What is the meaning of Exodus 9:31? Now the flax and barley were destroyed • The seventh plague—hail mixed with fire—struck Egypt with enough force to “strike down every man and beast,” and it “shattered every tree in the field” (Exodus 9:25). • By noting that two specific crops perished, Scripture lets us see: – The judgment was measurable, not random. God’s hand targeted Egypt’s economy just as He had promised (Exodus 9:14). – Egypt’s gods supposedly guarded agriculture, yet they were powerless (Isaiah 19:1). – Only in Goshen, where God’s people lived, was there protection (Exodus 9:26), foreshadowing the salvation God supplies to those under His covenant. since the barley was ripe • Barley heads out first, usually late winter/early spring. Timing matters: – The plague lands when Egypt assumes an abundant harvest is secure (Proverbs 27:1). – God’s warnings through Moses (Exodus 9:19) stressed urgency. Those who heeded sheltered their servants and livestock; the complacent suffered loss—an object lesson in responding to God’s Word. • The verse quietly dates the plague around the month of Abib/Nisan, the season God would soon mark for the Passover (Exodus 12:2). Judgment and redemption are set on the same calendar—another sign of God’s orderly plan (Galatians 4:4–5). and the flax was in bloom • Flax, key for linen, flowers just after barley ripens. By striking flax: – God disrupted Egypt’s textile industry, not just its food supply (Ezekiel 30:12). – Linen clothed priests and Pharaoh (Genesis 41:42), so the plague touched religious and royal symbols, displaying that no earthly splendor stands before the Lord (Isaiah 40:6–8). • The detail underscores literal history: Moses notes crops that would indeed be vulnerable at that exact season, affirming Scripture’s reliability (Luke 1:3–4). summary Exodus 9:31 is more than agricultural trivia. By recording that ripe barley and blooming flax were destroyed, the Spirit pinpoints the plague’s timing, shows the precision of divine judgment, exposes Egypt’s false security, and contrasts it with God’s faithful protection of His people. The verse invites believers to trust every detail of God’s Word and to respond promptly when He speaks. |
    |