Exodus 9:16

made thee to stand i.e. maintained thee alive, the causative of to -stand" in the sense of to continue, ch. Exodus 21:21; Psalms 102:28 [Heb. 27]. The same sense is expressed by the paraphrase of LXX. thou wast preserved(διετηρήθης). St Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:17, in his argument to prove the absolute sovereignty of God. He there (disregarding the LXX.) expresses the verb by ἐξήγειρά σε, raised thee up, i.e. brought thee on to the stage of history (cf. ἐξεγείρω in LXX., Habakkuk 1:6; Zechariah 11:16, and ἐγείρω, Judges 2:16; Judges 2:18; Judges 3:9 al.), a sense which העמיד might have had in post-exilic Hebrew, but hardly at the date when this passage of Ex. was written 1 [126]. The difference between raised upand kept alivedoes not, however, affect the Apostle's argument. He is arguing against the Jews (who strongly maintained that their national privileges were inalienable), that God, in rejecting Israel, is not arbitrary or unjust; and he quotes two passages from the OT. to shew the absolute character of the Divine sovereignty, Exodus 33:19 b as proof that God can choose Himself the recipients of His mercy, and the present passage as proof that He may, if it pleases Him, be severe, in order to carry out His Divine purpose. See further p. 54.

[126] In post-exilic Heb. עמד and העמיד acquire meanings which in early Heb. are expressed by קום and הקים : see examples in the writer's Introduction, pp. 475, 503 (Exodus 6 or 7, pp. 507, 535), Nos. 16 and 4. In early Heb. ἐξεγείρω would have been expressed by הקים (as in Habakkuk 1:6, &c., quoted above).

to shew thee, lit. to make thee see, i.e. experience, my power which mighthave had the effect of softening Pharaoh's heart, and did in fact lead him more than once to give God the glory (v.27, Exodus 10:16 f.).

and that my name, &c. Pharaoh is a signal type of the power of the world, as opposed to God; and God's victory over him will cause His name to be declared(Psalms 102:21) and known far and wide in the world.