提要
摩西不屈不撓的在法老面前要求──「容我（上帝）的百姓去」。法老每一次頑固的拒絕都給埃及招來一場災禍。這些災禍蹂躪了地上最大的王國，但大部分災禍來襲之前都先有警告，那些敬畏以色列之上帝的人都能得脫災禍帶來的結果。第五災是一場嚴重的瘟疫，用來攻擊埃及人奉為神明的牛。致命的瘟疫殺死了所有不理會警告，把牲畜留在田間的埃及人的牲畜。聖經說的「都」死了一定是「幾乎、大部分」的概括性用法，因為後來我們看見那些畏懼上帝，再次聽從祂警告的埃及人，從田間牽回他們的牲畜，使那些牲畜未在雹災中喪命（9：20、21）。上帝定下了降災的時刻，並再次分別了以色列人和埃及人的牲畜。這一切摩西都事先告知法老了，好使法老看出是出自上帝的力量。以色列人的牲畜果然都沒有被瘟疫侵襲；不過，法老的心仍舊剛硬。
第六災，瘡災，沒有事先警告就突然間臨到，審判埃及人甚至他們的牲畜，連法老的術士也不能倖免。他們的法力不能化解瘡災，他們也因敵擋真道（參提後3：8、9）而受上帝的審判。我們再次看到法老的固執和悖逆，使得上帝任憑他的心剛硬。
降第七災之前，上帝先派摩西去警告法老：「容我的百姓去，好事奉我，否則這一次我要叫一切的災殃臨到你。」（9：14）上帝要摩西告訴法老，祂本可殺了法老和他的百姓使以色列人得自由，但上帝存留法老的性命好讓他能經驗耶和華大能的奇事，並使上帝的名和大能的作為能傳遍天下（9：15、16；使徒保羅在羅馬書九章十七節就是引用這節經文表達上帝的主權）。上帝的心願是要全世界，而不只是一個國家，都認識祂、相信祂。後來以色列國在歷史中也未能達成他們作萬國之光的目的。今天，在耶穌裡的信徒要作世上的光（腓2：15）。啟示錄預言了一幅類似的圖畫，在末後的日子，上帝的怒氣要傾倒在地上，但人們不但不悔改，反而會咒詛上帝（啟16：9、11、21）。第七災是一場可怕的冰雹、雷火，殺死了所有暴露在室外的人、牲畜，和植物、菜蔬，也攻擊了埃及人奉為守護神的愛思（Isis）和塞特（Seth）。
在埃及，以前從來沒有過，後來也再沒有這麼慘重的災禍。上帝事先已慈悲的警告了災禍的後果（就像祂今天也常常警告我們一樣），讓那些相信並敬畏祂的人可以保全自己和牲畜的生命。以色列人再次毫髮未損。上帝也再次顯出祂的憐憫，風暴雖然摧毀了麻和大麥，但沒有波及小麥和粗麥，因為後者是他們的重要產品。
雹災雖使法老承認了自己的罪，但有分辨和理解恩賜的摩西曉得法老並不是真正謙卑和誠心的認罪，他仍然向上帝剛硬（9：30）。法老不是為他的罪憂傷，只是為結果難過而已。摩西預言了風暴停止的時間，好使他們曉得是上帝的作為，因為「全地都是屬耶和華的」（9：29）。當法老看見風暴停止，他再次硬下心來，正如上帝告訴摩西的。
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Overview
Moses continues untiringly before Pharaoh – “let My people go”. Each plague was conditioned upon Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal. The plagues crippled the greatest nation on earth, but before most of them there came a warning, and for those who feared the God of the Israelites there was relief from the effects of the plague. The fifth plague was a severe and fatal disease targeted against the sacred bull and cow. It hit all the livestock of the Egyptians who did not heed the warning and who had left their livestock out “in the field” (9:3). When the Bible reads “all” it must be a general term for “most”, since later we see that those Egyptians who feared God and once again heeded the warning brought their livestock in from the field so that the plague of hail would not kill them (9:20, 21). The Lord set a time when the plague would come and He once again made a distinction between the Egyptian’s livestock and the Israelite’s. All this, Moses related to Pharaoh beforehand, so he could see for himself that it was the power of their God. Indeed not one of the Israelite’s livestock were killed or affected by this disease, yet Pharaoh continued to further harden his heart.
The sixth plague of boils came without warning as a sudden judgment upon the Egyptians and even their beasts. Pharaoh’s magicians were no excetion. Their powers could not cure the boils and they came under the judgment of God for resisting the truth (see 2 Timothy 3:8, 9). Again we see the stubbornness and rebellion of Pharaoh which cause God to harden his heart.
Before the seventh plague God sent Moses to warn Pharaoh, saying, “Let my people go, so that they may worship Me, or this time I will send the full force of My plagues against you” (9:14, N.I.V.). God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that He could have killed him and his people in order to free Israel, but God preserved Pharaoh’s life so that he might experience Jehovah’s mighty wonders and as a result the Name of God and His mighty deeds in judgment would be declared throughout the whole earth (9:15, 16; The Apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:17 to express the sovereignty of God). It was God’s desire that the whole world might know and believe in Him, not just one country. Later on in history, the nation of Israel missed part of their purpose as being a light for all nations. Today the believers in Jesus are to be lights to the world (Philippians 2:15). We see a similar picture foretold in the last days when the wrath of God will be poured on the earth, but rather than repent, they will curse God (Revelations 16:9, 11, 21). The seventh plague was a terrible hail and lightening storm which killed anything that was exposed, including plants and trees. It was against the gods Isis and Seth who were believed to be their protectors from such disasters.
There had never been anything like that in Egypt before or since that time. Once again, God gave a gracious warning of the coming danger (just as He does today) so that those who believe and fear Him might save their livestock and themselves by taking cover. Again Israel was completely spared. God also showed His mercy in the timing of the storm for, although it destroyed the barley and flax, it came too early to destroy the wheat, which was an important staple for them.
This plague brought Pharaoh to the point of confessing that he had sinned, but Moses, with the gifts of discernment and knowledge, knew that he was not really humble or sincere and his heart was still against God (9:30). Pharaoh was not sorry for his sin; he was merely sorry for the result of it. Moses set the time for when he would stop the storm, so they might again know it was the Lord’s doing, for “the earth is the Lord’s“(9:29). When Pharaoh saw the storm had stopped, he again hardened his heart as God had told Moses he would do.
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