Exodus 8

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus says the LORD, let my people go, that they may serve me.

And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders All thy land, which is within thy borders. A Synecdoche, so that word is used also, Exod. 10. 14, 19. 1 King. 1. 3. Psal. 147. 14. Ier. 15. 13. So the gate and the wall are put for the city to which they belong, Gen. 22. 17. Amos 1. 7, 10, 14. with frogs.

And the river Under which are comprehended all other rivers, streams and ponds, as appears from ver. 5. But the river Nilus is mentioned, because God would make that an instrument of their misery, in which they most gloried, Ezek. 29. 3. and to which they gave divine honours, and which was the instrument of their cruelty against the Israelites, chap. 1. 22. shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bed chamber Either because God made the doors and windows to flie open, which it is easie to believe concerning God, seeing this has been many times done by evil Angels; or because whensoever men entred into any house or any room of their house, which their occasions would oft force them to do, the frogs, being always at their heels in great numbers, would go in with them. This plague was worse than the former, because it was more constant and more general; for the former was only in the waters, and did only molest them when they went to drink or use the water, but this infected all liquors and all places, and at all times, and annoyed all their sences with their filthy substance and shape and noise and stink, and mingled themselves with their meats and... auces and drinks, and crawling into their bed... made them restless. And many of them probably were of a more ugly shape and infectious nature than ordinary., and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs.

And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people Not upon the Israelites, whom he hereby exempts from the number of Pharaohs people and subjects, and owns them for his peculiar people. The frogs did not only invade their houses, but assault their persons, which is not strange, considering that they were armed with a divine commission and power., and upon all thy servants.

And the LORD spake unto Moses By inward instinct or suggestion to his mind; for he was now in the Kings presence., 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.

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

And the Magicians did so with their inchantments Nor was it hard for the Devil to produce them out of their own spawn and the slime of the river., and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Then 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.

And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me As I have gloried over thee in laying first my commands, and then my plagues upon thee, so now lay thy commands upon me for the time of my praying, and if I do not what thou requirest, I am content thou shouldest insult over me, and punish me. Or Glory, or boast thy self of, or concerning me, as one that by Gods power can do that for thee which all thy Magitians cannot, of whom therefore thou now seest thou canst not glory nor boast as thou hast hitherto done.: When shall I intreat for thee, Appoint me what time thou pleasest. Hereby he knew that the hand and glory of God would be more conspicuous in it. And this was no presumption in Moses, because he had a large Commission, chap. 7. 1. and also had particular direction from God in all that he said or did in these matters., 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?

And he said, To morrow Why not presently? Ans. 1. Because he hoped ere that time they might be removed either by natural causes or by chance, and so he should not need the favour of Moses or his God. 2. Because he thought it an hard and long work to remove so vast a number of frogs, and that Moses might use divers Ceremonies, as the Magitians did, in his addresses to God, which would require some considerable time.. And he said, Be it according to thy word, that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

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.

And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cryed unto the LORD Though he was assured that the frogs would depart at his word, yet he would use the means appointed by God for the accomplishment of it., because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh Or, as the place is fitly rendred by others, because of the word or matter of or about the frogs which he had given or propounded to Pharaoh. Because he had given his word both for the thing and the time of it, he prayed more earnestly, lest God should be dishonoured and Pharaoh have occasion of triumph. The Hebrew verbs to put and to give are frequently exchanged, as appears by comparing 1 King. 10. 9. with 2 Chron. 9. 8. and Isa. 42. 1. with Mat. 12. 18..

And the LORD did according to the word of Moses: and the frogs died out of the houses A short speech for, they died and were removed out of, &c. as appears from the next verse. It being frequent in the Hebrew tongue under one verb expressed to understand another agreeable to it. See Examples in the Hebrew, Gen. 43. 33, 34. Exod. 18. 12. and 25. 2. Prov. 25. 22., out of the villages, and out of the fields.

And they gathered them together upon heaps Which doubtless they cast into their rivers, or pits, &c. though that be not here mentioned. God would not instantly and wholly take them away, both to convince them of the truth of the miracle, and to make them more sensible of this judgment and more fearful of bringing another upon themselves., and the land stank.

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

And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron God, it seems, gave him no warning, because he showed himself in the very last plague to be both per... idious and incorrigible. Others think, he was forewarned, though that be not here expressed., Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice So the Hebrew word is rendred by all the Iewish and most other Interpreters. But it is probable, that what is said of the locusts, Exod. 10. 14. was true of these, that they were much more loathsome and troublesome then ordinary. throughout all the land of Egypt.

And they did so for Aaron stretched out his hand with his ro... and smote the dust Which was not fit matter to produce lice, and therefore shows this work to be divine and miraculous. of the earth, and it, in man and in beast: all the dust of the... d i. e. A great part of it, the word all being commonly so understood in Scripture. became lice, throughout all the land of Egypt.

