At My Signal - Unleash Hail!

Reading:   Exodus 9-11

I can't help but take a little lighthearted look at this particular incident because there is no way of getting around the memorable soundclip delivered by General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) at the beginning of Gladiator.  The quote fits perfectly, too perfectly, within the setting of Chapter Nine in Exodus.

Go ahead...tell me I'm wrong...

EXODUS 9:22-26

22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 

23    And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 

24    So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 

25    And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 

26    Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 

...Come on now, no shame, you know it's true!  Let's look at verse 23 again, but this time it will read as it should:

And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven and spake; at my signal, unleash hell.  Upon his utterance, Moses smote the air with the rod of God and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 

That's good...

~Kipling