Exodus 9:31 kjv
And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
Exodus 9:31 nkjv
Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud.
Exodus 9:31 niv
(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom.
Exodus 9:31 esv
(The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.
Exodus 9:31 nlt
(All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding.
Exodus 9 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 7:22...10:27 | [Various verses depicting the Plagues] | Context of divine judgments on Egypt. |
| Exod 9:22-26 | The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand... that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt..." | Immediate context of the hail plague. |
| Exod 9:32 | "The wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they are late in coming up." | Highlights God's precise targeting and timing. |
| Ps 78:47 | "He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with frost." | God's use of hail in judgment. |
| Ps 105:32-33 | "He gave them hail for rain, and fiery lightning in their land. He struck down their vines and fig trees..." | Recounts the hail plague on Egypt. |
| Job 38:22-23 | "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved..." | God's absolute control over hail. |
| Ps 147:8 | "He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills." | God's sovereign power over weather. |
| Amos 4:7-9 | "I withheld the rain... I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens... were devoured by the locust..." | God's use of natural disasters as judgment. |
| Rev 8:7 | "The first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were hurled..." | Future judgments include hail, echoing Exodus. |
| Deut 28:23-24 | "The heavens over your head shall be bronze... the LORD will give for rain dust and powder..." | Curses involving destruction of crops and land. |
| Hag 2:17 | "'I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD." | God disciplining His people by damaging crops. |
| Gen 1:11-12 | "And God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed...'" | God's creation of vegetation and life cycles. |
| Lev 23:10-14 | "...when you come into the land... you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest." | The waving of the first barley sheaf (firstfruits). |
| Deut 16:1 | "Observe the month of Aviv and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Aviv the LORD your God brought you out..." | Connection of the month Aviv (barley harvest) to Passover. |
| Ruth 2:23 | "So she kept close to the young women of Boaz to glean until the end of the barley and wheat harvests." | Reference to barley harvest time. |
| 2 Kgs 4:42 | "A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first ripe grain..." | Barley as basic sustenance. |
| Jn 6:9-13 | "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?" | Jesus miraculously multiplying barley loaves. |
| Isa 28:27 | "For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin; but dill is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod." | Reference to methods of harvesting crops like dill, flax, and barley. |
| Exod 28:39, 42 | Specific instructions for making priestly garments of fine twined linen (flax). | Flax used for sacred purposes in Israel. |
| Lev 6:10 | "The priest shall put on his linen garment and put on his linen undergarments next to his body..." | Priests wore linen made from flax. |
| Rev 19:8 | "it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." | Fine linen (from flax) as a symbol of righteousness. |
Exodus 9 verses
Exodus 9 31 Meaning
Exodus 9:31 describes the specific agricultural damage inflicted during the seventh plague upon Egypt, the devastating hail. It precisely notes that the flax and the barley crops were destroyed because they were at vulnerable stages of their growth: the barley had matured into heads, and the flax was in bloom. This particular detail explains the severity and selectivity of the plague's destruction, as not all crops were susceptible at this exact time.
Exodus 9 31 Context
Exodus chapter 9 continues the narrative of the Plagues brought upon Egypt by the Lord through Moses and Aaron. The verse specifically details the devastating impact of the seventh plague, a severe hail storm, described earlier in the chapter. This plague directly targeted Egypt's agricultural foundation. The events in Exodus 9 occur roughly nine to ten weeks before the Exodus itself, fitting precisely within the natural agricultural calendar of Egypt. Barley and flax are among the earliest crops to ripen in the spring. By specifying their stages of growth—barley in the ear and flax in bud—the verse provides critical insight into the precise timing of this plague. This precise destruction contrasts with the subsequent verses, which note that wheat and spelt, being later crops, were spared, underscoring the miraculous and controlled nature of God's judgment.
Exodus 9 31 Word analysis
- והפשתה (wəhap·piš·tāh) - "And the flax": Flax was a crucial crop in ancient Egypt, used primarily to produce linen for clothing, ropes, lamp wicks, and even for mummification. Its destruction would have had a significant economic and social impact, affecting the very fabric of Egyptian daily life and sacred practices.
