Exodus 8:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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. Plead for me."

NIV: Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me."

NASB: Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Plead for me.'

CSB: Pharaoh responded, "I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me."

NLT: All right, go ahead,' Pharaoh replied. 'I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.'

KJV: And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

NKJV: So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.”

This is Pharaoh's counteroffer during negotiations to end the plague of flies (Exodus 8:25–27). God sent these catastrophes to convince the Egyptian king to release the nation of Israel from slavery (Exodus 1:11–14; 5:1–4). So far, Pharaoh has resisted. He certainly realizes that once the entire nation leaves Egyptian territory, those slaves aren't coming back. Yet the brutal infestation of flies (Exodus 8:24) has made him willing to talk. Moses has already rejected holding sacrifices in Goshen (Genesis 45:10; 46:34). But Pharaoh doesn't want the people moving too far away.

This is the second time Pharaoh has asked Moses to plead to the Lord God to stop a plague. The first time was in response to the plague of frogs (Exodus 8:8). He will later ask Moses to pray on his behalf for two more of the ten total plagues (Exodus 9:28; 10:17). Pharaoh never seems to attempt to speak to the Lord on his own; he only asks Moses to do so on his behalf as a messenger of the Lord. None of that changes Pharaoh's obstinate heart. In the end, he will always respond to mercy with more disobedience (Exodus 8:1–15, 31–32; 9:34; 14:5–7).

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.