Exodus
Summary
Exodus 8 recounts the next three plagues: frogs, gnats, and flies—each striking at the heart of Egyptian religious and daily life. While the magicians could replicate the frogs, they were unable to produce the gnats, being forced to admit, "This is the finger of God." A significant shift occurs with the plague of flies, as the LORD began to distinguish between Egypt and the land of Goshen, sparing His people from the infestation to demonstrate His localized presence and care. Despite Pharaoh’s repeated pleas for relief and false promises of release, he continued to harden his heart as soon as each plague was removed, showing the depth of his rebellion against the King of Kings.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him: '[1] (This is what the LORD says): Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'"
"'If you refuse to let them go, I will strike your whole country with a plague of frogs.'"
"'The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and enter your palace, your bedroom, and even crawl onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your officials and your people, and get into your ovens and your bowls for making bread.'"
"'The frogs will climb all over you, your people, and all your officials.'"
Then the LORD told Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach out your hand with your staff over the streams, canals, and ponds, and make the frogs swarm over the land of Egypt.'"
So Aaron reached out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the entire land.
But the Egyptian magicians used their secret arts to do the same thing; they also brought frogs onto the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh then called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take these frogs away from me and my people. If he does, I will let the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."
Moses said to Pharaoh, "I will let you have the honour of choosing the time. When should I pray for you, your officials, and your people, so that the frogs leave you and your houses and remain only in the river?"
"Tomorrow," Pharaoh replied. Moses said, "It will be exactly as you say, so that you will know there is no one like the LORD our God."
"The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officials, and your people. They will stay only in the Nile."
After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs He had sent.
the LORD did exactly what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.
The Egyptians piled them into huge heaps, and the whole land began to stink.
But when Pharaoh saw that the trouble had passed, he became stubborn and hardened his heart. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach out your staff and strike the dust on the ground, and it will turn into lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.'"
They did this. When Aaron reached out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the ground, lice crawled onto people and animals alike. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt turned into lice.
The magicians tried to produce lice using their secret arts, but they could not. The lice stayed on people and animals.
The magicians said to Pharaoh, "[2] (This is the finger of God)!" But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and wait for Pharaoh as he goes to the water. Tell him: '[1] (This is what the LORD says): Let my people go, so that they may worship me.'"
"'If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and the ground will be covered with them.'"
"'But on that day, [3] (I will treat the land of Goshen differently), because my people live there. No swarms of flies will be there. In this way, you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land.'"
"'I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.'"
And the LORD did exactly that. Massive swarms of flies entered Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt, the land was ruined by the flies.
Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go and offer sacrifices to your God, but do it here in this land."
But Moses replied, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God are an [4] (abomination) to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that they hate right in front of them, won't they stone us?"
"We must travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, just as He commanded us."
Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far away. Now, pray for me."
Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will leave Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh, you must not trick us again by refusing to let the people go to worship the LORD."
Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.
the LORD did what Moses asked: the swarms of flies left Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained.
But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well and would not let the people go.