The Fourth Plague: Flies

Exodus 8

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, e "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, f "Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day g I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, h that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. 1 23 Thus I will put a division 2 between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'" 24 And the Lord did so. i There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." 26 But Moses said, "It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an j abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings j abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go k three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God l as he tells us." 28 So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. m Plead for me." 29 Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh n cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord." 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh o hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

  1. Cross References
    Exodus 7:15
    Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.
    Exodus 9:13
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 8:1
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 9:4
    But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die."'
    Exodus 11:7
    But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
    Malachi 3:18
    Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 8:10
    And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
    Exodus 7:17
    Thus says the Lord, "By this you shall know that I am the Lord : behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
  5. Cross References
    Psalms 78:45
    He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
    Psalms 105:31
    He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
    Isaiah 7:18
    In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 43:32
    They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
    Genesis 46:34
    You shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 43:32
    They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
    Genesis 46:34
    You shall say, 'Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,' in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.
  8. Cross References
    Exodus 3:18
    And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 3:12
    He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 8:8
    Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 8:15
    But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
    Jeremiah 42:20 - 21
    That you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says declare to us and we will do it.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 8:15
    But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Next Book Next Book