Exodus 8:20-32

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.

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.

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.

23 And I will put a division between My people and thy people. Tomorrow shall this sign be.'"

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.

25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, "Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land."

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?

27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us."

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."

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."

30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.

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.

32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

Exodus 8:20-32 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 8

In this chapter Pharaoh is threatened with the plague of frogs, in case he refused to let Israel go, which accordingly was brought upon him, Ex 8:1-6 and though the magicians did something similar to it, yet these were so troublesome to Pharaoh, that he promised to let the people go, and sacrifice to God, if they removed; and a time being fixed for the removal of them, it was accordingly done at the entreaty of Moses and Aaron, Ex 8:7-14 but there being a respite, Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and the plague of lice is ordered, and which was executed; and though this the magicians essayed to do, and could not, but owned it to be the finger of God, yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, Ex 8:15-19 wherefore he is threatened with a swarm of flies, which should not infest Goshen, only the places where the Egyptians dwelt, and it was so, Ex 8:20-24 upon which Pharaoh called for Moses, and declared himself willing the people would sacrifice in the land; but this not being satisfactory, he agreed they should go into the wilderness, but not so far; and on the account of the entreaty of Moses, the plague was removed; but still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go, Ex 8:25-32.