Exodus 9:25

ESV The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field.

NIV Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.

NASB The hail struck everything that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from people to animals; the hail also struck every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field.

CSB Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both people and animals. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field.

NLT It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field — people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed.

KJV And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

NKJV And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field.

What does Exodus 9:25 mean?

The seventh plague (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10) was predicted to be unlike anything Egypt had ever seen (Exodus 9:18–19). When the storm came, it brought a vicious combination of hail and lightning (Exodus 9:23–24). Even small hailstones can damage plants and animals. Larger stones, the width of a thumb, can become deadly. Hailstones have been recorded at the size of a human hand—which would be instantly lethal. Scripture does not tell us how large the hailstones were in this storm, but when God uses hail as judgment, it can be extreme (Revelation 16:21).

As expected, this terrifying burst of ice and lightning destroys everything exposed. People and animals are killed. Trees and plants are smashed. Only those crops which had not yet sprouted managed to survive (Exodus 9:31–32). This would make a drastic visual impact on the Egyptian landscape. Decorative plants, less-sturdy structures, trees, crops, grasses, and other parts of a typical scene would be crushed and / or burnt.

Those Egyptians who listened to God's warning avoided the worst effects (Exodus 9:20–21). The Hebrews were entirely free from the storm (Exodus 9:26). This distinction highlights that this was a supernatural event. It also serves as a reminder that Egyptian idols such as Set and Horus, associated with weather, were powerless. Only the One True God, the God of Israel, had influence. He demanded the release of His people (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1, 21; 9:1). These disasters were the result of defiance (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7).

This storm will continue until Pharaoh admits that he is wrong (Exodus 9:27–28).

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