Exodus 8

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 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.

2And if thou refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

3And 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:

4And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

5And 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.

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

7And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat 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.

9And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat 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?

10And he said, To morrow. And he said, [Be it] according to thy word: that thou mayest know that [there is] none like unto the LORD our God.

11And 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.

12And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

13And 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.

14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

15But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

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.

17And 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.

18And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

19Then 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.

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.

21Else, 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].

22And 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.

23And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

24And 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].

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

26And 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?

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

28And 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: intreat for me.

29And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms [of flies] may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

30And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

31And 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.

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

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Exodus chapter 8 details three more plagues upon Egypt: frogs, lice, and swarms of flies. Each plague was a divine judgment intended to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites for service to the LORD. Following the removal of the frogs and flies, Pharaoh repeatedly hardened his heart, refusing to honor his promises. The Egyptian magicians acknowledged the divine origin of the lice, unable to replicate it.

Medium Summary

The LORD commanded Moses to warn Pharaoh that refusal to release Israel would bring a plague of frogs. Aaron stretched his rod, covering Egypt with frogs, which prompted Pharaoh to request their removal, promising to let the people go; however, upon respite, Pharaoh hardened his heart. Next, Aaron smote the dust, which became lice upon man and beast, a feat the Egyptian magicians could not replicate, admitting it was "the finger of God." Still, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. Finally, God sent grievous swarms of flies, specifically sparing the land of Goshen where the Israelites dwelt. Pharaoh again sought relief, offering a partial concession for sacrifice, but after the flies departed, he once more hardened his heart, refusing to release the people.

Long Summary

Exodus chapter 8 recounts the second, third, and fourth plagues inflicted upon Egypt, each demonstrating the LORD's power and Pharaoh's persistent defiance. First, the LORD threatened a plague of frogs if Pharaoh refused to let His people go. When Aaron stretched forth his hand, frogs emerged in vast numbers, covering the land, entering homes, and afflicting the Egyptians. Pharaoh, distressed, called for Moses and Aaron, requesting their intercession and promising to release Israel to sacrifice to the LORD. Moses agreed to remove the frogs, setting a specific time to prove God's uniqueness. Upon the frogs' death and their subsequent gathering into stinking heaps, Pharaoh, seeing the respite, hardened his heart and reneged on his promise. Next, the LORD commanded Aaron to smite the dust of the land with his rod, transforming it into lice upon both man and beast throughout Egypt. The Egyptian magicians attempted to replicate this plague with their enchantments but failed, acknowledging to Pharaoh that this was "the finger of God." Despite this divine demonstration, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he still refused to release the Israelites. Finally, the LORD warned Pharaoh of a grievous plague of swarms of flies, explicitly stating that the land of Goshen, where the Israelites resided, would be spared to demonstrate His presence and distinction between His people and the Egyptians. The swarms came, corrupting the land. Pharaoh again summoned Moses and Aaron, offering a compromise: to let the Israelites sacrifice within Egypt. Moses refused, explaining that sacrificing Egyptian abominations before their eyes would lead to stoning, insisting on a three-days' journey into the wilderness as commanded by God. Pharaoh conceded to allow them to go into the wilderness, though not "very far," and requested Moses's intercession. Moses entreated the LORD, and the swarms of flies departed completely. However, as before, Pharaoh hardened his heart once more and would not let the people go, continuing his defiance against the LORD.

Core Concepts

  • Divine AuthorityThe LORD repeatedly commands Moses and Aaron to deliver His messages and execute His judgments, demonstrating His supreme authority over Pharaoh and creation.
  • Plagues as JudgmentThe successive plagues of frogs, lice, and flies serve as divine judgments against Egypt, designed to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites and reveal God's power.
  • Pharaoh's Hardened HeartDespite witnessing overwhelming supernatural events and experiencing severe suffering, Pharaoh consistently hardens his heart, refusing to obey the LORD's command after each plague is lifted.
  • Magicians' LimitationsThe Egyptian magicians, initially able to replicate the first plague, are unable to produce lice and acknowledge the "finger of God," signifying the limits of their power against divine intervention.
  • Distinction of IsraelWith the plague of flies, God explicitly protects the land of Goshen where the Israelites dwell, demonstrating a clear separation between His people and the Egyptians.
  • PestilenceThe plagues manifest as widespread infestations of creatures (frogs, lice, flies) that cause immense discomfort, disease, and corruption throughout the land of Egypt.
  • Conditional ReleasePharaoh attempts to negotiate and offer partial concessions for Israel's release, but Moses steadfastly adheres to God's command for a full departure into the wilderness.