Exodus 8:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Lord did so. 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.

NIV: And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.

NASB: Then the Lord did so. And thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

CSB: And the Lord did this. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.

NLT: And the Lord did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.

KJV: And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

NKJV: And the Lord did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

A recurring theme in the book of Exodus is that God always fulfills His promises. Whatever He says will happen, does happen. When Moses and Aaron connect a plague of judgment to a specific time, from a specific animal, with a specific intensity, it is meant to prove that they speak on behalf of the One True God. Egyptian idols who supposedly have power over these elements are shown to be worthless. As promised (Exodus 8:20–23), Egypt is engulfed in flies. As with the plague of frogs (Exodus 8:12–15), Pharaoh will attempt to negotiate peace only to break his promises once the immediate danger is gone (Exodus 8:31–32).

Two psalms mention this plague specifically. In Psalm 78:45 we are told the flies "devoured [the Egyptians]." Psalm 105:31 states when God spoke "there came swarms of flies." Even generations later, this plague was noted as an important part of God's work to free His people. The nature of this and other catastrophes was so severe that the Lord used them to motivate Israel to obey God's laws (Deuteronomy 7:12–16; 28:58–63). God's judgment was not exclusive to Egypt. When the Jews made a golden calf and worshiped it under the leadership of Aaron, God sent a plague upon them as well (Exodus 32:35).

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.