Exodus 9:21 · Bible study
Exodus 9:21 Commentary: Not Setting Your Heart to God’s Word
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to "not set your heart" to God's word? Exodus 9:21 contrasts faith and disregard in the context of Egypt's hailstorm judgment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: To disregard God’s word is to fail to take it seriously, with consequences that can be severe; the opposite is fearing Yahweh’s word and acting on it.
- Key words: “did not set his heart” (Hebrew: lo sam libbo el), an idiom for giving weight and attention to something, used both positively and negatively in Exodus.
- Main debate: Whether the Egyptians who feared (v. 20) were merely prudential or had genuine faith; how this relates to Pharaoh’s continued hardening.
- Theological theme: The heart as the seat of response to God’s word, hearing that does not lead to action is a form of contempt.
- Best use: A warning passage that also highlights the mercy inherent in God’s warnings; applicable to any situation where God’s commands are clearly set before us.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and he that regarded not the word of Jehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and he who hath not set his heart unto the word of Jehovah leaveth his servants and his cattle in the field.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But he that did not regard the word of Jehovah left his bondmen and his cattle in the field.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants, and his cattle in the fields.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas el que no puso en su corazón la palabra de Jehová, dejó sus criados y sus ganados en el campo.
Mas o que não pôs em seu coração a palavra do SENHOR, deixou seus criados e seus gados no campo.
Mais ceux qui ne prirent point à cœur la parole de l’ Éternel laissèrent leurs serviteurs et leurs troupeaux dans les champs.
Welcher Herz aber sich nicht kehrte an des HERRN Wort, die ließen ihre Knechte und ihr Vieh auf dem Felde.
Doch die zijn hart niet zette tot des HEEREN woord, die liet zijn knechten en zijn vee op het veld.
ma quelli che non fecero conto della parola dell’Eterno, lasciarono i loro servitori e il loro bestiame per i campi.
Ale kto nie przyłożył serca swego do słowa Pańskiego, ten zostawił sługi swe i bydło swe na polu.
а кто не обратил сердца своего к слову Господню, тот оставил рабов своих и стада свои в поле.
但那 不 把 耶和華 這話 放 在心上的，就將 他的奴僕 和 牲畜 留 在田裡。
And he who gave no attention to the word of the Lord, kept his servants and his cattle in the field.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 9:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the Hebrew idiom behind “regarded not” is lo sam libbo el, “he did not set his heart to” (Gill, citing Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator). The phrase denotes a deliberate refusal to take God’s warning seriously, an active contempt rather than mere forgetfulness. Gill notes this was likely the far greater number. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes that vv. 20, 21 together show a division among Pharaoh’s own court: some feared Yahweh’s word and sheltered their livestock; others “did not set their heart” and left everything exposed. Keil and Delitzsch add that the warning itself was an act of divine mercy, still extending a path to escape even to the hardened. Matthew Henry underscores the folly of disregarding a clear warning, contrasting wise fear with foolish contempt. The consensus is that this verse illustrates how the heart’s posture toward God’s word determines one’s response, and one’s fate.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: This verse contrasts those who fear God’s word and act on it with those who disregard it to their own loss, establishing the heart’s posture as decisive.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the Egyptians’ response | Both groups heard the same warning, so the difference lies in the heart’s posture toward God’s word. | Some see the fearing Egyptians as truly converted; others view their response as mere self-preservation. The text does not specify lasting faith. |
| The meaning of “set his heart” | The idiom implies focused attention and decisive action, contrasting with passive disregard. | Whether the phrase denotes intellectual awareness or emotional commitment varies among interpreters; the Hebrew allows both. |
| The severity of the judgment | Those who disregarded God’s word suffered loss of livestock and maybe servants; the calamity was real and historical. | Some traditions emphasize the literal destruction; others see it as a type of final judgment. |
| Relation to Pharaoh’s hardening | Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God (Exodus 9:12), yet his servants could still choose to fear. | Reformed traditions point to divine sovereignty in hardening; Arminian traditions highlight human accountability. Both affirm that the warning was genuine. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The seventh plague, a severe, unprecedented hailstorm (Exodus 9:18, 24), struck at the heart of Egypt’s agricultural economy. Hail was rare in Egypt (Poole), making this a direct supernatural sign of Yahweh’s power over the sky and storms. In v. 19, Moses relays God’s command: bring livestock and servants into shelter or they will die. This is an offer of mercy, not just a threat. Verse 20 shows that “those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh” acted on it. The phrase “servants of Pharaoh” likely refers to his courtiers and ministers (Cambridge Bible).
Verse 21 contrasts them with those who “did not set their heart” to the word. The Hebrew verb sam (H7760, “set”) plus lev (H3820, “heart”) is a recurring idiom in Exodus: Pharaoh himself “did not set his heart” to the warning of the first plague (Exodus 7:23). Elsewhere the same construction is used positively, “set your heart to follow Yahweh” (1 Chronicles 22:19) or “set your heart to understand” (Daniel 10:12). The idiom implies focused attention, serious consideration, and decisive action. Those who failed to “set their heart” left their servants and livestock in the field, exposing them to destruction. The literary context places this choice within the larger pattern of hardening and mercy: even as Pharaoh’s heart grew harder, God’s warning still gave Egyptians a path to survival. This verse shows that the word was available to all, but only those who received it with fear and faith were spared.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 9:21. The Hebrew text is stable across major manuscripts. The phrase lo sam libbo el is consistent. Translations differ in rendering the verb (“regarded not,” “disregarded”) but reflect the same underlying idiom.
