THE SECOND BOOK OF

MOSES,
called
E X O D U S

Exodus 8

1The plague of frogs is threatened: 5they are sent. 8Pharaoh entreateth Moses, who by prayer removeth them. 16The dust is turned into lice, which the magicians could not do. 20The plague of flies. 25Pharaoh inclineth to let the people go, but is hardened.


1AND the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will 1smite 2all thy borders with frogs:

1 That is, vex, afflict.

2 That is, all the land.

3And the 3river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which 4shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy 5kneadingtroughs:

3 Or, That the river shall swarm of frogs. Understand likewise all other waters and pools here, as verse 5.

4 In that manner namely, that no doors, no gates, no walls, no guns or weapons, shall be able to free either yourself or servants from these beasts.

5 Other, dough clumps.

4And the frogs shall come up both 6on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

6 By this particular naming of Pharaoh and his servants, Moses shows plainly that the Israelites have been free from it. See verses 21, 22.

5¶And the LORD 7spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

7 Namely, after that Moses had done what God commanded him (of which is spoken in verse 1) and Pharaoh had refused to obey it.

6And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; 8and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

8 Hebr. and the frog came up, and so likewise elsewhere.

7And the magicians did 9so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

9 See Exod. 7:11.

8¶Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, 10Intreat the LORD, that he 11may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

10 See Gen. 25 on verse 21. The plagues and the sensible blows make Pharaoh to know God now, Whom before he would not want to know. See Exod. 5:2; 1 Sam. 6:2, 3, etc.

11 The magicians could indeed seemingly imitate God’s plagues, verse 7, but they were not able to remove or assuage them.

9And Moses said unto Pharaoh, 12Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?

12 As if Moses would say, I will do thee the honor, that I permit thee to appoint the time, wherein God the Lord, upon my prayer and intercession, shall deliver thee from this plague of the frogs. See the like expression, Judges 7:2; Isa. 10:15.

10And 13he said, To morrow. And 14he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

13 Namely, Pharaoh.

14 Namely, Moses.

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

12And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs 15which he had brought against Pharaoh.

15 That is, which God had brought by Moses as a punishment upon Pharaoh and his people.

13And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died 16out of the houses, out of the 17villages, and out of the fields.

16 Moses wants to say, that the frogs, dying in the houses, rooms, courtyards, etc., were swept and shoveled out of them.

17 Or, halls, forecourts.

14And 18they gathered them together 19upon heaps: and the land stank.

18 Namely, the Egyptians.

19 Hebr. heaps, heaps.

15But when Pharaoh saw that there was 20respite, he 21hardeneda his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

20 That is, that the plague was assuaged. Other, room.

21 That is, he remained hardened in his wicked and refractory purpose. See Exod. 7:14; Isa. 6:10.

a Exod. 7:14.

16¶And 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.

17And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became 22lice in man, and in beast; allb the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 Hebr. abundance of lice.

b Psalm 105:31.

18And the magicians 23did so with their enchantments 24to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

23 That is, they smote the dust on the ground, as Aaron had done, but in vain.

24 Or, that they might cause lice to come forth.

19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This 25is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

25 That is, this is the immediate power and work of God. Compare Luke 11:20 with Mat. 12:28. See the same manner of speaking, Judges 2:15; 1 Sam. 6:3, 9; Acts 13:11.

20¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

21Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of 26flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon 27they are.

26 Such as flies, wasps, mosquitos, beetles, horseflies, ants, caterpillars, mice, snails, and such like vermin which consume and waste the grass, and the fruits of the trees, and also the corn or grain in the fields.

27 Namely, the Egyptians. He wants to say that this vermin would be all around where the Egyptians were, and nowhere else, as appears by verse 22.

22And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people 28dwell, 29that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know 30that I am the LORD in the midst 31of the earth.

28 Hebr. stands upon.

29 Namely, although the magicians employed themselves thereto to the utmost.

30 That is, that I am also Lord and Master in Egypt, though Pharaoh imagines there is none other lord but himself. See Exod. 5:2.

31 Other, of the earth.

23And I will 32put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

32 Namely, which shall make a difference between your people and My people.

24And the LORD did so; and therec came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the 33landd was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

c Psalm 105:31.

33 That is, all that the land brought forth.

d Psalm 78:45.

25¶And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God 34in the land.

34 Understand additionally: but not in the wilderness, as you would have it. See Exod. 5:1.

26And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; fore we shall sacrifice the abomination 35of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

e Gen. 43:32; 46:34.

35 Namely, oxen, calves, cows, bullocks, unto which the Egyptians exhibit divine honor, and dare not to slay any of them, and cannot endure the slaying of them for sacrifice. See Gen. 43:32; 46:34.

27We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and 36sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

36 They did not know what they were to sacrifice unto the Lord, until they would have arrived in the wilderness. See Exod. 10:26.

28And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only 37ye shall not go very far away: 38intreat for me.

37 Hebr. departing far, not departing far.

38 Namely, that the plague might be taken from me. See verse 8, and Acts 8:24.

29And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: 39but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

39 Namely, as he had done when the plague of the frogs tormented him, verse 15.

30And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

31And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

32And Pharaohf hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

f Exod. 8:15.