Exodus 8:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

NIV: So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.

NASB: So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

CSB: When Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

NLT: So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land!

KJV: And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

NKJV: So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

Here, Aaron obeys the command which came from God, through Moses (Exodus 8:1–5). Pharaoh has ignored commands (Exodus 5:1–4), signs (Exodus 7:10–13), and a devastating plague (Exodus 7:20–23). Now, his entire nation will be overrun with frogs, interfering with every aspect of daily life. Heqet, an Egyptian frog goddess, will prove to be no help in controlling these swarms.

As before, Pharaoh's sorcerers will appear to summon frogs to duplicate the miracle (Exodus 8:7). Yet their success comes just before Pharaoh's plea for Moses to take the frogs away (Exodus 8:8). Apparently, the magicians could not control or dismiss the frogs blanketing Egypt. When Pharaoh pleads with him, Moses will offer relief on a timeline specified by the ruler; the ability to remove the frogs at a specific time further proves that God is behind all these events (Exodus 8:9–10).

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.

Accessed 7/5/2025 7:10:09 PM