The Torah · Old Testament
Exodus 8
Frogs, lice and flies meet repeated refusal
General context
The Lord warns that frogs will enter Egypt's homes and places of food preparation if Pharaoh refuses to release the people. Aaron stretches out his hand, and frogs cover the land; the magicians also bring up frogs. Pharaoh asks Moses and Aaron to seek relief and promises to let the people sacrifice. Given the choice of when Moses should pray, Pharaoh says tomorrow. Moses prays, the frogs outside the river die and the land stinks with their heaps. Pharaoh hardens his heart when he sees relief. Next, Aaron strikes the dust, and lice afflict people and animals. The magicians cannot reproduce this sign and call it the finger of God, but Pharaoh does not listen. A warning of flies follows, with Goshen set apart from their arrival. After the swarms come, Pharaoh offers to allow sacrifice within Egypt. Moses objects and insists on the requested wilderness journey. Pharaoh then permits that journey on condition that they not go far, asking for prayer. Moses warns him against deceit, prays, and all the flies are removed. Pharaoh again hardens his heart and refuses to release the people.
Cited passages: Exodus 8:1, Exodus 8:2, Exodus 8:3, Exodus 8:4, Exodus 8:5, Exodus 8:6, Exodus 8:7, Exodus 8:8, Exodus 8:9, Exodus 8:10, Exodus 8:11, Exodus 8:12, Exodus 8:13, Exodus 8:14, Exodus 8:15, Exodus 8:16, Exodus 8:17, Exodus 8:18, Exodus 8:19, Exodus 8:20, Exodus 8:21, Exodus 8:22, Exodus 8:23, Exodus 8:24, Exodus 8:25, Exodus 8:26, Exodus 8:27, Exodus 8:28, Exodus 8:29, Exodus 8:30, Exodus 8:31, Exodus 8:32
Exodus 8 (KJV)
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 smite all thy borders with frogs:
3And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall 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 kneadingtroughs:
4And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
5And the Lord spake 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.
6And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
7And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may 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.
9And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory 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?
10And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.
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 which he had brought against Pharaoh.
13And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.
14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
16And 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 lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
18And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
20And 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 flies 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 they are.
22And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
24And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.
25And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
26And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of 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?
27We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall command us.
28And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
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: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
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 Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.
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Historical context
The frog warning reaches into houses, beds, ovens and kneading troughs. The next affliction is called 'lice' in King James and American Standard wording; this guide does not identify a modern species. Goshen's exemption is stated in the warning about flies. It is not supplied as an explanation of every earlier affliction. Moses says that their sacrifice would be an abomination to the Egyptians and asks whether the Egyptians would stone them. This is his stated objection to Pharaoh's offer. The guide does not add a particular sacrificial animal or Egyptian deity. Moses requests a three-day wilderness journey, while Pharaoh's subsequent offer limits how far they may go.
Cited passages: Exodus 8:3, Exodus 8:9, Exodus 8:10, Exodus 8:11, Exodus 8:13, Exodus 8:14, Exodus 8:16, Exodus 8:17, Exodus 8:18, Exodus 8:19, Exodus 8:21, Exodus 8:22, Exodus 8:23, Exodus 8:25, Exodus 8:26, Exodus 8:27, Exodus 8:28
Literary context
Requests for prayer and promises of permission are followed by relief and renewed refusal. The frog episode first establishes this sequence; the flies episode returns to it after negotiations about where sacrifice may occur. Between them, the magicians' inability to produce lice marks a change from their earlier imitation of the frogs. Their statement about God's finger belongs to their response to that failure. The announced distinction for Goshen gives the flies episode another feature beyond the preceding signs. Pharaoh's willingness to discuss terms never becomes the people's departure within this chapter.
Cited passages: Exodus 8:7, Exodus 8:8, Exodus 8:9, Exodus 8:10, Exodus 8:12, Exodus 8:13, Exodus 8:15, Exodus 8:18, Exodus 8:19, Exodus 8:22, Exodus 8:23, Exodus 8:25, Exodus 8:26, Exodus 8:27, Exodus 8:28, Exodus 8:29, Exodus 8:30, Exodus 8:31, Exodus 8:32
Key moments
- Pharaoh chooses tomorrow (Exodus 8:10). Pharaoh answers Moses’ question about when to pray for the frogs to be removed.
- The magicians acknowledge God’s finger (Exodus 8:19). Unable to produce lice, the magicians call the sign the finger of God; Pharaoh still does not listen.
- Goshen is set apart in the warning (Exodus 8:22). The Lord says that the flies will not come into the land where his people dwell.
- Relief is followed by refusal (Exodus 8:32). After the flies are removed, Pharaoh hardens his heart and does not let the people go.
For reflection
What pattern appears when you compare Pharaoh's promises during the afflictions with his responses after relief?