Exodus8
New International Version
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
2If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country.
3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.
4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
5Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’”
6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.
7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
9Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
10“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.
11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
12After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.
13And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields.
14They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.”
17They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.
18But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere,
19the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.
20Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
21If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.
22“‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.
23I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.’”
24And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.
25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?
27We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”
28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,
31and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained.
32But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The plague of frogs. (1–15). The plague of lice. (16–19). The plague of flies. (20–32).
vv1-15
Pharaoh is plagued with frogs; their vast numbers made them sore plagues to the Egyptians. God could have plagued Egypt with lions, or bears, or wolves, or with birds of prey, but he chose to do it by these despicable creatures. God, when he pleases, can arm the smallest parts of the creation against us. He thereby humbled Pharaoh. They should neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep in quiet; but wherever they were, they should be troubled by the frogs. God's curse upon a man will pursue him wherever he goes, and lie heavy upon him whatever he does. Pharaoh gave way under this plague. He promises that he will let the people go. Those who bid defiance to God and prayer, first or last, will be made to see their need of both. But when Pharaoh saw there was respite, he hardened his heart. Till the heart is renewed by the grace of God, the thoughts made by affliction do not abide; the convictions wear off, and the promises that were given are forgotten. Till the state of the air is changed, what thaws in the sun will freeze again in the shade.
vv16-19
These lice were produced out of the dust of the earth; out of any part of the creation God can fetch a scourge, with which to correct those who rebel against him. Even the dust of the earth obeys him. These lice were very troublesome, as well as disgraceful to the Egyptians, whose priests were obliged to take much pains that no vermin ever should be found about them. All the plagues inflicted on the Egyptians, had reference to their national crimes, or were rendered particularly severe by their customs. The magicians attempted to imitate it, but they could not. It forced them to confess, This is the finger of God! The check and restraint put upon us, must needs be from a Divine power. Sooner or later God will force even his enemies to acknowledge his own power. Pharaoh, notwithstanding this, was more and more obstinate.
vv20-32
Pharaoh was early at his false devotions to the river; and shall we be for more sleep and more slumber, when any service to the Lord is to be done? The Egyptians and the Hebrews were to be marked in the plague of flies. The Lord knows them that are his, and will make it appear, perhaps in this world, certainly in the other, that he has set them apart for himself. Pharaoh unwillingly entered into a treaty with Moses and Aaron. He is content they should sacrifice to their God, provided they would do it in the land of Egypt. But it would be an abomination to God, should they offer the Egyptian sacrifices; and it would be an abomination to the Egyptians, should they offer to God the objects of the worship of the Egyptians, namely, their calves or oxen. Those who would offer acceptable sacrifice to God, must separate themselves from the wicked and profane. They must also retire from the world. Israel cannot keep the feast of the Lord, either among the brick-kilns or among the flesh-pots of Egypt. And they must sacrifice as God shall command, not otherwise. Though they were in slavery to Pharaoh, yet they must obey God's commands. Pharaoh consents for them to go into the wilderness, provided they do not go so far but that he might fetch them back again. Thus, some sinners, in a pang of conviction, part with their sins, yet are loth they should go very far away; for when the fright is over, they will turn to them again. Moses promised the removal of this plague. But let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: if we think to cheat God by a sham repentance and a false surrender of ourselves to him, we shall put a fatal cheat upon our own souls. Pharaoh returned to his hardness. Reigning lusts break through the strongest bonds, and make men presume and go from their word. Many seem in earnest, but there is some reserve, some beloved, secret sin. They are unwilling to look upon themselves as in danger of everlasting misery. They will refrain from other sins; they do much, give much, and even punish themselves much. They will leave it off sometimes, and, as it were, let their sin depart a little way; but will not make up their minds to part with all and follow Christ, bearing the cross. Rather than that, they venture all. They are sorrowful, but depart from Christ, determined to keep the world at present, and they hope for some future season, when salvation may be had without such costly sacrifices; but, at length, the poor sinner is driven away in his wickedness, and left without hope to lament his folly.
Key Words
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
פַּרְעֹה: Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings
כֹּה: properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
עָבַד: to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.
אִם: used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
מָאֵן: unwilling
Cross References
Exodus 8The 'finger of God' phrase is also used for the writing of the Law on stone tablets.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus casts out demons 'by the finger of God,' showing His superior power over Satanic magicians.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Paul names Jannes and Jambres, the magicians who resisted Moses through deceptive, demonic counterfeits.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The magicians' folly is made manifest to all when they fail to produce the lice.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Retrospective Psalm describing the swarm of flies sent as a judgment on Egypt.
Supported by JFB
Explains the concept of the 'abomination of the Egyptians' regarding Hebrew occupations and sacrifices.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Repeats the original divine mandate to go a three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice.
Historical psalm celebrating how the waters of Egypt brought forth frogs abundantly in royal chambers.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Pharaoh repeatedly begs for intercession to remove plagues, only to harden his heart afterward.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Praise celebrating that there is 'none like unto the Lord our God' in power and glory.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Psalmic recount of God speaking and causing the plague of lice throughout their coasts.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical psalm commemorating the plague of flies and lice sent by God's command.
Echoes the theme of God putting a clear division between Egypt and Israel.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels Moses' warning to Pharaoh not to mock or deal deceitfully with God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the warning against dealing deceitfully when requesting prayer and promising obedience.
Highlights the repeating pattern of Pharaoh hardening his heart as soon as there was respite.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, echoing this plague.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Like Pharaoh, the Jews falsely repented during crisis but quickly turned back to their sins.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Philistines warn against hardening hearts as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Theological parallel of God making a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Subsequent plague repeats the miraculous severing of Goshen to spare Israel's livestock.
Reiterates that Israel must leave completely to serve God precisely as He commands.
Pharaoh repeatedly begs Moses to entreat the Lord for relief under duress.
The consistent demand of Yahweh to Pharaoh: 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.'
Supported by John Calvin
The pattern of desperate sinners pleading for intercession to take away divine judgments.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
A parallel description of a plague rotting and making the land stink with stench.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses is again commanded to confront Pharaoh early in the morning by the water's edge.
Supported by JFB