Exodus 9:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Yet take care to ensure the safety of your livestock that remains after the plague, lest the hail come upon them." It is evident that God does not wish to bring destruction upon Egypt. This is shown by His prior warning of the impending punishment, encouraging the Egyptians to repent so that He might withhold His wrath. Furthermore, He instructs them to hasten and gather their animals. If they had complied and gathered their livestock as instructed, what purpose would the hail serve? The hail was sent to reveal the divine miracle, striking the cattle of those who did not believe. The gathering of the livestock was meant to demonstrate the outcome for those who turned back to God in repentance.

Why did He instruct them to bring their livestock into their homes while intending to send a hailstorm? The Lord, who embodies compassion towards humanity, administers discipline tempered with grace. He understood that some were deserving of His mercy. This is supported by Holy Scripture, which states: If a man heeds the command of the Lord as conveyed by the servants of Pharaoh, he shall bring his livestock indoors; but if a man does not take the word of the Lord to heart, he shall leave his livestock in the fields (Ex. 9:20-21).

The phrase literally means to hurry together, which captures the essence of the original expression. It is awe-inspiring to reflect on God's mercy in instructing Moses to alert the people about the threat posed by the Egyptians, thereby distinguishing between those who 'feared the word of God' (see v. 20) and those who, due to their obstinacy or negligence, ignored Moses’ warnings. The reverence for the Lord and the respect for the nation of Israel, which later manifested through the offerings at their exodus from Egypt (11:3), likely began to take root among the people at that time.