Exodus 9:18

Translation
King James Version
Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
Behold, to morrow H4279 about this time H6256 I will cause it to rain H4305 a very H3966 grievous H3515 hail H1259, such as hath not been H3644 in Egypt H4714 since H4480 the foundation H3117 H3245 thereof even until now.
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
tomorrow, about this time, I will cause a hailstorm so heavy that Egypt has had nothing like it from the day it was founded until now.
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.
Ask
American Standard Version
Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
Beholde, to morowe this time I will cause to raine a mightie great haile, such as was not in Egypt since the foundation thereof was laid vnto this time.
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
lo, I am raining about this time to-morrow hail very grievous, such as hath not been in Egypt, even from the day of its being founded, even until now.
Ask
See also
Psalms 83:15Exodus 9:22Exodus 9:251 Kings 20:61 Kings 19:22 Kings 7:12 Kings 7:18
See on the biblical-era map
The Kingdom of Egypt in the Time of Moses
The Kingdom of Egypt in the Time of Moses View full PDF

Map © Biblica Open Bible Maps · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the KJVVerse 1,761 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Announces the seventh plague upon Egypt: an unprecedented and devastating hail storm, prophesied with precise timing and unparalleled severity. This divine declaration underscores God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His escalating judgments against Pharaoh's persistent defiance, revealing His power and unwavering commitment to deliver His people from bondage.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is situated within the escalating narrative of the plagues, serving as the divine announcement of the seventh judgment. It follows six prior plagues—water turned to blood, frogs, lice, flies, the death of livestock, and painful boils—each progressively demonstrating the Lord's supremacy over the Egyptian pantheon and intensifying pressure on Pharaoh. Despite these overwhelming displays of divine power, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, setting the stage for this unparalleled act of nature. The immediate preceding verses (Exodus 9:13-17) highlight God's explicit purpose in raising up Pharaoh: "that my power may be shewed in thee, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth" (Exodus 9:16). The announcement of the hail plague directly fulfills this stated purpose, serving as a climactic demonstration of God's power.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Egypt, heavily reliant on the Nile and agricultural cycles, would have viewed a hail storm of this magnitude as an extraordinary and terrifying event. Hail, especially large and destructive hail, was rare in Egypt, making this plague particularly shocking and indicative of divine intervention. The plague directly challenged several prominent Egyptian deities: Nut, the sky goddess; Seth, the god of storms and chaos; and Isis, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, who was believed to protect crops. By bringing such a destructive force from the sky, Yahweh unequivocally demonstrated His superior authority over the heavens, the elements, and the very sustenance of Egypt, exposing the impotence of their gods. The specific warning allowing people to bring their livestock and servants indoors (Exodus 9:19) also highlights a cultural aspect of valuing life and property, even amidst judgment, and serves as a test of obedience for the Egyptians.
  • Key Themes: Exodus 9:18 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the book of Exodus. Firstly, it powerfully asserts Divine Sovereignty, demonstrating God's absolute control over creation and His prerogative to use natural phenomena as instruments of judgment. Secondly, it reinforces the theme of Divine Justice and Retribution, illustrating God's response to persistent sin and rebellion, particularly Pharaoh's obstinacy. Each escalating plague, including this one, underscores the limits of divine patience and the increasingly severe repercussions of sustained rebellion against God's will. Thirdly, the plague serves as a Revelation of God's Name and Power, distinguishing Yahweh from all other gods and demonstrating His unique identity and might, not only to the Egyptians and Israelites but to all nations, as articulated in Exodus 9:16. Finally, it highlights the Struggle Between God's Will and Human Rebellion, portraying the cosmic conflict between divine liberation and human stubbornness, ultimately emphasizing the futility of resisting the Almighty.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Grievous (Hebrew, kâbêd', H3515): This word literally means "heavy" or "weighty." In a negative sense, it denotes something severe, difficult, or burdensome. Here, applied to hail, it emphasizes the immense physical weight and destructive power of the impending storm. Intriguingly, kâbêd is also used elsewhere in Exodus to describe Pharaoh's heart as "heavy" or "hardened" (e.g., Exodus 4:21). This linguistic connection subtly links the physical weight and severity of the hail with the spiritual weight and stubbornness of Pharaoh's heart, suggesting a fitting judgment for his heavy-handed oppression of Israel and his "heavy" refusal to acknowledge God's authority.
  • Hail (Hebrew, bârâd', H1259): Referring to frozen precipitation, specifically hailstones. The use of this term, combined with "grievous," indicates not just a rainstorm but a destructive downpour of ice. In the context of Egypt, where hail is rare, this signifies an extraordinary, unnatural event, far beyond typical weather patterns, thus highlighting its miraculous and judgmental nature.
  • Foundation (Hebrew, yâçad' and yôwm', H3245): The phrase "since the foundation thereof" combines H3245 (yâçad), meaning "to found" or "establish," with H3117 (yôwm), meaning "day" or "time." Together, they convey the sense of "since the day it was founded" or "since its establishment." This emphasizes the unprecedented nature of the hail, asserting that no such event had occurred in Egypt's entire recorded history, from its very beginning. This hyperbole underscores the unique and catastrophic scale of God's judgment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Behold, to morrow about this time": This opening phrase functions as a divine summons to attention, emphasizing the certainty and precise timing of the impending judgment. God is not merely predicting a natural event but actively orchestrating it for a specific moment. This precision leaves no room for doubt that the plague is a direct, deliberate act of Yahweh, not a random occurrence.
  • "I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail": This clause reveals the specific nature of the judgment—a hail storm—and its extraordinary severity. The "I will cause it" highlights God's direct agency and control over the elements. The addition of "very grievous" (Hebrew: mᵉʼôd kâbêd) intensifies the description, promising a hail of unparalleled destructive power, far beyond any normal weather phenomenon.
  • "such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now": This declaration underscores the unprecedented and unique nature of this plague. It is a catastrophe of historical proportions, unparalleled in Egypt's entire existence. This hyperbole serves to magnify the power of God and the severity of His judgment, demonstrating that this is an act of divine intervention unlike anything the Egyptians or Israelites have ever witnessed.