Reception History
Exodus 9:21 has consistently been read as a warning about the consequences of disregarding divine revelation. Early church writers such as Origen and Augustine used it to illustrate the difference between hearing and obeying. Reformation commentators (Luther, Calvin) emphasized the contrast between faith and unbelief, seeing the verse as evidence that God’s word itself divides hearers. In the Puritan tradition, it was frequently paired with Hebrews 3:7, 8 (“do not harden your hearts”) to urge self-examination. Modern readings continue to focus on the heart’s response to God’s warnings, often applying it to the decision to take Scripture seriously before it is too late.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s warning is also God’s mercy. The command to bring livestock indoors (v. 19) was a chance to escape judgment. The same word that threatens also saves.
- The heart determines the response. “Setting the heart” means giving God’s word weight and acting on it. Not setting the heart is a willful dismissal with costly consequences.
- Two responses, one outcome. The Egyptians who feared were spared; those who disregarded lost everything. The division ran through Pharaoh’s own court, not just between Egyptians and Israelites.
Five-point outline
- The historical setting: a hailstorm that had no precedent in Egypt (v. 18, 24).
- The divine warning: bring livestock and servants to shelter (v. 19).
- The fearing response: some Egyptians hurried to safety (v. 20).
- The disregarding response: others left everything exposed because they “did not set their heart” (v. 21).
- The theological lesson: God’s word demands a heart-deep response, not mere intellectual acknowledgment.
Illustration hooks
- A weather warning: when a hurricane forecast is issued, some people board up windows and evacuate; others assume it will miss them. The difference is not knowledge but conviction.
- A medical diagnosis: a patient hears the doctor’s advice but decides it doesn’t apply to them, until the disease proves otherwise.
- A financial warning: a business owner ignores signs of a market downturn; those who heeded the warning survive.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God already knows who will respond, why does He warn at all?
- What does it look like to “fear God’s word” in daily decisions, not just in dramatic moments?
- How do I tell the difference between healthy fear of God and anxious fear of consequences?
Leading a Discussion
Exodus 9:20, 21 draws a sharp contrast between two groups of Egyptians. Both heard the same warning about the coming hail. Both had the same opportunity. The difference was not intelligence or resources, it was the heart’s response to God’s word. This passage invites us to examine how we treat warnings from Scripture in our own lives.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the two groups described in verse 20 and verse 21? List the differences.
- The Hebrew behind “regarded not” is literally “did not set his heart”, what does that phrase reveal about what God is looking for?
- Why do you think Moses included the detail that some of Pharaoh’s own servants feared Yahweh’s word? What does that tell us about how God’s word works?
- Read Exodus 7:23, where Pharaoh “did not take this to heart.” How does that earlier verse connect to the same idiom in 9:21?
- In what areas of life do you find it easiest to set your heart (give focused attention and action) to God’s word? In what areas is it hardest?
- This passage shows a warning that also saves. How does that shape the way you read difficult passages in Scripture?
- What is one practical step you could take this week to “set your heart” on a specific command or promise from God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 7:23 | Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart. |
| I Samuel 4:20 | About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it. |
| I Chronicles 22:19 | Now set your heart and your soul to follow Yahweh your God. Arise therefore, and build the sanctuary of Yahweh God, to bring the ark of Yahweh’s covenant and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built for Yahweh’s name.” |
| Job 7:17 | What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him, |
| Job 34:14 | If he set his heart on himself, if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath, |
| Proverbs 24:32 | Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction: |
| Ezekiel 40:4 | The man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I will show you; for you have been brought here so that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.” |
| Daniel 10:12 | Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew phrase translated "sent thunder" literally reads "gave voices," since "voices" is the standard Hebrew word for thunder. The ancient Hebrews imagined thunder as the Lord's own voice, spoken from within the dark thundercloud as He rode through the storm.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights a clear division: those who ignored the Lord's warning left their servants and cattle in the field to face destruction. The point is that disregarding God's word leads directly to loss and judgement.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the willful contempt behind ignoring God's warning: these people "set not their heart" to it, treating the word with disdain. He notes that most acted this way, leaving servants and cattle exposed—a foolish negligence that brought destruction on themselves.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight that Moses' warning to bring in livestock was an act of mercy, a final chance for even a hardened man like Pharaoh to submit. They see the thunder as "voices of God," the mightiest display of divine power that speaks to people and warns them of coming judgment.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that God's words in verses 15-16 imply He would have already destroyed Pharaoh with pestilence, but instead preserved him to display His power and glorify His name more fully. This shows that Pharaoh's continued existence serves the judgment and revelation of God, not Pharaoh's own benefit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that even after God hardened Pharaoh's heart, Moses was commanded to make the same demand a seventh time. This repeated appeal despite six previous refusals shows God’s extraordinary patience and long-suffering, demonstrating that He waits to be gracious even to a rebellious people.