◄ Exodus 9:29 ►
Moses said to him, "When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's.
Study Bible
Moses said to him
This phrase highlights the role of Moses as the intermediary between God and Pharaoh. Moses, whose name in Hebrew is "Moshe," is a central figure in the Exodus narrative, chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. His communication with Pharaoh underscores his prophetic authority and the divine mission he carries. Historically, Moses' interactions with Pharaoh reflect the tension between God's will and human resistance.

When I have left the city
The act of leaving the city signifies a separation from the Egyptian environment, which is steeped in idolatry and opposition to God's commands. In the ancient Near Eastern context, cities were often centers of power and pagan worship. Moses' departure from the city symbolizes a physical and spiritual distancing from these influences, emphasizing the sanctity required to approach God in prayer.

I will spread out my hands in prayer
Spreading out hands in prayer is a gesture of supplication and surrender, common in ancient Hebrew worship. This physical act represents an open-hearted appeal to God, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His intervention. The Hebrew root for "spread out" conveys a sense of earnestness and intensity in prayer, reflecting Moses' deep reliance on God's power to bring about change.

to the LORD
The use of "the LORD" (YHWH) is significant, as it denotes the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This name is a reminder of God's promises to the patriarchs and His commitment to His people. In the context of the plagues, invoking the LORD's name highlights His supreme authority over creation and His ability to control natural phenomena.

The thunder will cease and there will be no more hail
This phrase demonstrates God's control over nature, affirming His power to both unleash and restrain the elements. The cessation of thunder and hail serves as a sign of God's mercy and His willingness to relent when His purposes are acknowledged. In the broader biblical narrative, such miraculous interventions reveal God's desire for repentance and recognition of His dominion.

so that you may know
The purpose of the miraculous cessation is educational and revelatory. It is intended to lead Pharaoh and the Egyptians to an acknowledgment of God's supremacy. This phrase underscores a recurring biblical theme: God's actions in history are designed to reveal His character and lead people to a deeper understanding of His nature.

that the earth is the LORD’s
This declaration affirms God's ownership and sovereignty over all creation. The Hebrew concept of the earth belonging to the LORD is rooted in the creation narrative, where God is depicted as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. This truth challenges the Egyptian belief in multiple deities and asserts the monotheistic worldview central to the Hebrew faith. It serves as a reminder that all earthly power is subordinate to God's ultimate authority.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt. In this verse, Moses acts as an intermediary between God and Pharaoh.

2. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt, whose heart is hardened against letting the Israelites go. He experiences the plagues as a demonstration of God's power.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who demonstrates His sovereignty over the earth through the plagues.

4. Egypt
The land where the Israelites are enslaved and where the plagues occur as a sign of God's power and judgment.

5. The Plague of Hail
One of the ten plagues sent by God upon Egypt, demonstrating His control over nature and His judgment against Pharaoh's stubbornness.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty
Recognize that God is in control of all creation. The plagues demonstrate His power and authority over the natural world.

Intercessory Prayer
Moses' action of spreading out his hands signifies intercessory prayer. Believers are encouraged to pray for others, trusting in God's power to intervene.

Obedience and Faith
Moses' obedience in following God's instructions is a model for believers. Trusting God even in challenging circumstances is crucial.

God's Purpose in Judgment
The plagues were not just acts of judgment but also opportunities for Pharaoh and the Egyptians to recognize God's sovereignty.

Acknowledging God's Ownership
Understanding that "the earth is the LORD’s" should influence how we steward the resources and responsibilities God has given us.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Moses' role as an intermediary between God and Pharaoh reflect the role of Jesus as our mediator?

2. In what ways can we practice intercessory prayer in our daily lives, following Moses' example?

3. How does acknowledging that "the earth is the LORD’s" change our perspective on environmental stewardship and resource management?

4. What are some modern-day "plagues" or challenges that God might use to demonstrate His power and call people to repentance?

5. How can we cultivate a heart of obedience and faith like Moses, especially when facing difficult situations?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 24:1
This verse echoes the theme that "the earth is the LORD’s," emphasizing God's sovereignty over all creation.

1 Kings 8:22
Solomon spreads out his hands toward heaven in prayer, similar to Moses' gesture, symbolizing dependence on and communication with God.

James 5:16-18
The effective prayer of a righteous person is powerful, as demonstrated by Elijah, who prayed for rain to stop and start, paralleling Moses' prayer for the cessation of the hail.
Sermons
The Plague of HailJ. Orr Exodus 9:13-35
The Seventh Plague - the Hail Mingled with FireD. Young Exodus 9:17-35
The Terrors of God's MightJ. Urquhart Exodus 9:22-35
I Know that Ye Will not Fear the Lord GodJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 9:29-30
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Exodus 9:29-30
The Earth is the Lord'sJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 9:29-30
Wise Ministerial Treatment of an Obstinate SinnerJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 9:29-30
People
Aaron, Egyptians, Israelites, Moses, Pharaoh
Places
Egypt, Goshen
Topics
Abroad, Cease, Forth, Hail, Hands, Ice-storm, Longer, Lord's, Mayest, Outside, Palms, Prayer, Spread, Stop, Stretch, Stretched, Thunder, Thunders, Town, Voices
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 9:29

     4203   earth, the
     4843   plague
     5156   hand
     5477   property, land
     8135   knowing God, nature of
     8620   prayer, practicalities

Exodus 9:18-33

     4828   hail

Exodus 9:22-32

     4456   grain

Exodus 9:28-29

     4852   thunder

Library
Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New
(Palm Sunday.) Exodus ix. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. We are now beginning Passion Week, the week of the whole year which ought to teach us most theology; that is, most concerning God, his character and his spirit. For in this Passion Week God did that which utterly and perfectly showed forth his glory, as it never has been shown forth before or since. …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

The Plagues of Egypt
(Palm Sunday.) EXODUS ix. 13, 14. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. You will understand, I think, the meaning of the ten plagues of Egypt better, if I explain to you in a few words what kind of a country Egypt is, what kind of people the Egyptians were. Some of you, doubtless, …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). In the last chapter when treating of the Sovereignty of God the Father in Salvation, we examined seven passages which represent Him as making a choice from among the children of men, and predestinating certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. The thoughtful reader will naturally ask, And what of those who were not "ordained to eternal life?" The answer which is usually returned to this question, even by those who profess …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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