Exoduschapter 8

A.Frogs Fill the Whole Landvv. 1-15

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’” 5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt. 8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?” 10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12 After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died. 14 They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land. 15 When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

B.Gnats — the Finger of Godvv. 16-19

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” 17 This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. 19 “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

C.Swarms of Flies; Goshen Sparedvv. 20-32

20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 21 But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies. 22 But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. 23 I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’” 24 And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies. 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.” 26 But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? 27 We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28 Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.” 29 “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.” 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31 and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.

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Chapter summary

Plagues two, three, four: frogs, lice, flies.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

Plagues two, three, four: frogs, lice, flies. The frogs cover the land; the magicians copy it; Pharaoh begs relief, Moses prays, the frogs die and stink in heaps. Lice. The dust becomes lice. The magicians fail: ‘this is the finger of God’. Flies. A grievous swarm that corrupts the land, but not in Goshen where Israel dwells. Pharaoh begins to bargain: sacrifice in the land; sacrifice but not very far away. Each bargain is refused; each plague increases the pressure. The pattern across the chapter is request, plague, partial softening, hardening. Henry marks the heart that will yield only as far as pain presses.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Exodus overview

A. 1–15 Frogs Fill the Whole Land
B. 16–19 Gnats — the Finger of God
C. 20–32 Swarms of Flies; Goshen Spared

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Exodus 810 verses
- Exodus 8:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- Exodus 8:3The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.
- Exodus 8:5And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”
- Exodus 8:8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
- Exodus 8:9Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?”
- Exodus 8:12After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.
- Read Exodus 8: 4 more there →
Exodus 97 verses
- Exodus 9:2But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
- Exodus 9:4But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
- Exodus 9:11The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.
- Exodus 9:13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- Exodus 9:27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
- Exodus 9:28Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
- Read Exodus 9: 1 more there →
Exodus 75 verses
- Exodus 7:11But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
- Exodus 7:14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
- Exodus 7:15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
- Exodus 7:19And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
- Exodus 7:22But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
- Read Exodus 7 →
Exodus 103 verses
- Exodus 10:16Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.
- Exodus 10:17Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”
- Exodus 10:23No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
- Read Exodus 10 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Psalms 1052 verses
- Psalms 105:30Their land teemed with frogs, even in their royal chambers.
- Psalms 105:31He spoke, and insects swarmed— gnats throughout their country.
- Read Psalms 105 →
Exodus 32 verses
- Exodus 3:12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
- Exodus 3:18The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
- Read Exodus 3 →
Isaiah 192 verses
- Isaiah 19:11The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?
- Isaiah 19:22And the LORD will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them but heal them. They will turn to the LORD, and He will hear their prayers and heal them.
- Read Isaiah 19 →
Acts 122 verses
- Acts 12:22And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”
- Acts 12:23Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
- Read Acts 12 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.