Exodus 8:6

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

Exodus 8:6 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 8:6

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt
That is, towards the waters of the Nile, and towards all places where any water was; for it was not possible he could stretch out his hand over all the waters that were in every place:

and the frogs came and covered the land of Egypt:
they came up at once, and in such multitudes everywhere, that the whole land was full of them; this was done on the twenty fifth of Adar, or February, the same day the former plague ceased; so Artapanus F19, the Heathen historian says, that Moses by his rod produced frogs, locusts, and lice. And the story which Heraclides Lembus F20 tells seems to be hammered out of this account of Moses, that in Paeonia and Dardania such a number of frogs fell from heaven, as filled the public roads and private houses; at first the inhabitants killed them, and keeping their houses shut, bore it patiently some time; but when it signified nothing, and their household goods were covered with them, and they found them boiled and roasted with their food, and lay in such heaps that they could not tread for them, and were so distressed with the smell of the dead ones, they forsook their country.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Apud Euseb. ut supra. (Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27. p. 425.)
F20 Apud Athenaei Deipnosophist. l. 8. c. 2.

Exodus 8:6 In-Context

4 the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."'"
5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come upon the land of Egypt!'"
6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.