Exodus 8:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.

NASB: Then he said, 'Tomorrow.' So he said, 'May it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

CSB: "Tomorrow," he answered. Moses replied, "As you have said, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God,

NLT: Do it tomorrow,' Pharaoh said. 'All right,' Moses replied, 'it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

KJV: And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.

NKJV: So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “ Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

Pharaoh's magicians had appeared to duplicate the Lord's miraculous signs (Exodus 7:10–12, 22–23). But whatever success they had in replicating the plague of frogs (Exodus 8:6–7) was limited. Instead of ignoring the command to release the nation of Israel (Exodus 8:1–2), Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron to make a deal: if the frogs are taken away, he will release the Hebrews (Exodus 8:8).

This means the Egyptian occultists could summon frogs, but not drive them away. Despite worshipping Heqet, a frog goddess, the Egyptians are forced to ask a slave nation to appeal to their own God for relief. Moses replied with an offer for Pharaoh to choose when the plague would be lifted (Exodus 8:9). This would remove any doubts that what happened was a coincidence. Both the start and end of the disaster would be credited to the God of Israel, alone.

It seems strange, at first, that Pharaoh's answer is not, "remove the frogs immediately." It's possible Moses only gave Pharaoh a few options. Also, ancient Egyptian religion made heavy use of incantation and ritual. In Pharaoh's mind, "tomorrow" might have been the soonest such a thing could be done. But as expected (Exodus 3:19–20), lifting this plague only makes Pharaoh more stubborn, and he will go back on his bargain almost immediately (Exodus 8:15).

Ancient literature often uses a mirror-image structure. This is a "chiasm," where ideas are arranged towards a crucial point, then repeated in reverse order. Pharaoh mentions pleas to the Lord (Exodus 8:8), ending the plague is discussed (Exodus 8:9–10). Then comes the central idea: that the Lord is glorified. Next, the end of the plague is mentioned (Exodus 8:11) and Moses pleads with the Lord (Exodus 8:12).

Exodus 8:1–15 describes the second plague: frogs. The rotting Nile (Exodus 7:20–23) spits out a wave of frogs into Egyptian streets and homes. Pharaoh's conjurers can also summon frogs—but they can't remove them. So, Pharoh turns to Moses. They schedule a specific moment to lift the plague. This explicit timing made it clear that Israel's God, not the Egyptian frog goddess Heqet, was in control. As soon as the pressure of the plague is off, Pharoah changes his mind about releasing the Israelites.

After Pharaoh ignores the first plague (Exodus 7:20–23), God sends a swarm of frogs. Pharaoh's magicians can summon frogs, but they can't get rid of them. So, he appeals to Moses. Though the plague is lifted, Pharaoh re-jects the command to release Israelite slaves. This leads to a plague of gnats and then one of flies, with similar results. The arrival of these creatures might have been caused by the corruption of the Nile River, but only God's supernatural work could make them disappear. Future plagues will be increasingly severe (Exodus 9:6, 10, 22; 10:4, 22; 12:29–32).

Moses and Aaron offered a sign to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10–13), but he still refused to release the Hebrew slaves (Ex-odus 1:11–14). This triggered the first of the ten plagues of Egypt: turning water into blood (Exodus 7:20–21). This chapter includes the next three disasters: frogs, gnats, and flies. Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to concede each time. Upcoming plagues will escalate (Exodus 9:6, 10, 22, 10:4, 22), leading to the death of Egypt's firstborn (Exodus 12:29–32) and Israel's release (Exodus 12:41).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.