Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 9

The nature of the fifth plague is clear and admits of no dispute. It was a rinderpest, or murrain on cattle, which, however, unlike most similar disorders, attacked the greater number of domesticated animals—horses, asses, camels, oxen, and sheep. Thus it was very grievous (Exodus 9:3).

Horses were highly prized by the Egyptians and were a comparatively recent importation, having been unknown before the time of the seventeenth, or “Shepherd” Dynasty. They were at first used only in war, then by rich men in peace to draw their chariots. They had now, however, it would seem, come to be employed also in agriculture. (Note the words “in the field.”)

Asses were the ordinary beasts of burden and abounded in Egypt in ancient times, as indeed they do at the present day. The Egyptian monuments mention cases where a single landowner owned as many as seven or eight hundred of them.

Camels are not represented by the Egyptian sculptors, but are mentioned in the inscriptions (Chabas, Etudes sur l’ Antiquité Historique, pp. 400-413), and must have been employed in the trade between Egypt and the Sinaitic peninsula. Both oxen and sheep were numerous and constituted a great part of the wealth of individuals. The plague fell upon such animals as were “in the field” at the time—i.e., in the open air, and not confined in stables or sheds.

It was the Egyptian practice to house a considerable portion of their cattle; but at the probable season of this plague—December or January—the majority would be in the pastures. Thus the Egyptian losses were very heavy, and the king, no doubt, suffered with the rest, for the Egyptian monarchs were large cattle-owners (Genesis 47:6; Genesis 47:17). The Pharaoh was, however, less impressed by this plague than by the fourth, and made no sign of submission.

The Lord shall sever. — Compare Exodus 8:22. Apparently Israel had been subjected to the first, second, and third plagues, which caused annoyance only, and not loss. Their exemption began with the fourth plague, and then probably continued without intermission, though it is not always mentioned.

The Lord appointed a set time.—Since a plague on livestock is not uncommon in Egypt, especially in the Delta, and the coming affliction might therefore be ascribed by the Egyptians to natural causes, God took care to mark its miraculous character:

1. by appointing a time;
2. by exempting the cattle of Israel;
3. by making the disease fatal to all the cattle of the Egyptians that were left “in the field.”

Tomorrow.—The delay allowed any Egyptians who believed Moses to save their cattle by housing them.

Pharaoh sent. —Pharaoh evidently did not believe it was possible that there could be such a widespread destruction of the Egyptian cattle without the Hebrew cattle suffering at all. He therefore sent persons to inquire and report on the facts. These persons found Moses' announcement fulfilled to the letter. This was the more surprising, as Goshen consisted mainly of the low, flat tract bordering on the Menzaleh marshes.

The heart of Pharaoh was hardened. —Even the exact correspondence of the result with the announcement did not soften the king's heart. It remained dull and unimpressed—literally, “heavy” (kâbêd). Loss of property would not much distress an absolute monarch, who could easily exact the value of what he had lost from his subjects.

Ashes of the furnace.—Furnaces in Egypt were for either melting metal, preparing lime, or baking bricks. It was probably from a furnace of this last kind that the ashes were now taken. Much of Goshen had been converted into a brick-field (Exodus 1:14; Exodus 5:7–13); and though most of the bricks made would be simply dried in the sun, a portion would be subjected to artificial heat in brick-kilns. When ashes from one of these kilns were made the germs of a disease that was a severe affliction, their own wrongdoing became for the Egyptians a whip with which God scourged them.