Literary Devices

Exodus 9:18 employs several powerful literary devices. Divine Speech is central, as God directly addresses Pharaoh through Moses, lending immense authority and certainty to the pronouncement. The phrase "Behold, to morrow about this time" functions as a Prophetic Announcement, establishing a precise timeline for the fulfillment of God's word, thereby demonstrating His control over time and events. The description of the hail as "very grievous" and "such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now" is a clear example of Hyperbole, emphasizing the unparalleled and catastrophic nature of the impending judgment. This exaggerated language serves to highlight the extraordinary power of God and the severity of Pharaoh's defiance. Furthermore, the plague itself acts as Symbolism, with the hail representing God's destructive power and His judgment against the false gods of Egypt, particularly those associated with weather and fertility.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Exodus 9:18 profoundly illustrates God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, demonstrating that natural forces are not autonomous but are instruments in His hand for His purposes, whether in judgment or blessing. The escalating severity of the plagues, culminating in this unprecedented hail, reveals God's just character in responding to persistent sin and rebellion, showing that His patience has limits and unrepentant defiance ultimately leads to severe consequences. This revelation of Yahweh's unique identity and power, distinguishing Him from all other gods, was for the benefit of both the Israelites, strengthening their faith, and the Egyptians, offering them a chance to know the true God. The entire plague narrative, highlighted by this verse, is a dramatic portrayal of the cosmic conflict between the divine will for liberation and human stubbornness, emphasizing the futility of resisting the Almighty.

