Exodus 9:23

“Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and YHWH sent thunder and hail, and fire went down to the earth; and YHWH rained hail on the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 9:23 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Mosesמֹשֶׁהstretched outוַיֵּטhis staffאֶת מַטֵּהוּtowardעַלthe sky,הַשָּׁמַיִםand YHWHוַיהוָהsentנָתַןthunderקֹלֹתand hail,וּבָרָדand fireאֵשׁwentוַתִּהֲלַךְdown to the earth;אָרְצָהand YHWHיְהוָהrainedוַיַּמְטֵרhailבָּרָדonעַלthe landאֶרֶץof Egypt.מִצְרָיִם

Allusion · Revelation 8:7

Go to Revelation 8:7

Both texts describe hail and fire that fall on the earth and destroy trees and grass.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

בָרָדvaradH1259χάλαζαchalazaG5464“hail”
אֵשׁeshH784πῦρpyrG4442“fire”
עֵץetsH6086δένδρωνdendrōnG1186“tree, wood”
עֵשֶׂבesevH6212χόρτοςchortosG5528“grass, plant”

Exodus 9:23, word by word

Mosesמֹשֶׁהmoshe

Moses

Moses, the man God called to bring Israel out of Egypt and through whom he gave the Law. His name sounds like "draw out" (Exodus 2:10).

Where else “moshe” appears

stretched outיֵּטyet

stretch out

To reach out the hand, or set up a tent.

Where else “yet” appears

his staffמַטֵּmate

staff

A straight stick used for support, as a weapon or as a sign of authority.

Where else “mate” appears

the skyשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

and YHWHיהוָהyhva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yhva” appears

sentנָתַןnatan

give

To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.

Where else “natan” appears

thunderקֹלֹתkolot

thunder

The roar of the sky that goes with a storm.

Where else “kolot” appears

and hailבָרָדvarad

hail

Hail.

Where else “varad” appears

and fireאֵשׁesh

fire

Fire that burns or cooks.

Where else “esh” appears

wentתִּהֲלַךְtihalach

To move on foot from place to place; to set out.

Where else “tihalach” appears

down to the earthאָרְצָartsa

ground

What is underfoot: bowing down to touch it.

Where else “artsa” appears

rainedיַּמְטֵרyamter

rain

Send rain, make it rain.

Where else “yamter” appears

of Egyptמִצְרָיִםmitsrayim

Egypt, Mizraim

See it on the map Where else “mitsrayim” appears

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Egypt
Today: Egypt (Nile Valley)
A country in northeast Africa along the Nile River, southwest of Israel.
Joseph was sold into it, and his family went down to live there (Gen 37:28; 46:6). God brought Israel out of it with a mighty hand (Exod 12:41). The child Jesus fled there with his parents (Matt 2:14).
Genesis 12:10 Genesis 37:28 Exodus 12:41 Matthew 2:14

The context

22YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals and on every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.”

23 · This verse (above)

24There was hail, and fire flashing in the midst of the hail, very heavy, such as had never been like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

Read all of Exodus 9

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