Exodus 8:26-32

26 And Moses said, It may not be [done] so, for why shall we offer to the Lord our God the abominations of Egyptians; that if we shall slay before the Egyptians those things which they worship, they shall throw us down with stones. (And Moses said, It cannot be done so, for we shall not offer to the Lord our God the abominations of the Egyptians; and if, in front of the Egyptians, we kill those things which they worship, they shall throw us down with stones.)

27 We shall go the way of three days into wilderness, and we shall make sacrifice to our Lord God, as he commanded us. (We shall make a journey for three days into the wilderness, and we shall offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commanded us.)

28 And Pharaoh said, I shall deliver you, that ye make sacrifice to the Lord your God in desert (I shall let you go, so that ye can offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness); nevertheless go ye not (any) further; (and) pray ye for me.

29 And Moses said, I shall go out from thee, and I shall pray (to) the Lord; and the fly, that is, the multitude of flies, shall go away from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and (from) his people, tomorrow; nevertheless do not thou more deceive me, that thou deliver not the people to make sacrifice to the Lord (but do not thou deceive me again, and not allow the people to go, and offer sacrifices to the Lord).

30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed the Lord,

31 the which did by the word of Moses (and he did what Moses asked), and took away the flies from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people; none (was) left, soothly not one.

32 And the heart of Pharaoh was made hard, so that he delivered not the people, soothly neither in this time. (But again Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go, yea, truly not at that time.)

Exodus 8:26-32 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.