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27,299 commentary entries
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:15
When Pharaoh saw that there was respite. Literally, "a taking of breath," i.e; "a breathing-space." He hardened his heart. He became hard and merciless once more, believing that the danger was past, and not expecting an…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:15
Double-minded men, unstable in all their ways. An Egyptian king was not likely, unless exceptionally gifted by nature, to be firm, fixed, and stable in his conduct. Flattered and indulged from infancy, no sooner did he…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:16
Lice. Kinnim—the word is only found here and in the Psalms which celebrate the Exodus (Psalms 78:46; Psalms 105:31). It was understood as "lice"by Josephus, the Talmudical writers, Bochart, Pool, and our translators in…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:16-19
I. THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE DIVINE MERCY. This, like every third plague, came without warning. Opportunity was given twice to avert coming judgment. None is given now. Unannounced it startles them in the midst of their f…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:16-19
EXPOSITION THE THIRD PLAGUE. The breach of promise on the part of Pharaoh (Exodus 8:15), was punished by the third plague, which was inflicted without being announced. It is disputed among the best critics, whether the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:16-19
The plague of lice. The precise nature of the visitation is matter of dispute. The word "Kinnim" seems to include various kinds of poisonous flies and insects (Geikie; and see Exposition). Some take it to denote mosquit…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:16-19
The third plague-the gnats: the finger of God. I. CONSIDER THE PLAGUE ITSELF. From the water God comes to the land. He who has power over every drop of water has power over every grain of dust. Everywhere at his touch t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:17
And in beast. Kalisch notes that mosquitoes - molest especially beasts, as oxen and horses, flying into their eyes and nostrils, driving them to madness and fury, and sometimes even torturing them to death." He quotes T…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:18
The magicians did so with their enchantments. The magicians stretched out their rods over certain collections of dust, but no gnats were produced; which would be the natural result, if they had made no secret arrangemen…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:19
Moral avalanches not easily arrested when once set in motion. The magicians had begun by exciting Pharaoh to obstinate unbelief and resistance to the Divine Will They had, by artifice or otherwise, persuaded him that th…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:19
The magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. Or "of a God." It is not probable that the magicians believed in a single God, or intended in what they said to express any monotheistic idea. All that they me…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:20
Lo, he cometh forth to the water. See Exodus 7:15, and comment. It is suspected that on this occasion Pharaoh "went to the Nile with a procession to open the solemn festival "held in the autumn when the inundation was b…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:20-24
EXPOSITION THE FOURTH PLAGUE. It has been noticed that—setting apart the last and most terrible of the plagues, which stands as it were by itself—the remainder divide themselves into three groups of three each—two in ea…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:20-32
The plague of flies. This torment is thought by many to have embraced winged pests of all kinds. In this case, it would include the mosquito, cattle-fly, beetles, dog-flies, and numbers of others. But see the exposition…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:20-32
The fourth plague-the flies: the immunities of Goshen. The mere change from one chastising agent to another is not a matter to be dwelt on in considering this plague. We note that God makes the change from gnats to flie…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:20-32
The Fourth Plague. I. THE SUPERSTITION OF EGYPT IS MADE ITS SCOURGE. 1. The land was covered with the sacred beetle. It swarmed upon the ground and in their homes. No movement was possible without crushing or treading u…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:21
Swarms of flies is an unfortunate translation of a single substantive in the singular number, accompanied by the article. A mixture, etc; is nearly as bad. The writer must mean some one definite species of animal, which…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:22
I will sever in that day the land of Goshen. On the position of the land of Goshen, see the Excursus on the Geography. The "severance" is a new feature, and one distinguishing the later from the earlier plagues. It was…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:23
A division. Literally "a redemption," i.e; a sign that they are redeemed from bondage, and are "My people," not thine any longer. To-morrow. Particulars of time and place are fixed beforehand, to mark clearly that the v…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:24
A grievous swarm of flies. Rather "a multitude of beetles." As with the frogs, so with the beetles, it aggravated the infliction, that, being sacred animals, they might not be destroyed or injured. Beetles were sacred t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:25-32
EXPOSITION The fourth plague moves the Pharaoh more than any preceding one. He still cannot bring himself to grant the demand of Moses; but he offers a compromise. The Israelites shall have a respite from their toils, a…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:25
In the land—i.e; in Egypt within the limits of my dominions, so that I may not lose sight of you—far less run the risk of losing you altogether.
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:26
It is not meet so to do. So many animals were held sacred by the Egyptians, some universally, some partially, that, if they held a great festival anywhere in Egypt, the Israelites could not avoid offending the religious…
The Pulpit Commentary on Exodus 8:27
Three days' journey into the wilderness. This was the demand made from the first (Exodus 5:3) by Divine direction (Exodus 3:18). Its object was to secure the absence of Egyptians as witnesses. As he shall command us. Co…