Exodus 9

Summary

The Lord sends Moses to announce more plagues against Egypt if the Pharaoh doesn’t let the Israelites go. Pharoah continues to refuse, so God kills all the livestock (expecting the ones owned by the Israelites, of course). Pharaoh doesn’t budge. Next god sends boils to all the people and animals (I thought they were all dead). Here, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart again.

Finally, the Lord sends Moses with a message of a hail storm like never seen before. Even Pharaoh officials were afraid and brought in their livestock (still dead?). When the hail came it destroyed crops, killed people and animals, except in Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Finally Pharaoh came to his sense and agree to let Moses and his people go, only to change his mind again after it all stopped. His heart hardened again.

Commentary

I imagine this whole story is several versions of a legend being added up. With the animals being killed more than a few times and the Pharaoh’s heart being hardened after so much death and destruction. I would imagine the entire people of Egypt just kicking Moses and his people out about now.

So, at this point, the story just seems to be about God showing everyone who’s boss. And he’s coming off as a bit of a prick.