And the Magicians did so (i. e.) Indeavoured to do so. Thus to enter, Mat. 7. 13. is put for striving to enter, Luk. 13. 24. Thus men are said to deliver, Gen. 37. 21. to fight, Ios. 24. 9. to return, Ios. 10. 15. when they only attempted or endeavoured to do so. And therefore when it is said in any of the plagues that the Magicians did so, it is not to be understood, that they really did the same thing, but that they indeavoured to do so, and that they did something which looked like it. with their inchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not It was as easie for them to produce lice as frogs, but God hindred them, partly to confound them and their devilish arts, and to show that what they did before was only by his permission, and partly to convince Pharaoh and the Egyptians of their vanity in trusting to such impotent Magicians, and in opposing that God who could controll and confound them, when he pleased.: so there were lice upon man and upon beast.

Then the Magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger Which is either Synecdochically for the hand, as it is Exod. 31. 18. Psal. 8. 3. and 144. 1. or metaphorically for the power or virtue, as Luk. 11. 20. compared with Mat. 12. 28. of God Of that supreme God, whom both the Egyptians and other heathen idolaters, acknowledged as superiour to all men and Idols and Devils. This they said, lest they should be thought inferiour to Moses and Aaron in magical art. But hereby they own the soveraign God to be on Israels side, and yet, like the Devils, they proceed to fight against him.. And Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them Either to his Magicians, of whom he last spake: or rather to Moses and Aaron, as the following words show. For relatives oft belong to the remoter antecedents, as Gen. 19. 13. 1 Sam. 7. 17. Mark 2. 13., as the LORD had said.

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 says the LORD, let my people go, that they may serve me.

Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies Heb. a mixture, of insects or flies, as appears from Psal. 78. 45. which were of various kinds, as bees, wasps, gnats, hornets, &c. infinite in their numbers, and doubtless larger and more venemous and pernicious than the common ones were. upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

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 that thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth Either 1. of the w... e earth, and consequently of Egypt, that I am not o... ly the Lord of Israel, but of thee and thy dominions too. God is here spoken of after the manner of earthly Princes, who use to reside in the midst of their Kingdomes that they may more conveniently rule and influence them. Or rather 2. of Goshen, the words being properly thus rendred, that I the Lord am in the midst of that land, to wit, the land of Goshen now spoken of, to defend and preserve it. For God is said to be in the midst of them whom he protects, Deut. 7. 21. and 23. 14. Ios. 3. 10. Psal. 46. 5. and not to be in the midst of others whom he forsakes and designs or threatens to destroy, Num. 14. 42. Deut. 1. 42. and 31. 17. Compare Exod. 33. 3. with 34. 9..

And I will put a division Heb. a redemption or deliverance, i. e. a token or mean of deliverance, by a Metonymy; a wall of partition, by which I will preserve the Israelites whilest I destroy the Egyptians. between my people, and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be This he... aith,... y t... gain the more belief to himself in what he now should further speak in Gods name to them; and par...... o warn them of their danger, and make their disobedience more inexcusable..

And the LORD did so Immediately by his own word, and not by M... ses his rod, le... t the Egyptians should think it was a Magicians wand, and that all Moses his works were done by the power of the Devil.: and there came a grievous swarm of flies Heb. an heav... mixture of flies heavy, i. e. either great, as this Hebrew word is used, Gen. 41. 31. Isa. 32. 2. or mischievous and troubles... me: or rather, numerous, as it is taken, Gen. 50. 9. Numb. 11. 14. 1 King. 3. 9. compared with 2 Chron. 1. 10. into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land (i. e.) Either the fruits and products of the land: or rather the inhabitants of the land, as the word land is taken, Gen. 41. 36. 1 Sam. 27. 9. many of the people were poisoned or stung to death by them, as appears from Psal. 78. 45. See also the book of Wisedom, chap. 16. 9. was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

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

And Moses said, It is not meet Heb. Not right, neither in Gods eyes, who has appointed us the place, as well as the thing: nor in the Egyptians eyes, as it follows. so to do: for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians That which the Egyptians abhor to kill or to see killed; as not only Scripture, but profane Authours, as Diodorus, and Tully, and Iuvenal, witness, because they worshipped them as Gods, as is notoriously known. to the LORD our God: Lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us It was a just fear. For when once a Roman had but killed a cat, though imprudently, the people tumultuously met together and beset his house and killed him in spight of the King and his Princes, who used their utmost power and diligence to prevent it.?

We will go three days journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us For we know not what kind or number of sacrifices to offer to him, till we come thither..

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness: only you shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

And 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 unto the LORD.

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

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.

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