8:1 AND 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.
8:2 AND IF THOU REFUSE TO LET [THEM] GO, BEHOLD, I WILL SMITE ALL THY BORDERS WITH FROGS:
A.How long it has been since the first plague we are not told, but now it is time for the second, for Pharaoh would not change his mind.
B.I WILL SMITE ALL THY BORDERS WITH FROGS: Frogs were among the Egyptians' deities; Some historians say they regarded the frog as a sacred emblem of creative power. Of course they were horrified at the thought of killing a frog.
8:3 AND 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:
A.The whole country was going to be covered with croakers!
B.People would be unable to walk without stepping on them; They would be in their beds, on their dining tables, in their food, and it was likely impossible for the people to move without coming in contact with the cold, rough, clammy skin of a frog.
8:4 AND THE FROGS SHALL COME UP BOTH ON THEE, AND UPON THY PEOPLE, AND UPON ALL THY SERVANTS.
8:5 AND 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.
8:6 AND AARON STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND OVER THE WATERS OF EGYPT; AND THE FROGS CAME UP, AND COVERED THE LAND OF EGYPT.
8:7 AND THE MAGICIANS DID SO WITH THEIR ENCHANTMENTS, AND BROUGHT UP FROGS UPON THE LAND OF EGYPT.
A.It would not be difficult, with frogs everywhere, for good magicians to make frogs appear.
B.What would serve Pharaoh would be for them to remove the frogs, instead of pretend to add more frogs to the mess.
8:8 THEN PHARAOH CALLED FOR MOSES AND AARON, AND SAID, ENTREAT 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.
A.PHARAOH CALLED FOR MOSES AND AARON: This is the first small crack in his armor. This humiliation of having to call the Hebrews and ask a favor shows how detestable the frogs had become, even to those who worshipped frogs.
B.ENTREAT THE LORD: He was asking for mercy, and at this first sign of relenting on his part, mercy was shown - Verse 9.
8:9 AND MOSES SAID UNTO PHARAOH, GLORY OVER ME: WHEN SHALL I ENTREAT 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?
A.GLORY OVER ME: This expression means "I submit to you, take the honor of naming the time."
B.Note how Moses, as he began to triumph over Pharaoh, treated him with courtesy and respect, and returned good for evil.
C.Thus on the part of Moses (and of God) there was a hastening to be gracious. Pharaoh was taken at his word, and was he was going to be trusted -- No guarantee was requested that he would keep his word, except his simple promise.
8:10 AND HE SAID, TOMORROW. AND HE SAID, [BE IT] ACCORDING TO THY WORD: THAT THOU MAYEST KNOW THAT [THERE IS] NONE LIKE UNTO THE LORD OUR GOD.
A.The plague was going to be removed at once, that Pharaoh might be left to do as he said he would.
B.The removing of the plague as quickly as it came would be proof to an honest Pharaoh that Jehovah is God.
8:11 AND 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.
8:12 AND MOSES AND AARON WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH: AND MOSES CRIED UNTO THE LORD BECAUSE OF THE FROGS WHICH HE HAD BROUGHT AGAINST PHARAOH.
8:13 AND 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.
8:14 AND THEY GATHERED THEM TOGETHER UPON HEAPS: AND THE LAND STANK.
8:15 BUT WHEN PHARAOH SAW THAT THERE WAS RESPITE, HE HARDENED HIS HEART, AND HEARKENED NOT UNTO THEM; AS THE LORD HAD SAID.
A.THERE WAS RESPITE: A delay, a temporary relief from something difficult, "a breathing-space."
B.Pharaoh broke his promise and turned back to his harshness.
8:16 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.
8:17 AND 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.
A.THE DUST OF THE EARTH: This was another blast at Egyptian idolatry, for they worshipped the earth as well as the River.
B.The word translated LICE could be translated "gnats" or "mosquitoes."
C.Imagine such a terrible catastrophe!
8:18 AND THE MAGICIANS DID SO WITH THEIR ENCHANTMENTS TO BRING FORTH LICE, BUT THEY COULD NOT: SO THERE WERE LICE UPON MAN, AND UPON BEAST.
8:19 THEN 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.
