishes Israel,” its proportionate enduring truth is: The narrative contests imperial refusal and displays divine power, while its escalating harm and hardening language require moral seriousness rather than triumphalism.
How It Can Shape Life
- At Exodus 9:3, the line “Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon…” serves this contextual meaning: The demand to release Israel is backed by a severe livestock pestilence with a set time and distinction; Pharaoh verifies Israel's preservation yet remains unyielding. The bounded action is: A proportionate application of “Livestock Pestilence Distinguishes Israel” is this: When opposing abusive power, protect noncombatants, refuse collective blame, and measure success by liberation without hiding collateral suffering.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Exodus 9:1–7 — Livestock Pestilence Distinguishes IsraelSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: Exodus 9:1–7, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Exodus
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, names, speech, law, ritual vocabulary, older-English controls, and translation limits.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Exod.xml, words and morphology for 9:1–7
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Exodus with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
eBible.org distribution of the NET Bible, PDF generated 2026-08-12
Supports: Unit-bounded Hebrew, syntax, lexical, textual, name, measure, legal, ritual, and older-English notes; silence is not evidence.
Exact location: NET Bible Exodus PDF, complete 127-page PDF, translation and verse-attached translator notes for 9:1–7
Open source ↗