Exodus 8:20

ESV Then the Lord said to Moses, "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, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.

NIV Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

NASB Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: 'Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

CSB The Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh when you see him going out to the water. Tell him: This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

NLT Then the Lord told Moses, 'Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.

KJV 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 saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

NKJV And the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

What does Exodus 8:20 mean?

This begins describing the fourth plague: flies. God has issued a command to Egypt's king to release Hebrew slaves (Exodus 5:1–4). Pharaoh has refused, stubbornly ignoring the Lord's miraculous proofs (Exodus 7:13, 21–22; 8:15, 19). So, the Lord delivers another warning. The prior plague consisted of swarming, tiny insects. These may have been gnats, lice, or even mosquitoes. Now, the threat involves flies. As Pharaoh goes out to the Nile for his daily bathing, Moses and Aaron bring this message (Exodus 8:21). Egypt must free the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 1:11–14) or face additional catastrophes.

For the first time, God specifically says that the plague will not affect the people of Israel. The Israelites lived in Goshen (Genesis 45:10), separate from the major Egyptian cities but within close range. The prior plagues of blood, frogs, and gnats may have touched the Israelites, as well. Or, they may have experienced them in a much less dramatic way. Here, the distinction between Egypt and Israel emphasizes that this is a miracle (Exodus 8:22).

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