Exodus 8:23-32

23 Thus I will put a division^[a] between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen. ”’”

24 And the Lord did so. ¹There 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 ²abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings ³abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?

27 We must go ⁴three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God ⁵as 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. ⁶Plead 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 ⁷cheat 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 ⁸hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

Exodus 8:23-32 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. 8:24 Ps. 78:45; 105:31; [Isa. 7:18]
• 2. 8:26 [Gen. 43:32; 46:34]
• 3. 8:26 [Gen. 43:32; 46:34]
• 4. 8:27 ch. 3:18
• 5. 8:27 ch. 3:12
• 6. 8:28 See ver. 8
• 7. 8:29 ver. 15; [Jer. 42:20, 21]
• 8. 8:32 ver. 15

Footnotes

• [a] 8:23 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew 'set redemption'