Exodus 9:35 Explained in Context

Read It With

• Exodus 9:13–35

Read Exodus 9:35 with 9:13–35. At this point in “Hail, Warning, Partial Fear, and Renewed Refusal,” 9:35 states “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by…” as a specific cause, response, command, detail, or result. The whole unit shows: The hail speech explains preserved life and proclaimed name, permits Egyptians who fear the warning to shelter servants and animals, devastates exposed life and crops, and ends with Pharaoh's temporary confession and renewed sin.

Why This Verse Appears Here

Exodus 9:8–12 establishes the preceding movement: Furnace soot becomes boils on people and animals, the magicians cannot stand before Moses, and the LORD hardens Pharaoh's heart as foretold. This unit escalates that movement: The hail speech explains preserved life and proclaimed name, permits Egyptians who fear the warning to shelter servants and animals, devastates exposed life and crops, and ends with Pharaoh's temporary confession and renewed sin. At 9:35, the wording “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by…” makes this verse's contribution precise. At this point in “Hail, Warning, Partial Fear, and Renewed Refusal,” 9:35 states “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by…” as a specific cause, response, command, detail, or result.