- והשערה (wəhaš·śə·‘ō·rāh) - "and the barley": Barley was a staple crop, vital for making bread, beer, and as fodder for livestock. It was one of the earliest grains to mature in Egypt. Its destruction represented a direct hit to the basic sustenance of the Egyptian people.
- נכתה (nik·kə·ṯāh) - "were ruined/struck down": Derived from the verb nakah, meaning "to strike" or "smite." The Niphal (passive) stem emphasizes that this destruction was not accidental but was something that happened to the crops, strongly implying a divine agent behind the striking. It denotes a decisive and complete ruin.
- כי (kî) - "for": This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the destruction described, highlighting the vulnerability of the crops due to their stage of development.
- השערה (haš·śə·‘ō·rāh) - "the barley": Repeat of the crop, for clarity in describing its specific stage.
- אביב (’ā·ḇîḇ) - "in the ear/ripening": This term describes the stage where barley heads are formed and the grains are swelling, though not yet fully ripe or hard. This is the period when they are most susceptible to damage from hail, which would shatter the delicate heads. Aviv is also the name of the first month of the ancient Hebrew calendar (later called Nisan), precisely when the barley harvest would begin and when the Passover (Exod 12) takes place, showing the synchronized timing of God's judgments with the natural year.
- והפשתה (wəhap·piš·tāh) - "and the flax": Repeat of the crop.
- גבעל (ḡib·‘al) - "in bud/in stalk/blossoming": This term refers to the flax plant when its seed capsules or flowers are forming on the stalk. Like barley in the ear, flax at this stage is tender and easily damaged by severe hail. Once destroyed at this point, its fibers, essential for linen production, would be useless.
- "The flax and the barley were ruined...": This grouping emphasizes that two distinct yet important crops, which happen to mature early in the Egyptian growing season, were specifically targeted and completely destroyed by the hail.
- "for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud": This phrase explains the precise reason for their ruin, highlighting the divine knowledge and strategic timing of the plague. It underscores the Lord's intimate understanding of Egyptian agricultural cycles, proving His omnipotence over nature and revealing the precision of His judgment.
Exodus 9 31 Bonus section
The highly specific detail of which crops were destroyed, and at what stage, served a powerful polemic purpose against Egyptian polytheism. The Egyptian gods, particularly Seth (god of storms and chaos), Nut (sky goddess), Osiris (god of agriculture and fertility), and Isis (goddess of motherhood and magic, associated with the Nile's fertility), were implicitly challenged. Yahweh's perfect command over the very elements (hail from the sky) and the agricultural cycles (destroying specific crops at specific stages) demonstrated His unrivaled sovereignty. He, not the Egyptian pantheon, dictates life and death, sustenance and ruin, proving His unique deity. The selective destruction also highlighted divine mercy, as not all crops were annihilated, reserving the later crops for the Egyptians to see. This also aligns with the typical agricultural schedule: a hail storm in January or February would destroy the flax (flowering in February/March) and barley (maturing in March/April), but spare wheat and spelt which ripen later, in April/May.
Exodus 9 31 Commentary
Exodus 9:31 offers a precise agricultural detail regarding the seventh plague of hail, demonstrating the Lord's targeted and intelligent judgment. The destruction of barley and flax, being early-season crops, reveals the exact timing of the hail—late winter to early spring. This was not a random natural event but a divinely controlled act. The term "Aviv" for barley's stage also links implicitly to the liturgical calendar, pointing to the approaching Passover, an event intricately tied to the firstfruits of the barley harvest. By devastating these foundational crops, the Lord directly challenged Egyptian deities like Osiris and Isis, who were associated with agriculture and fertility, proving their impotence against Yahweh's supreme power. The selective ruin of these crops, while later crops like wheat and spelt were spared (Exod 9:32), showcases God's remarkable control and discernment in judgment, reinforcing that He governs both nature and nations.