A.These men were partly responsible for Pharaoh's continuing in his resistance to God. As experts in magic, they knew very well the difference between false miracles and true ones, but they had continued in their deception until now.
B.Now they finally admit their inability to match the power of God, but it is too late to stop Pharaoh, so they must be regarded as in part responsible for the final tragedy to come.
8:20 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.
8:21 ELSE, 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].
A.SWARMS OF FLIES: This word can be translated "beetles."
B.Swarms of plain house-flies would be a terrible affliction; If this is the beetle which is common along the Nile River, per-haps it was even worse.
C.The PULPIT COMMENTARY says of those beetles that they "inflict very painful bites with their jaws; gnaw and destroy clothes, household furniture, leather, and articles of every kind," either eat or ruin all the food available, and sometimes drive people out of their houses.
8:22 AND 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.
8:23 AND I WILL PUT A DIVISION BETWEEN MY PEOPLE AND THY PEOPLE: TOMORROW SHALL THIS SIGN BE.
A.This DIVISION would show that Jehovah is not just a small local god of the Hebrews, but He is The God Whose power extends over the whole earth -- It is all in His control.
B.Plagues had come from the water and from the ground; Now this is from the air -- Again showing the Omnipotence of Jehovah, and also showing Pharaoh that God is calling him from all directions to let Israel go.
C.He is telling Pharaoh that the Hebrews are "MY PEOPLE, not yours any longer."
D.TOMORROW SHALL THIS SIGN BE: This was not going to be by chance, but by the direct order of God, at a precise time.
8:24 AND 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].
A.GRIEVOUS SWARM OF FLIES: As with the frogs, beetles were sacred, and could not be destroyed or even injured.
B.THE LAND WAS CORRUPTED: Literally, "destroyed, devastated."
8:25 AND PHARAOH CALLED FOR MOSES AND FOR AARON, AND SAID, GO YE, SACRIFICE TO YOUR GOD IN THE LAND.
A.SACRIFICE TO YOUR GOD IN THE LAND: He proposed a compromise, which is not unusual for those who will not meet truth on its terms. "Sacrifice, but stay here to do it."
B.But compromise is a thin veil for disobedience, and Moses was not about to accept this proposal. He had no authority to do so, and it would not have gained anything toward their obed-ience to God, which involved three days' journey. Nothing less than truth can be accepted. There must be full and complete separation between Egypt and Israel.
C.Let us be impressed that there must be full and complete separation between the world and the church.
8:26 AND 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?
A.Sacrifice of cattle (which was God's order) would have been offensive to people who worshipped cattle. This could have resulted in great disturbance in the land, and surely Pharaoh would know that.
B.WILL THEY NOT STONE US?: We are told that death was the legal penalty for killing a sacred animal in Egypt. There is a record of a Roman ambassador being put to death for acciden-tally killing a cat.
8:27 WE WILL GO THREE DAYS' JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND SACRIFICE TO THE LORD OUR GOD, AS HE SHALL COMMAND US.
8:28 AND 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: ENTREAT FOR ME.
A.Now Pharaoh relents a little, but still talks compromise: "Go into the wilderness, but not very far."
B.It is clear that he was afraid he was going to lose their slave labor if they got too far from his reach.
8:29 AND MOSES SAID, BEHOLD, I GO OUT FROM THEE, AND I WILL ENTREAT THE LORD THAT THE SWARMS [OF FLIES] MAY DEPART FROM PHARAOH, FROM HIS SERVANTS, AND FROM HIS PEOPLE, TOMORROW: BUT LET NOT PHARAOH DEAL DECEITFULLY ANY MORE IN NOT LETTING THE PEOPLE GO TO SACRIFICE TO THE LORD.
**It seems that Moses accepted Pharaoh's proposal, for three days' journey would not take them very far.
8:30 AND MOSES WENT OUT FROM PHARAOH, AND ENTREATED THE LORD.
8:31 AND 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.
A.THERE REMAINED NOT ONE: The complete removal of the insects was as great a miracle as their sudden coming.
B.Thus there was another proof of Jehovah's Being and power.
8:32 AND PHARAOH HARDENED HIS HEART AT THIS TIME ALSO, NEITHER WOULD HE LET THE PEOPLE GO.
**AT THIS TIME ALSO: Just as he had been doing in the past.
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