Exodus 8:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

NIV: " ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.

NASB: But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land.

CSB: But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where my people are living; no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, the Lord, am in the land.

NLT: But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land.

KJV: And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

NKJV: And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land.

When Israel first moved into Egypt, they settled in a region called Goshen (Genesis 45:10). This was apparently close to the main cities of the Nile Delta, but not in the exact same territory. Some modern archaeologists place it northeast of modern-day Cairo. At first, the separate location was meant to keep unpopular Israelite practices away from Egyptians who may have been offended (Genesis 46:34). Eventually, the arrangement would allow Egypt to control their slaves without needing to integrate them into their daily lives (Exodus 1:11–14). Here, we see this distinction made for the first time in reference to the plagues (Exodus 3:19–20).

The Lord promises the flies will cause problems only for the Egyptians. The given reason is to show that God is the One True God. Each of the ten plagues expresses the Lord's control over all things. Most of the catastrophes also strike against belief in various Egyptian idols. Gods associated with the Nile, insects, weather, light, and disease appear helpless against the God of Israel.

Exodus 8:20–32 presents the fourth plague in response to Pharaoh's continued resistance to Israelite freedom. This involves droves of insects: possibly flies or the larger, biting horseflies. The Hebrew word simply means "swarms." There are so many flies that they even cover the ground. This time, Israelite territory is specifically exempt from the disaster. That restriction further removes doubts that this was an unplanned coincidence. Pharaoh seems willing to allow some measure of freedom for Israel, but quickly changes his mind.

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.