Exodus 8

The Second Plague: Frogs

¹Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what Yahweh says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. ²But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 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. ⁴The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

• EX 8:1[FULFILLS]God told Moses Pharaoh would refuse but Israel would leave with Egyptian wealth ← EX 3:18-22

⁵And Yahweh 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.’”

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

• EX 8:6[MIRACLE]Frogs cover the land of Egypt

⁷But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

• EX 8:7[DEMONIC]The magicians use magic arts to bring up frogs

⁸Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to Yahweh to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.”

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?”

¹⁰“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered.

“May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like Yahweh our God. ¹¹The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

¹²After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to Yahweh for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh. ¹³And Yahweh did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died. ¹⁴They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.

¹⁵When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as Yahweh had said.

• EX 8:15[HEART]When Pharaoh got relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen.

The Third Plague: Gnats

¹⁶Then Yahweh 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.’”

¹⁷This 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.

• EX 8:17[MIRACLE]Dust becomes gnats

¹⁸The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

• EX 8:18[DEMONIC]The magicians fail and say this is the finger of God

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 Yahweh had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

²⁰Then Yahweh 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 Yahweh says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. ²¹But 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.

²²But 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, Yahweh, am in the land. ²³I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

• EX 8:22[PROPHECY]God would spare the land of Goshen from the flies and set His people apart → EX 8:24

²⁴And Yahweh 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.

• EX 8:24[FULFILLS]God would spare the land of Goshen from the flies and set His people apart ← EX 8:22-23

²⁵Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

²⁶But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to Yahweh our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? ²⁷We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He commands us.”

²⁸Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to Yahweh 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 Yahweh, 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 Yahweh.”

³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to Yahweh, ³¹and Yahweh did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained. ³²But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.

• EX 8:32[HEART]Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also.