  • Psalm 105:32-33 - This psalm recounts the plagues, specifically mentioning the hail and fire, affirming God's direct agency in these events.
  • Job 38:22-23 - God questions Job about His "treasures of the hail" and "hailstones, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war," affirming His sovereign control over hail as a weapon of judgment.
  • Revelation 16:21 - In the eschatological context, massive hailstones are again unleashed as a final judgment, demonstrating that God's use of hail as a tool of judgment continues until the end of time.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Exodus 9:18 serves as a profound reminder of God's absolute sovereignty over all creation and His unwavering commitment to justice. For believers, it reinforces the truth that God is in control, even amidst seemingly chaotic or devastating natural events, and that His purposes will ultimately prevail. It also stands as a sober warning regarding the consequences of persistent defiance against God's revealed will. Just as God gave Pharaoh clear warnings and opportunities for repentance, He continues to extend grace and calls for humility and obedience. This verse encourages us to respond to God's word with reverence, recognizing His immense power and His ultimate authority over all things, and to trust in His just and sovereign plan. It challenges us to examine our own hearts for areas of stubbornness and to yield to His will, knowing that His judgments are just and His deliverance is sure for those who trust Him.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the precision of God's warning in this verse challenge our understanding of divine sovereignty and human responsibility?
  • In what ways might we, like Pharaoh, harden our hearts to God's clear warnings today?
  • How does the unprecedented nature of this plague strengthen your faith in God's unique power and authority over all creation?
  • What aspects of God's character (justice, patience, power) are most clearly revealed to you in this passage, and how do they apply to your life?

FAQ

Was the hail plague a natural phenomenon or a supernatural event?

Answer: While hail is a natural phenomenon, the Bible presents the hail plague in Exodus 9:18 as a distinctly supernatural event due to several key factors. Its precise timing ("to morrow about this time"), its unprecedented severity ("such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof"), and its selective nature (sparing the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived, as noted in Exodus 9:26) all point to it being a direct, targeted act of divine judgment rather than a mere severe weather pattern. These details underscore God's active and miraculous intervention.

Why did God warn Pharaoh before sending the plague?

Answer: God's warnings, such as the one in Exodus 9:18, served multiple crucial purposes. Firstly, they demonstrated God's justice and patience by giving Pharaoh repeated opportunities to repent and avoid further calamity, revealing that God takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked. Secondly, these warnings highlighted God's power and authority, proving that the plagues were not random occurrences or natural disasters, but deliberate and controlled acts of the Lord. Thirdly, they served to distinguish the true God, Yahweh, from the impotent gods of Egypt, thereby revealing His glory and unique power to both the Egyptians and the Israelites. Finally, the warnings, particularly the one in Exodus 9:19, offered a chance for any Egyptian who feared the Lord to obey and find protection, demonstrating God's mercy even amidst judgment.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

The plague of hail in Exodus 9:18 powerfully foreshadows Christ's ultimate authority over all creation and His multifaceted role as both the Deliverer and the Judge. Just as God's power was demonstrated in judgment against Egypt to liberate Israel from physical bondage, Christ, through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, executed a decisive judgment on sin and death, providing ultimate spiritual deliverance for His people from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:6-7). The plagues revealed God's glory and power to the nations, but Christ is the full and final revelation of God's character and power, embodying both divine justice and boundless mercy (John 1:14). He is the one who will ultimately "shake not the earth only, but also heaven" (Hebrews 12:26), bringing final judgment upon all unrighteousness and establishing His eternal kingdom (Revelation 11:15). The selective nature of the plagues, sparing Israel, also prefigures Christ's redemptive work, where believers are shielded from the wrath to come through His atoning sacrifice (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Thus, the terrifying hail in Exodus anticipates the perfect storm of God's wrath poured out on Christ, so that those who trust in Him might find refuge and eternal life.

