Exodus 8

Listen to Exodus 8

The Second Plague: Frogs

1 [a] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that 1they may serve me.
2 But if you 2refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with 3frogs.
3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into 4your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people,[b] and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.
4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."'"
5 [c] And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 5'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!'"
6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and 6the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7 But 7the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, 8"Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and 9I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when 10I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile."
10 And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, so 11that you may know that 12there is no one like the LORD our God.
11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile."
12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.[d]
13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.
14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a 13respite, he 14hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 15'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'"
17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and 16there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
18 The 17magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is 18the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 Then the LORD said to Moses, 19"Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, 20"Let my people go, that they may serve me.
21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
22 But on that day 21I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, 22that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.[e]
23 Thus I will put a division[f] between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'"
24 And the LORD did so. 23There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land."
26 But Moses said, "It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an 24abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings 25abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?
27 We must go 26three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God 27as he tells us."
28 So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. 28Plead for me."
29 Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh 29cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."
30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.
31 And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.
32 But Pharaoh 30hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

Exodus 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The plague of frogs. (1-15) The plague of lice. (16-19) The plague of flies. (20-32)

Verses 1-15 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.

Verses 16-19 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.

Verses 20-32 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.

Cross References 30

  • 1. ver. 20; Exodus 3:12, 18
  • 2. Exodus 7:14; Exodus 9:2
  • 3. [Revelation 16:13]
  • 4. Psalms 105:30
  • 5. See Exodus 7:19
  • 6. Psalms 78:45; Psalms 105:30
  • 7. See Exodus 7:11
  • 8. ver. 28, 30; Exodus 9:28; Exodus 10:17, 18; [Numbers 21:7; 1 Kings 13:6; Acts 8:24]
  • 9. ver. 25-28; Exodus 10:8, 24; Exodus 12:31, 32
  • 10. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 11. ver. 22; Exodus 7:17
  • 12. Exodus 9:14; Deuteronomy 33:26; 2 Samuel 7:22; 1 Chronicles 17:20; Psalms 86:8; Isaiah 46:9; Jeremiah 10:6, 7
  • 13. [Ecclesiastes 8:11]
  • 14. ver. 32; Exodus 7:14; Exodus 9:7, 34; Exodus 10:1
  • 15. See Exodus 7:19
  • 16. Psalms 105:31
  • 17. See Exodus 7:11
  • 18. Exodus 31:18; Psalms 8:3; Luke 11:20
  • 19. Exodus 7:15; Exodus 9:13
  • 20. ver. 1
  • 21. Exodus 9:4; Exodus 11:7; [Malachi 3:18]
  • 22. ver. 10; Exodus 7:17
  • 23. Psalms 78:45; Psalms 105:31; [Isaiah 7:18]
  • 24. [Genesis 43:32; Genesis 46:34]
  • 25. [Genesis 43:32; Genesis 46:34]
  • 26. Exodus 3:18
  • 27. Exodus 3:12
  • 28. See ver. 8
  • 29. ver. 15; [Jeremiah 42:20, 21]
  • 30. ver. 15

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Ch 7:26 in Hebrew
  • [b]. Or among your people
  • [c]. Ch 8:1 in Hebrew
  • [d]. Or which he had brought upon Pharaoh
  • [e]. Or that I the Lord am in the land
  • [f]. Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew set redemption

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 8

In this chapter Pharaoh is threatened with the plague of frogs, in case he refused to let Israel go, which accordingly was brought upon him, Ex 8:1-6 and though the magicians did something similar to it, yet these were so troublesome to Pharaoh, that he promised to let the people go, and sacrifice to God, if they removed; and a time being fixed for the removal of them, it was accordingly done at the entreaty of Moses and Aaron, Ex 8:7-14 but there being a respite, Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and the plague of lice is ordered, and which was executed; and though this the magicians essayed to do, and could not, but owned it to be the finger of God, yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, Ex 8:15-19 wherefore he is threatened with a swarm of flies, which should not infest Goshen, only the places where the Egyptians dwelt, and it was so, Ex 8:20-24 upon which Pharaoh called for Moses, and declared himself willing the people would sacrifice in the land; but this not being satisfactory, he agreed they should go into the wilderness, but not so far; and on the account of the entreaty of Moses, the plague was removed; but still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go, Ex 8:25-32.

Exodus 8 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.