Exodus 8:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

NIV: But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

NASB: However, the soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

CSB: But the magicians did the same thing by their occult practices and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

NLT: But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

KJV: And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

NKJV: And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

When Moses and Aaron showed a miraculous sign (Exodus 7:10), Pharaoh ignored it (Exodus 7:13). This was partly because his own sorcerers seemed to have duplicated the feat (Exodus 7:11–12). Pharaoh had already rejected the command to free Israel (Exodus 5:1–4). He recently shrugged off a devastating plague (Exodus 7:20–23). Now, he turns to his magicians once again. He is probably looking for another excuse to dismiss the miracles which the Lord is doing. His entire nation, including his own home (Exodus 8:3–4), is now inundated with swarming frogs (Exodus 8:1–2).

Whether by supernatural means or tricks, Pharaoh's occultists convince him they can do the same as Moses and Aaron. This was enough to make Pharaoh reject earlier signs (Exodus 7:13, 22). They seem to summon frogs, but apparently cannot control them. They cannot make them go away, otherwise Pharoah would not be forced to approach Moses with a plea that the plague be lifted (Exodus 8:8).

The next plague, involving small insects, will leave the Egyptian magicians stumped. They fail to duplicate it (Exodus 8:18). In fact, the pagan sorcerers point to it as a sign of truly divine power (Exodus 8:19).

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.