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27,299 commentary entries
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 7:23
Pharaoh turned—i.e. "returned"—quitted the river-hank, satisfied with what the magicians had done, and went back to the palace. Neither did he set his heart to this also. A better translation is that of Booth-royd—"Nor…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 7:24-25
EXPOSITION Necessity is the mother of invention. Finding the Nile water continue utterly undrinkable, the Egyptians bethought themselves of a means of obtaining water to which they never had recourse in ordinary times.…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 7:24
All the Egyptians digged. Not the Hebrews. The water stored in the houses of the Hebrews in reservoirs, cisterns, and the like, was (it would seem) not vitiated; and this would suffice for the consumption of seven days.…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 7:24
God allows men to seek and obtain alleviations of his judgments. We are not intended to sit down under the judgments of God, and fold our hands, and do nothing. Whether it be war, or pestilence, or famine, or any other…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 7:25
And seven days were fulfilled. This note of time has been regarded as merely fixing the interval between the first plague and the second. But it is more natural to regard it as marking the duration of the first plague.…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1-8
God can scourge men beyond endurance with a whip of straw. A frog seems an innocent and harmless reptile enough, not pleasing nor attractive, but scarcely calculated to cause much suffering. When the Egyptians made frog…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1-7
EXPOSITION THE SECOND PLAGUE. After an interval which there are no means of estimating, the second plague followed the first. Again, while the main purpose of the plague was to punish the nation by which Israel had been…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1
Go unto Pharaoh. The second plague is given simply as a plague, not as a sign. It is first threatened (Exodus 8:2), and then accomplished (Exodus 8:6), an interval being allowed, that Pharaoh might change his mind, and…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1-39
Three plagues-frogs, lice, flies. On the precise character of these three plagues, see the exposition. They are to be viewed in their relation to the Egyptians.— 1. As an intensification of the natural plagues of the la…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1-16
The plague of frogs. Observe on this plague, in addition to what has been said above. I. PHARAOH'S HARDNESS UNDER THE FIRST PLAGUE WROUGHT NO ESCAPE, EITHER FROM THE DIVINE COMMAND OR FROM THE DIVINE POWER (Exodus 8:1).…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:1-15
The seared plague: the frogs. In intimating the first plague, Moses made no forms! demand upon Pharaoh to liberate Israel, though of course the demand was really contained in the intimation. But now as the second plague…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:2
Frogs. The word used for "frog," viz. tseparda, is thought to be Egyptian, and to remain (abbreviated) in the modern dofda, which is in common use, and designates the species known to naturalists as "Rana Mosaica."
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:3
The river shall bring forth frogs. The frogs do not often come directly out of the river. They are bred in the pools and marshes which the Nile leaves as it is retiring. These, however, may be viewed as detached fragmen…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:5
Over the streams … rivers … ponds. See the comment on Exodus 7:19.
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:6
The frogs came up. Literally, "The frog came up," the word being used to designate the class or species.
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:7
The magicians did so … and brought up frogs. Here again, as in their imitation of the first plague (Exodus 7:22), sleight of hand may have been the means employed by the magicians; or possibly they may have merely claim…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:8-13
God's mercy when men repent ever so little. The object of the judgments, as well as of the goodness of God is "to lead men to repentance "(Romans 2:4). He "wouldeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should b…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:8
Intreat the Lord—i.e; "Intreat your God, Jehovah, who has sent this plague, and can doubtless take it away." An acknowledgment of Jehovah's power is now for the first time forced from the reluctant king, who has hithert…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:8-15
EXPOSITION How long the plague of frogs endured, we are not told. Probably every effort was made, short of intentionally killing them, to get rid of them. Snakes, and chameleons, and ibises would destroy many—others wou…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:9
Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me. Probably a phrase of ordinary courtesy, meaning—"I submit to thy will have the honour of my submission." When shall I intreat? Literally "For when"—i.e; "for what date shall I mak…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:10
To-morrow. See the comment on Exodus 8:9. That thou mayest know. Moses accepts the date fixed by the Pharaoh, and makes an appeal to him to recognise the unapproachable power and glory of Jehovah, if the event correspon…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:12
Moses cried unto the Lord. The expression used is a strong one, and seems to imply special earnestness in the prayer. Moses had ventured to fix a definite time for the removal of the plague, without (so far as appears)…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:13
The villages. The translation "courts" or "court-yards," is preferred by some. Houses in Egypt had generally a court-yard attached to them.
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:14
They gathered them together upon heaps. Literally "heaps upon heaps." And the land stank. Even when the relief came, it was not entire relief. The putrefaction of the dead bodies filled the whole land with a fetid odour.