Limitless Word
He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses.
Exodus 9:20 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.
  • KJV He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
  • BSB Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,
  • NASB Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses;
  • NLT Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the Lord had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Some of Pharaoh's officials feared God's word and sheltered their servants and livestock. The plagues begin producing fear of Yahweh even among Egyptians.

Overview

This is a striking note that God's word was beginning to be believed within Pharaoh's own court. 'Fearing Yahweh's word' marks genuine, if partial, responsiveness to God among the Egyptians. It shows that God's self-revelation through judgment was not without effect. Even within a hostile nation, God draws some to heed him, hinting at the wider ingathering of the nations.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Prov 13:13Whoever despises instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command will be rewarded.
  • Prov 22:3A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
  • Heb 11:7By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
  • Mark 13:14–16But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,
  • Jonah 3:5–6The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least.
  • Prov 22:23for Yahweh will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
  • Prov 16:16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 9:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.

How Exodus 9:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.