Exodus 9:21 Meaning: What It Means to Disregard the Word of the Lord

The Hebrew behind “didn’t respect” (WEB) is literally lo sam libbo el, “he did not set his heart to” the word of Yahweh. The verb sam (set or place) and the noun lev (heart) together picture an intentional act: you choose where your attention and concern go. To set your heart on something is to take it seriously, to let it settle inside you and shape what you do. The opposite is not ignorance but neglect, a decision to treat God’s warning as unimportant. The same verb appears in Exodus 7:23, where Pharaoh “didn’t even take this to heart.” And it echoes later in 1 Chronicles 22:19, where David urges Solomon: “Now set your heart and your soul to follow Yahweh your God.” The word here is about the direction of your inner life. Do you let God’s words land on your heart, or do you let them slide off?

Christians across traditions have seen this verse as a picture of two responses to divine warning. Many Reformed commentators, like Matthew Henry, note that those who disregarded the word acted foolishly, bringing loss on themselves. Keil and Delitzsch observe that even at this late stage God still showed mercy by giving the warning, the hardening of Pharaoh was not yet complete. In Catholic teaching, this passage often illustrates how God’s grace offers a way out, but each person must cooperate with it. Eastern Orthodox readers may emphasize that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, shown here in practical obedience. All traditions agree that the difference between those who feared and those who did not was not knowledge but response.

A common misreading is that these Egyptians simply forgot to bring their livestock inside, or that they underestimated the storm. In fact, the issue is not a miscalculation but a refusal to take God’s word to heart. The Hebrew makes clear they “did not set their heart” to the warning, it was a conscious disregard. They heard the same command as the others, but they treated it as if it meant nothing.

This week, pay attention to where you “set your heart” when Scripture warns you. Perhaps a passage has been nudging you about a habit, a relationship, or a decision you keep putting off. It is easy to hear the warning and still leave things outside, exposed to harm. You might tell yourself you will act later. But the Egyptians who dismissed the warning lost what they would not protect. Setting your heart on God’s word means letting it move you before the storm hits. That might mean making a phone call, changing a plan, or simply stopping to pray over what you have read. The act of obedience does not have to be dramatic. But it has to be real.