Exodus 9:1-7

Exodus 9:1-7

[1] Then the LORD  said  unto Moses,  Go  in unto Pharaoh,  and tell  him, Thus saith  the LORD  God  of the Hebrews,  Let my people  go,  that they may serve  [2] For if thou refuse  to let them go,  and wilt hold  them still, [3] Behold, the hand  of the LORD  is  upon thy cattle  which is in the field,  upon the horses,  upon the asses,  upon the camels,  upon the oxen,  and upon the sheep:  there shall be a very  grievous  murrain.  [4] And the LORD  shall sever  between the cattle  of Israel  and the cattle  of Egypt:  and there shall nothing  die  of all that is the children's  of Israel.  [5] And the LORD  appointed  a set time,  saying,  To morrow  the LORD  shall do  this thing  in the land.  [6] And the LORD  did  that thing  on the morrow,  and all the cattle  died:  but of the cattle  of the children  of Israel  died  not one.  [7] And Pharaoh  sent,  and, behold, there was not one  of the cattle  of the Israelites  dead.  And the heart  of Pharaoh  was hardened,  and he did not let the people  go. 

What does Exodus 9:1-7 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This plague, apparently some kind of disease like anthrax, was more severe than the preceding ones in that it affected the personal property of the Egyptians for the first time.
"The whole creation is bound together by invisible cords. None can sin or suffer alone. No man liveth or dieth to himself. Our sins send their vibrations through creation, and infect the very beasts." [1]
All the other plagues had caused the Egyptians irritation or pain to their bodies, but now God began to reduce their wealth.
"The religious implications of this plague are most interesting and instructive. A large number of bulls and cows were considered sacred in Egypt. In the central area of the Delta, four provinces chose as their emblems various types of bulls and cows. A necropolis of sacred bulls was discovered near Memphis which place was known for its worship of both Ptah and a sacred Apis bull. The Apis bull was considered the sacred animal of the God Ptah; therefore, the associated worship at the site of Memphis is readily understood. There was at any one time only one sacred Apis bull. As soon as it died another was chosen to take its place, an event that attracted a great deal of attention in the area of Memphis. [2] The sacred bull was supposed to have been recognized by twenty-eight distinctive marks that identified him as deity and indicated that he was the object of worship. [3]
"Another deity whose worship would have been affected by the impact of this plague was Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty and joy represented by the cow. The worship of this deity was centered mainly in the city of Denderah although its popularity is witnessed by representations both in upper and lower Egypt. This goddess is often depicted as a cow suckling the king giving him divine nourishment. In upper Egypt the goddess appears as a woman with the head of a cow. In another town-Hathor was a woman, but her head was adorned with two horns of a cow with a sun disc between them. Another deity associated with the effects of the plague would be Mnevis, a sacred bull venerated at Heliopolis and associated with the god Re." [4]
"Amenhotep II [5] surpassed all his predecessors in his fanatical devotion to the worship of animals, and especially of the bull. In1906 a statue made of sandstone was excavated representing a cow and Amenhotep II leaning his head under its head; he is also depicted kneeling under a cow, drinking its divine milk. He is thus seen as child and slave of the cow goddess. What a threat this must have been to him!" [6]
The expression "all the livestock" ( Exodus 9:6) evidently refers to all cattle in the fields ( Exodus 9:3). Some cattle survived this plague (cf. Exodus 9:19-20; Exodus 9:22).
The only new element in this fifth report is the notice that Pharaoh sent to Goshen to check on the predicted exclusion of the Israelites" livestock from the epidemic ( Exodus 9:7).