Psalm 135:9

Psalm 135:9, in plain English

God didn't just cause one plague—He orchestrated a series of signs and wonders throughout Egypt that targeted Pharaoh and his officials directly. These weren't random disasters; they were divine messages.

Why it's here

The psalmist is emphasizing that God's actions had a purpose and an audience. Pharaoh was meant to understand what was happening. The plagues weren't just destructive; they were communicative—God was saying something through them about His authority and Israel's God.

Who's speaking

The psalmist, explaining the meaning behind the plagues

Where it sits in the story

The Exodus account details these signs and wonders in Exodus 7-11, showing how each plague specifically challenged Egyptian religion and power, demonstrating that the God of Israel was supreme.

The scholarly reading

The plagues are recharacterized as 'signs and wonders' (אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים, otot u-moftim)—spectacular, divinely authenticated manifestations of power directed against Pharaoh and his administrative apparatus. These were not merely natural disasters but deliberate communications of God's sovereignty.

Language and setting

The terminology 'signs and wonders' becomes standard biblical language for extraordinary divine acts (cf. Deut. 4:34, 26:8, Ps. 78:43). The Psalmist emphasizes that these phenomena were enacted 'in your midst, O Egypt'—displayed publicly where Egyptians themselves witnessed them. This served an apologetic function in the Psalmist's own context: if God could perform such wonders against the mighty Egypt, He could sustain Israel against any present threat. The explicit mention of 'all his servants' indicates that the judgment reached beyond Pharaoh to affect the entire bureaucratic apparatus supporting his power.

Voice

The worshipper elaborates the previous verse with theological interpretation, explaining the significance of the phenomena rather than merely recounting them.

Significance

Signs and wonders become in New Testament theology a characteristic feature of divine action (John 4:48, Acts 2:22). Jesus performs signs; the apostles work wonders; these authenticate divine activity and revelation. This verse thus establishes a pattern wherein God's power operates through extraordinary, verifiable events that demand interpretation.

7He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

8He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, of both man and beast.

9He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.

10He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings:

11Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.

Read all of Psalm 135 — The Lord chose Israel as His treasured possession. A hymn that celebrates divine choice and power with borrowed phrases from across the Psalter.