Exodus 8

This chapter continues the account of the ten plagues sent on Egypt in the early part of Exodus. After the first plague in Exodus 7, in which the water was turned to blood, three more plagues follow in succession.

Outline

• Verses 1–7 The LORD again commands Pharaoh, "Let my people go." Aaron stretches out his hand with his rod over the waters, and frogs cover the land of Egypt. The magicians of Egypt do the same.
• Verses 8–15 Pharaoh promises to let the people go if the frogs are taken away, and he sets "To morrow" as the time for Moses to pray. When Moses entreats the LORD, the frogs die and are gathered into heaps, and the land stinks. Pharaoh, however, hardens his heart.
• Verses 16–19 Aaron strikes the dust of the land, and the dust becomes lice on man and beast. This time the magicians cannot imitate the sign, and they tell Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God," but Pharaoh does not listen.
• Verses 20–24 The plague of flies is announced. The land of Goshen, where Israel lives, is set apart, and no swarms of flies are there. The next day the swarms come throughout all Egypt.
• Verses 25–32 Pharaoh first tells them to sacrifice "in the land," then allows them to go into the wilderness on the condition that they not go very far away. Moses prays and the flies depart, but Pharaoh again hardens his heart and does not let the people go.

Key Verses

• Exodus 8:19 "This is the finger of God." Here the Egyptian magicians themselves acknowledge their limits.
• Exodus 8:22 "I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell." This is the first explicit statement in the plague narratives of a distinction between Israel and Egypt.

People and Places

• Moses: Delivers the word of the LORD to Pharaoh and prays for the plagues to cease.
• Aaron: Moses' brother, who brings about the plagues of frogs and lice with his rod.
• Pharaoh: The king of Egypt, who goes back on his promises once the plagues stop.
• The magicians: Practitioners of magic at the Egyptian court.
• Egypt: The land on which the plagues fall.
• Goshen: The region within Egypt where the people of Israel lived.

Points for Reflection

• Verse numbering: The Hebrew Masoretic Text numbers 8:1–4 of English Bibles as 7:26–29. As a result, chapter 8 in the Hebrew Bible has 28 verses.
• "Finger of God" in verse 19: The Hebrew literally reads "the finger of God" (as in the KJV), though some translations render it "power." Many interpreters read it together with Luke 11:20, where Jesus says He casts out devils "with the finger of God."
• Translating "lice": It is unclear exactly what insect the Hebrew word kinnim denotes. Some scholars take it to refer to small insects such as mosquitoes or gnats.
• Pharaoh's hardening: The text says both that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (verses 15, 32) and that his heart "was hardened" (verse 19). Paul cites Pharaoh as an example in and around Romans 9:18–23. The Reformed tradition emphasizes this as a passage displaying God's sovereignty, while the Wesleyan and Arminian traditions tend to read it as the consequence of Pharaoh's own prior refusal. This question is discussed further in the article Predestination and Free Will.
• Later traditions: The magicians are not named in Exodus. Their identification with Jannes and Jambres, mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:8, is an understanding handed down from Jewish tradition.
• Judgment on the gods of Egypt: Some interpreters view the plagues as judgments on the gods of Egypt. For example, the plague of frogs is associated with Heqet, a frog-headed goddess. The text itself, however, does not say this directly.