Exodus 9:31 (KJV)

What does Exodus 9:31 mean?

Exodus 9:31 explains that the flax and barley crops in Egypt were destroyed because the barley was already forming heads and the flax was in bloom at the time of the plague. This verse points out that these particular crops were at a vulnerable stage and so were ruined by the hail.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians are experiencing the seventh plague—hail—as Moses warned them. The verse gives specific agricultural detail, showing which crops were affected and why: barley (H8184) was "in the ear" (H24), meaning it was nearly ripe, and flax (H6594) was "bolled" (H1392), meaning it was in bud or bloom. This detail helps explain the extent of the damage and sets up the following verse, which mentions crops that survived.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 9:31

• בָּשֵׂעֹרָה (se'orah, H8184): "barley" refers to a grain crop that ripens early in the season. Its mention here highlights that the hail struck at a time when barley was most vulnerable.
• בָּאָבִיב (aviv, H24): "in the ear" means the barley was at the stage where the grain heads had formed, making it susceptible to destruction.
• פִּשְׁתָּה (pishtah, H6594): "flax" is a plant used for making linen. Its stage of growth is important for understanding why it was also destroyed.
• גִּבְעֹל (giv'ol, H1392): "bolled" means the flax was in bud or bloom, another stage when the plant is easily damaged by hail.

Why Exodus 9:31 matters

• Exodus 9:31 clears up why only certain crops were destroyed by the hail, showing that the timing of the plague was significant for the extent of the damage.
• The verse emphasizes the precision of the plagues, not just their severity, highlighting that the events were not random but targeted and meaningful.
• By naming the specific crops and their growth stages, Exodus 9:31 connects the story to real agricultural cycles in Egypt, grounding the narrative in historical reality and setting up the explanation in the next verse about which crops survived.