91 Then the Lord said to Moses , "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says the Lord , the God of the Hebrews , " Let My people go , that they may serve Me. 2 "For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 behold , the hand of the Lord will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field , on the horses , on the donkeys , on the camels , on the herds , and on the flocks . 4 " But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt , so that nothing e will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel .""' 5 The Lord set a definite time , saying , "Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land ." 6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day , and all the livestock of Egypt died ; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel , not one died . 7 Pharaoh sent , and behold , there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead . But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened , and he did not let the people go .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7
Commentary on Exodus 9:1-7
(Read Exodus 9:1-7)
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 stupified, 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.