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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.
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 8:15
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…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 8:16-19
These lice were produced out of the dust of the earth; out of any part of the creation God can fetch a scourge, with which to correct those who rebel against him. Even the dust of the earth obeys him. These lice were ve…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 8:16-19
Here is a short account of the plague of lice. It does not appear that any warning was given of it before. Pharaoh's abuse of the respite granted to him might have been a sufficient warning to him to expect another plag…
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
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 8:16-19
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 8:17
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…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 8:20-32
Pharaoh was early at his false devotions to the river; and shall we be for more sleep and more slumber, when any service to the Lord is to be done? The Egyptians and the Hebrews were to be marked in the plague of flies.…
Matthew Henry on Exodus 8:20-32
Here is the story of the plague of flies, in which we are told, I. How it was threatened, like that of frogs, before it was inflicted. Moses is directed (Exodus 8:20) to rise early in the morning, to meet Pharaoh when h…
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 8:20-24
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
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…