Exodus 8:2

But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — God addresses Pharaoh through Moses, delivering a conditional warning immediately after commanding the release of Israel for worship.

The words — מָאֵן (ma'én) denotes a deliberate refusal, while נֹגֵף (nógēp) means to strike or plague, establishing the threat as a direct divine action.

The thread — The refusal to release Israel recurs in Exodus 7:14 and 9:2, while the frogs are later recalled in Psalm 78:45 as a devastating judgment.

Why it lands — The text states that disobedience to a divine command triggers an immediate, localized plague, requiring prompt compliance rather than negotiation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if מָאֵ֥ןma.'En[are] refusing אַתָּ֖ה'a.Tahyou לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַle./sha.Le.achto/ let [them] go הִנֵּ֣הhi.Nehhere!אָנֹכִ֗י'a.no.KhiI נֹגֵ֛ףno.Gef[am] about to strike אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-all גְּבוּלְךָ֖ge.vu.le./Khaterritory/ your בַּֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃Ba/tz.far.de.'Imwith <the>/ frogs

King James Version

And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

Cross-references

Exodus 7:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
Exodus 9:2 But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
Psalms 78:45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.
Psalms 105:30 Their land teemed with frogs, even in their royal chambers.
Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.