Exodus 8:20

20 Now the LORD said to Moses, "¹Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as ²he comes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "³Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

Exodus 8:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 8:20

And the Lord said unto Moses, rise up early in the morning,
&c.] Of the day following, the twenty eight of Adar, or February, according to Bishop Usher; this was the fittest time to meet with Pharaoh, and the most likely to make impressions on him:

and stand before Pharaoh:
meet him as he comes along, and stop him, and stand before him as having something to say to him; this was using great boldness and freedom with a king; but as Moses was ordered to do it by the King of kings, it became him to obey him:

lo, he cometh forth to the water; (See Gill on Exodus 7:15)

and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, let my people go, that they may
serve me;
which had often been required before, but to no purpose, and in case of refusal he is threatened as follows.

Exodus 8:20 In-Context

18 The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast.

19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

20 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD , "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

21 "For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and also the ground on which they dwell.

22 "But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD , am in the midst of the land.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 7:15; Exodus 9:13
• 2. Exodus 2:5; Exodus 7:15
• 3. Exodus 3:18; Exodus 4:23; Exodus 5:1, 3; Exodus 8:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "behold"