Copy as

Commentary on Exodus 9 verses 13–21

Here is, I. A general declaration of the wrath of God against Pharaoh for his obstinacy. Though God has hardened his heart (Exo 9:12), yet Moses must repeat his applications to him; God suspends his grace and yet demands obedience, to punish him for requiring bricks of the children of Israel when he denied them straw. God would likewise show forth a pattern of long-suffering, and how he waits to be gracious to a rebellious and gainsaying people Six times the demand had been made in vain, yet Moses must make it the seventh time: Let my people go, Exo 9:13. A most dreadful message Moses is here ordered to deliver to him, whether he will hear or whether he will forbear. 1. He must tell him that he is marked for ruin, that he now stands as the butt at which God would shoot all the arrows of his wrath, Exo 9:14, Exo 9:15. "Now I will send all my plagues." Now that no place is found for repentance in Pharaoh, nothing can prevent his utter destruction, for that only would have prevented it. Now that God begins to harden his heart, his case is desperate. "I will send my plagues upon thy heart, not only temporal plagues upon thy body, but spiritual plagues upon thy soul." Note, God can send plagues upon thy soul." Note, God can send plagues upon the heart, either by making it senseless or by making it hopeless - and these are the worst plagues. Pharaoh must now expect no respite, no cessation of arms, but to be followed with plague upon plague, till he is utterly consumed. Note, When God judges he will overcome; none ever hardened his heart against him and prospered. 2. He must tell him that he is to remain in history a standing monument of the justice and power of God's wrath (Exo 9:16): "For this cause have I raised thee up to the throne at this time, and made thee to stand the shock of the plagues hitherto, to show in thee my power." Providence ordered it so that Moses should have a man of such a fierce and stubborn spirit as he was to deal with; and every thing was so managed in this transaction as to make it a most signal and memorable instance of the power God has to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies. Every thing concurred to signalize this, that God's name (that is, his incontestable sovereignty, his irresistible power, and his inflexible justice) might be declared throughout all the earth, not only to all places, but through all ages while the earth remains. Note, God sometimes raises up very bad men to honour and power, spares them long, and suffers them to grow insufferably insolent, that he may be so much the more glorified in their destruction at last. See how the neighbouring nations, at that time, improved the ruin of Pharaoh to the glory of God. Jethro said upon it, Now know I that the Lord is greater than all gods, Exo 18:11. The apostle illustrates the doctrine of God's sovereignty with this instance, Rom 9:17. To justify God in these resolutions, Moses is directed to ask him (Exo 9:17), As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people? Pharaoh was a great king; God's people were poor shepherds at the best, and now poor slaves; and yet Pharaoh shall be ruined if he exalt himself against them, for it is considered as exalting himself against God. This was not the first time that God reproved kings for their sakes, and let them know that he would not suffer his people to be trampled upon and insulted, no, not by the most powerful of them.

II. A particular prediction of the plague of hail (Exo 9:18), and a gracious advice to Pharaoh and his people to send for their servants and cattle out of the field, that they might be sheltered from the hail, Exo 9:19. Note, When God's justice threatens ruin his mercy, at the same time, shows us a way of escape from it, so unwilling is he that any should perish. See here what care God took, not only to distinguish between Egyptians and Israelites, but between some Egyptians and others. If Pharaoh will not yield, and so prevent the judgment itself, yet an opportunity is given to those that have any dread of God and his word to save themselves from sharing in the judgment. Note, Those that will take warning may take shelter; and those that will not may thank themselves if they fall by the overflowing scourge, and the hail which will sweep away the refuge of lies, Isa 28:17. See the different effect of this warning. 1. Some believed the things that were spoken, and they feared, and housed their servants and cattle (Exo 9:20), like Noah (Heb 11:7), and it was their wisdom. Even among the servants of Pharaoh there were some that trembled at God's word; and shall not the sons of Israel dread it? But, 2. Others believed not: though, whatever plague Moses had hitherto foretold, the event exactly answered to the prediction; and though, if they had had any reason to question this, it would have been no great damage to them to have kept their cattle in the house for one day, and so, supposing it a doubtful case, to have chosen the surer side; yet they were so foolhardy as in defiance to the truth of Moses, and the power of God (of both which they had already had experience enough, to their cost), to leave their cattle in the field, Pharaoh himself, it is probable, giving them an example of the presumption, Exo 9:21. Note, Obstinate infidelity, which is deaf to the fairest warnings and the wisest counsels, leaves the blood of those that perish upon their own heads.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 13–21. Public domain.
Copy as
Isidore of SevilleAD 636
QUESTIONS ON THE OLD TESTAMENT, EX 14:12-13
After these plagues come blows from on high: voices, thunder and hail, and flashing fire. Thunder means reproaches and divine rebukes, because it does not strike in silence. It makes sounds and sends its teaching down from heaven. By its teaching the world is castigated and can acknowledge its guilt.And he sends hail, which destroys the young vices that are still tender. He sends fire, too, knowing that there are thorns and spiny plants which that fire might feed on. The Lord says of them, “I came to cast fire on the earth.” This fire consumes the incentives to pleasure and lust.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as

Continue studying Exodus 9:18 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.