Exodus 8:10-20

10 And he said, Tomorrow. And Moses replied, Be it according to thy word, that thou may know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

11 And the frogs shall depart from thee and from thy houses and from thy slaves and from thy people; they shall remain only in the river.

12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs of the houses, of the villages, and of the fields died.

14 And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land was corrupted.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart and did not hearken unto them as the LORD had said.

16 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18 And the magicians did the same with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. And there were lice upon man and upon beast.

19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. But Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not hearken unto them as the LORD had said.

20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he goes forth to the water and say unto him, The LORD hath said thus, Let my people go that they may serve me.

Exodus 8:10-20 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.