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Exodus 8:16
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14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was arelief, bhe hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.  

The Third Plague: Lice

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become1 lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ”
17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and ait became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.  
18 Now athe magicians so worked with their1 enchantments to bring forth lice, but they bcould not. So there were lice on man and beast.  
19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is athe finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s bheart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.  

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 And the Lord said to Moses, a“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: b“Let My people go, that they may serve Me.  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Exodus 8:15   Exodus 8:17 >>

What Does Exodus 8:16 Mean?



Exodus 8:16-19

The third plague, striking Egypt unannounced, hit the Egyptians in their religious ritual: They were a scrupulously clean people, believing that dirt and vermin made them impure and defiled. They bathed and shaved their bodies regularly to maintain their purity and superiority, but infected with lice, they could not worship in any temple. In addition, this plague struck the beasts also (verse 17), many of which were sacred animals kept in their sanctuaries. So, not only were the Egyptians defiled, but their gods and temples were defiled also.

Pharaoh's magicians could not duplicate this third plague in even a small way, so they admitted that Israel's God was greater than any of theirs (verse 19). God showed these pagan people that He controlled the creation and could do with it as He wished. The plagues on Egypt continued in this manner in sets of three, in which Moses and Aaron announced the first two and the third would descend unannounced.

Mike Ford
Animal Idolatry

Related Topics: Animal Idolatry | Defilement | God's Sovereignty | God's Sovereignty Over Animals | God's Sovereignty Over Creation | Idolatry | Pagan Religious Practices | Plagues Coming in Sets of Three | Plagues of Egypt


 
<< Exodus 8:15   Exodus 8:17 >>

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