Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses' prayer isn't just a request for the storm to stop; it's a deliberate act of separation from the unholy place where Pharaoh reigns. By stepping outside the city, Moses emphasizes that true communion with God requires a space free from the corrupting influence of Pharaoh's defiance.
Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pharaoh, terrified by the devastating hail, has just confessed his sin and acknowledged God's righteousness, begging Moses to intercede for him. Moses, however, is deeply skeptical of Pharaoh's sincerity, knowing his heart is still hard and likely to revert to defiance once the immediate danger passes. Moses agrees to pray for the storm's cessation, but insists it will be outside the city, and emphasizes this will be a demonstration that the entire earth belongs to the Lord.
Pharaoh’s sudden “I have sinned!” sounds promising, but the text reveals a deeper truth about his heart.
When disaster strikes, it’s easy for people to cry out to God, even confessing wrongdoing. Pharaoh does this here, admitting, “I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” This sounds like genuine repentance, right? But the commentators point out that this fear-driven confession isn't true faith. It's like a person who cries for help when they’re drowning – they’ll promise anything to be saved, but once they’re on dry land, the promises vanish. Pharaoh’s words were forced by terror, not a settled conviction of God’s truth. He was trying to escape the immediate danger, not truly turn from his sin.
This reveals a crucial difference: fear can prompt an outcry, but faith leads to lasting obedience. Pharaoh’s “repentance” was temporary, fading as soon as the storm did. True repentance means acknowledging God’s justice and aligning our hearts with His will, even when life is calm.
Moses’s simple act of stretching out his hands isn't just a gesture – it’s a powerful declaration of God’s dominion.
When Moses says, “I will stretch out my hands to the LORD,” it’s more than just a posture for prayer. This gesture, repeated throughout Scripture, signifies a direct appeal to God and an acknowledgment of His authority.
In this specific moment, Moses is declaring God's ultimate ownership and control over all creation. The hail and thunder are not random acts of nature; they are God’s actions. By stretching out his hands, Moses is invoking the power that commands the storm, demonstrating to Pharaoh that the entire earth—and its elements—belongs to the LORD. It’s a powerful counter-statement to any Egyptian gods that Pharaoh might have relied on. God is showing His sovereignty not just over Egypt, but over the whole world, and Pharaoh is being forced to confront this reality.
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The storm stops, but the real miracle isn’t just the ceasing of the hail—it’s God’s ability to both inflict and heal.
This passage highlights a profound theological truth: God demonstrates His power not only in sending destructive plagues but also in withholding or removing them. When Moses declares that the thunder and hail will cease, he’s not just predicting a weather change; he’s proclaiming God’s complete control over the elements.
The fact that God can stop the storm He sent is just as powerful, if not more so, than sending it. It shows that His actions are purposeful and sovereign. As the commentators note, God’s power is manifested when He “heals the wounds which He has inflicted.” This demonstrates His mercy and His desire for people to turn to Him. It’s a call to recognize Him not just as the God of judgment, but also as the God of salvation and restoration. Even in Pharaoh's hardened heart, the cycle of judgment and potential mercy is on full display.
This verse occurs during the climactic plagues against Egypt, a period of intense divine judgment designed to demonstrate Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over the false gods of Egypt and Pharaoh himself.
c. 1446 BC
Moses leads Israelites out of Egypt
Moses, following God's command, leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt after a series of plagues and God's miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
c. 1446 BC
The Plagues of Egypt intensify
God sends ten devastating plagues upon Egypt to force Pharaoh to release the Israelites. These plagues include devastating storms, pestilence, and darkness, demonstrating God's power over Egyptian gods.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's hardening heart
Despite repeated confessions of sin and pleas for mercy, Pharaoh's heart repeatedly hardens after each plague is removed, refusing to let the Israelites go.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses declares the end of the storm
As the devastating hail and thunder plague continues, Pharaoh seeks Moses' intercession. Moses agrees to pray for the storm to cease, promising that it will end once he leaves Pharaoh's presence.
c. 1446 BC
Storm ceases and Pharaoh hardens again
Moses' prayer is answered, and the thunder and hail stop. However, Pharaoh, upon seeing the respite, hardens his heart once more and refuses to let the Israelites go.
This Psalm echoes the declaration that the earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD, reinforcing the theological point Moses is making to Pharaoh.
Isaiah 45:7This passage from Isaiah shows God's sovereign power over all creation, capable of bringing both calamity and prosperity, similar to how God demonstrates His control over the elements through Moses.
1 Samuel 15:22Saul's partial confession and subsequent disobedience mirror Pharaoh's pattern of recognizing God's righteousness when under duress but failing to truly change, highlighting the superficiality of Pharaoh's repentance.
Romans 9:17This verse directly quotes God's statement to Pharaoh about raising him up for the purpose of displaying His power, which is the ultimate context for Pharaoh's hardened heart and the signs he witnesses.
Jeremiah 10:12This passage speaks of God as the Creator who made the heavens and the earth, directly connecting His divine authority and power over the physical world, just as Moses proclaims to Pharaoh.
calvinExodus 9:27-35: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked."
And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's.
Tunc dixit Moses, Ubi egresses fuero ex urbe, extendam manus meas ad Jehovam: cessabunt ton…
clarkeExodus 9:29: "And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD'S."
I will spread abroad my hands - That is, I will make supplication to God that he may remove this plague. This may not be an improper place to make some observations on the ancient manner of approaching the Divine Being in prayer. Kneeling down, stretchi…
Moses' prayer isn't just a request for the storm to stop; it's a deliberate act of separation from the unholy place where Pharaoh reigns. By stepping outside the city, Moses emphasizes that true communion with God requires a space free from the corrupting influence of Pharaoh's defiance.
Pharaoh, terrified by the devastating hail, has just confessed his sin and acknowledged God's righteousness, begging Moses to intercede for him. Moses, however, is deeply skeptical of Pharaoh's sincerity, knowing his heart is still hard and likely to revert to defiance once the immediate danger passes. Moses agrees to pray for the storm's cessation, but insists it will be outside the city, and emphasizes this will be a demonstration that the entire earth belongs to the Lord.
Pharaoh, terrified by the devastating hail, has just confessed his sin and acknowledged God's righteousness, begging Moses to intercede for him. Moses, however, is deeply skeptical of Pharaoh's sincerity, knowing his heart is still hard and likely to revert to defiance once the immediate danger passes. Moses agrees to pray for the storm's cessation, but insists it will be outside the city, and emphasizes this will be a demonstration that the entire earth belongs to the Lord.
"Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s." — Moses' prayer isn't just a request for the storm to stop; it's a deliberate act of separation from the unholy place where Pharaoh reigns. By stepping outside the city, Moses emphasizes that true comm…
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Last reviewed October 2026