Exodus 9:20

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 9:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.
Exodus 9:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 9

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
20He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh, etc.] Who, if they had not the true fear of God, and were not sincere proselytes, yet had a servile fear of him, and dreaded his word, his threatening, his denunciations of judgments and predictions of future punishments; of which they had had many instances wherein they were fulfilled, and therefore had reason to fear that this also would, even the word that had been just now spoken: made his servants and cattle flee into the houses; called home his servants, and drove his cattle in great haste out of the fields, and brought them home as fast as he could, and housed them; in which he acted the wise and prudent part, and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“He that feared the word of the Lord . . . regarded not, &c.--Due premonition, it appears, had been publicly given of the impending tempest--the cattle seem to have been sent out to graze, which is from January to April, when alone pasturage can be obtained, and accordingly the cattle were in the fields. This storm occurring at that season, not only struck universal terror into the minds of the people, but occasioned the destruction of all--people and cattle--which, in neglect of the warning, had been left in the fields, as well as of all vegetation [Exo 9:25]. It was the more appalling because hailstones in Egypt are small and of little force; lightning also is scarcely ever known to produce…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“With the plague of hail begins the last series of plagues, which differ from the former both in their severity and their effects. Each produced a temporary, but real, change in Pharaoh’s feelings. Exodus 9:14 All my plagues - This applies to all the plagues which follow; the effect of each was foreseen and foretold. The words “at this time” point to a rapid and continuous succession of blows. The plagues which precede appear to have been spread over a considerable time; the first message of Moses was delivered after the early harvest of the year before, when the Israelites could gather stubble, i. e. in May and April: the second mission, when the plagues began, was probably toward the end of…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“9:20-21 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were beginning to make appropriate deductions from their experiences thus far and to take precautions, while others imitated their master’s refusal to submit. Pride often dominates reason.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Pro 16:16, Pro 22:3, Pro 22:23; Jon 3:5, Jon 3:6; Mar 13:14-16; Heb 11:7 Exodus 9:21”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification