| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| |
|
| 1 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh,–then shalt thou say unto him–Thus, saith Yahweh,–Let my people go, that they may serve me. |
|
| 2 But, if thou art, refusing, to let them go, lo! I, am plaguing all thy boundaries with frogs; |
|
| 3 so shall the river swarm with frogs, and they shall come up, and enter into thy house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy couch,–and into the house of thy servants, and among thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: |
|
| 4 both against thee, and against thy people, and against all thy servants, shall come up the frogs. |
|
| 5 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron–Stretch forth thy hand, with thy staff, over the streams, over the rivers, and over the pools,–and bring up the frogs, over the land of Egypt. |
Cause frogs to come – Vast numbers come to Egypt at times, but never in so great numbers as on this occasion. R5272:1
|
| 6 So Aaron stretched forth his hand, over the waters of Egypt,–and the frog came up, and covered the land of Egypt. |
|
| 7 And the sacred scribes did in like manner, with their secret arts,–and brought up frogs, over the land of Egypt. |
And the magicians – Sorcery, witchcraft and enchantments are manifestations of Satan and of demons for the delusion of mankind. R2110:2, R2189:3
With their enchantments – Using Satan's knowledge of natural laws. R1685:3
Brought up frogs – Satan and the fallen angels may be permitted some power in creating pests. Q265:4
|
| 8 Then called Pharaoh for Moses and for Aaron, and said–Make entreaty unto Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people,–and I must let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh. |
Intreat the LORD – While Pharaoh's magicians duplicated the first two plagues, they were unable to take away the frogs. R5272:1
Take away the frogs – The Egyptians worshipped the froghead goddess, Heka. Thus this plague was a special reproach and particularly severe because it was not lawful for Egyptians to kill frogs. R3994:6
|
| 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh–Explain thyself unto me: For what time, shall I make entreaty for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to cause the frogs to be cut off, from thee, and from thy houses,–only in the river, shall they remain? |
|
| 10 And he said–For tomorrow. And he said–According to thy word! that thou mayest know, that there is none like Yahweh, our God: |
|
| 11 so the frogs shall depart–from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people,–only in the river, shall they remain. |
|
| 12 Then went forth Moses and Aaron from Pharaoh,–and Moses made outcry unto Yahweh, over the matter of the frogs, which he had appointed for Pharaoh. |
|
| 13 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses,–and the frogs died, out of the houses, and out of the yards, and out of the fields; |
|
| 14 and they piled them up, heaps–heaps,–and the land became loathsome. |
|
| 15 But, when Pharaoh saw that there had come a respite, then made he his heart dull, and hearkened not unto them,–as spake Yahweh. |
|
| |
|
| 16 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron–Stretch forth thy staff, and smite the dust of the land,–so shall it become gnats in all the land of Egypt. |
May become lice – The Revised Version margin renders the word "lice" as sandflies, or fleas. R3994:6
The word "lice" probably means "dust ticks." R5272:2
|
| 17 And they did so, and Aaron stretched forth his hand with his staff, and smote the dust of the land, and there canto to be gnats, among men, and among beasts,–all the dust of the land, became gnats, in all the land of Egypt. |
Throughout all the land – The miracle was producing these ticks in unusual numbers and places. R5272:2
|
| 18 And the sacred scribes did in like manner, with their secret arts, to bring forth the gnats, but they could not. So there came to be gnats, among men and among beasts. |
But they could not – Doubtless, however, the fallen spirits have learned much since then and are probably now responsible for many of the plagues, pests and microbes afflicting plant and animal life. R2189:3
|
| 19 Then said the sacred scribes unto Pharaoh, The finger of God, it is! But the heart of Pharaoh waxed bold, and he hearkened not unto them, as spake Yahweh. |
The finger of God – The first definition of a miracle. R3995:1
|
| |
|
| 20 Then said Yahweh unto Moses–Rise thou early in the morning, and station thyself before Pharaoh, lo! he is coming forth to the waters,–then shalt thou say unto him–Thus, saith Yahweh: Let my people go, that they may serve me. |
|
| 21 But, if thou art not letting my people go, behold me! sending forth–against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and against thy houses, the gad-fly,–and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of the gad-fly, moreover also the ground whereon, they, are: |
Swarms of flies – Or beetles, the Hebrew word signifies a mixture of various swarms of insects. R3995:1
Gnats, mosquitoes, house flies and cattle flies. R5272:2
These plagues upon Egypt were intended in some measure to foreshadow, to illustrate, the plagues with which this Gospel age will end-the first three and the "seven last plagues." (Rev. 15:1) F175
|
| 22 then will I make to differ, on that day, the land of Goshen, wherein my people do dwell, so that there shall not be, there, a gad-fly! in order that thou mayest know, that, I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land; |
|
| 23 so will I put a separation betwixt my people and thy people. By tomorrow, shall come to pass this sign. |
Put a division – Both here and in Revelation the first three affected both Israel and Egypt, but the Israelites were exempted from the last seven. R3994:4
In Revelation the first three plagues are called the woe trumpets and following them come the "seven last trumpets." R3994:4
|
| 24 And Yahweh did so, and brought a grievous gad-fly, unto the house of Pharaoh, and the houses of his servants, and in all the land of Egypt, and the land was laid waste, by reason of the gad-fly. |
|
| 25 Then did Pharaoh cry out–unto Moses and to Aaron,–and said–Go your way, sacrifice to your God, in the land. |
|
| 26 And Moses said: Not meet, is it, to do thus, for, an abomination to the Egyptians, we should sacrifice to Yahweh our God. Lo! could we sacrifice that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, and they not stone us? |
|
| 27 A journey of three days, must we go, in the desert,–then will we sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as, Yahweh, hath said unto us. |
Three days' journey – Nothing was said respecting their non-intention of returning, for they had the same right to depart as to come to Egypt. R2910:6
|
| 28 Then said Pharaoh: I, will let you go–so shall ye sacrifice to Yahweh your God, in the desert, only ye shall not go a, very long, journey,–make ye entreaty for me. |
|
| 29 And Moses said: Lo! I, am going out from thee, and will make entreaty unto Yahweh, so will he take away the gad-fly–from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow,–only let not Pharaoh again deceive, in not letting the people go, to sacrifice to Yahweh. |
|
| 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh,–and made entreaty unto Yahweh. |
|
| 31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and took away the gad-fly, from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people,–there remained not, one. |
|
| 32 And Pharaoh made his heart dull, this time also,–and did not let the people go. |
|