Keraia
Exodus 8

Exodus 8:29

The Fourth Plague: Flies · Exodus 8:20–32
Read Exodus 8

Translations

Modern
“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”
Traditional
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 to the Lord.
Literal
And Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I will pray to YHWH, and the swarm shall depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not again deal deceitfully in not sending out the people to sacrifice to YHWH.”
Latin
At ait Moyses: Egressus a te, orabo Dominum: et recedet musca a Pharaone, et a servis suis, et a populo ejus cras: verumtamen noli ultra fallere, ut non dimittas populum sacrificare Domino.

Original

Hebrew
English
“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”

Notes

Exodus 8:29–30

I will pray: Moses was learning the role of intercessor that would be so much a part of his life in future years (see, for example, 32:11–13, 30–32; Numbers 14:13–19). It must have been increasingly tempting to let the Egyptians continue to experience the results of their king’s stubbornness, but Moses was willing to plead with God not to leave them in a permanent state of grief and distress.

Exodus 8:20–32

The fourth plague was the plague of flies. The Egyptians worshiped insects such as flies that seemed to be able to turn death into life, as their young seemed to emerge from decaying matter. If the Egyptians thought that insects had the secret of life, God would let them have all the insects they wanted. Some say that this infestation was the natural result of all the dead frogs, but there were no flies in Goshen (8:22), the northeastern delta area where the Hebrews lived. God’s miraculous power was clearly seen in his ability to infest one area while sparing another at will.

Theme notes and profiles

Egypt Moses Pharaoh The Plagues

Events

People

Moses: Prophet who led Israel out of Egypt Pharaoh: Egyptian Pharaoh during the Exodus

Glossary

Aaron Book of Exodus Deuteronomy, Book of Frog Gnat Hardness of Heart History of Israel Jannes and Jambres Magic Numbers and Numerology Plague Plagues upon Egypt

Topics

Deceit: Pharaoh Flies: Plague of Hypocrisy: Pharaoh