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Parsha
14: Va'era (continued)
“I appeared,” Exod. 6:2-9:35
b. The Second Plague: Frogs (8:1-15) [WHICH GODS?]
[Egypt • 16 March 1463 BCE]
(7:25) Seven days after ADONAI had struck the river, 1 (7:26) ADONAI said to Moshe,[1] “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Here is what ADONAI says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 (7:27) If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 (7:28) The Nile will swarm with frogs; they will go up into your palace, into your bedroom, and onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your officials and your people, even into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 (7:29) The frogs will climb all over you, your people, and your officials.”’”
5 (1) Then ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell Aharon, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 (2) So Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 (3) But the magicians did the same thing with their magic, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
[Egypt • 17 March 1463 BCE]
8 (4) Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Pray to ADONAI that He would take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go sp that they may sacrifice to ADONAI.”
9 (5) Moshe said to Pharaoh, “I give you the honor of setting the time that I should pray for you, and for your officials, and for your people, that the frogs be removed from you and your houses, and remain only in the river.”
10 (6) “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered.
Moshe said, “Let it be as you have said so that you may know that there is no one like ADONAI our God.
(v) 11 (7) The frogs will depart from you, and from your houses, and from your officials, and from your people. They will remain only in the Nile.”
[Egypt • 18 March 1463 BCE]
12 (8) After Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh, Moshe cried out to ADONAI concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 (9) Then ADONAI did as Moshe had asked, and all the frogs in the houses, courtyards, fields died. 14 (10) The people piled them together in great heaps, and there was a terrible stench throughout the land. 15 (11) But when Pharaoh saw that there was some relief, he hardened his heart and wouldn’t listen to Moshe and Aharon, just as ADONAI had said.
c. The Third Plague: Lice (8:16-19) [WHICH GODS?]
[Egypt • 19 March 1463 BCE]
16 (12) Then ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell Aharon, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it becomes lice[16] throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 17 (13) They did so, and when Aharon stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, there were lice upon both man and beast. All the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 (14) The magicians tried to produce lice with their magic, but they couldn’t. There were lice on both man and beast. 19 (15) Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!”[19] But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, just as ADONAI had said.
d. The Fourth Plague: Flies (8:20-32) [WHICH GODS?]
[Egypt • 20 March 1463 BCE]
20 (16) Then ADONAI said to Moshe, “Get up early in the morning and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him, ‘This is what ADONAI says, “Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 21 (17) Otherwise, if you will not let My people go, look, I will send swarms of flies upon you, your officials, your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground they are on. 22 (18) On that day I will set apart the land of Goshen where My people live, so that no swarms of flies will be there, so that you may know that I, ADONAI am in the land.
(vi) 23 (19) I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will happen by tomorrow.”’”
[Egypt • 21 March 1463 BCE]
24 (20) Then ADONAI did so; and thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into his officials’ houses. All the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by swarms of flies.
25 (21) Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Go! Sacrifice to your God here in the land!”
26 (22) Moshe answered, “It wouldn’t be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to ADONAI our God would be an abomination to the Egyptians.[26] Look, if we offer sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians, won’t they stone us? 27 (23) We must go a three-days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to ADONAI our God as He commands us.”
28 (24) Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to ADONAI your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29 (25) Moshe said, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to ADONAI that tomorrow the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Just don’t let Pharaoh act deceitfully any more by not letting the people go to sacrifice to ADONAI.”
[Egypt • 22 March 1463 BCE]
30 (26) Then Moshe left Pharaoh, and prayed to ADONAI, 31 (27) and ADONAI did as Moshe asked. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people; not one remained. 32 (28) But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he didn’t let the people go.
1. Chapter and verse numbering in the Hebrew Tanakh (in parentheses) is sometimes slightly different from most English versions. [BACK]
16. The Hebrew word translated “lice” is הַכִּנִּ֖ים (hakkinnîm), singular כֵּן (kane), which may also be translated “gnats” or “a gnat swarm.” Late Hebrew, including Josephus (Antiquities ii.14) translates כִּנָּה, plural כִּנִּים, as “maggots” and especially “lice.” [BACK]
19. If they attributed this to just God’s finger, what should they have expected if He raised His whole hand against them? [BACK]
26. Many of the “gods” of Egypt took the form of cattle. It would look to the Egyptians like the Isra'elites were sacrificing their “gods.” [BACK]
Other commentaries on Exodus 8
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Pulpit Commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
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ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
