Exodus 9:4
4But the Lord will distinguish ▼▼ The verb פָּלָה (
palah) in Hiphil means “to set apart, make separate, make distinct.” See also
Exod 8:22 (
18 HT);
11:7;
33:16.
between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing ▼▼ There is a wordplay in this section. A pestilence – דֶּבֶר (
dever) – will fall on Egypt’s cattle, but no thing – דָּבָר (
davar) – belonging to Israel would die. It was perhaps for this reason that the verb was changed in v.
1 from “say” to “speak” (דִּבֶּר,
dibber). See U. Cassuto,
Exodus, 111.
will die of all that the Israelites have.”’” ▼▼ The
lamed preposition indicates possession: “all that was to the Israelites” means “all that the Israelites had.”