Exodus 8:29

“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Pharaoh immediately following Pharaoh’s conditional agreement to permit Israel’s departure. He establishes a specific timeframe for the plague’s removal before he physically leaves the court.

The words — The Hebrew יוֹצֵא (yo.Tze') literally means "[am] about to go out," and וְ/הַעְתַּרְתִּי (ve./ha'.tar.Ti) translates to "and I will pray." These terms structurally bind Moses’ physical withdrawal to his subsequent intercessory action.

The thread — Pharaoh’s pattern of conditional compliance and subsequent reversal appears in Exodus 8:15, where he hardens his heart upon witnessing relief. Jeremiah 42:20 explicitly condemns the same dynamic of feigned piety used to manipulate divine intervention.

Why it lands — The text records Moses’ explicit warning that Pharaoh must not repeat his deceptive refusal. Readers must confront whether their own commitments to God’s word are binding or merely tactical concessions.

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

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said מֹשֶׁ֗הmo.ShehMoses הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!אָנֹכִ֜י'a.no.KhiI יוֹצֵ֤אyo.Tze'[am] about to go out מֵֽעִמָּךְ֙me./'i.mo/Khfrom/ with <the>/ you וְהַעְתַּרְתִּ֣יve./ha'.tar.Tiand/ I will pray אֶל־'el-to יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וְסָ֣רve./Sarand/ he will turn aside הֶעָרֹ֗בhe./'a.Rothe/ swarm מִפַּרְעֹ֛הmi./par.'Ohfrom/ Pharaoh מֵעֲבָדָ֥יוme./'a.va.Da/vfrom/ servants/ his וּמֵעַמּ֖וֹu./me./'a.M/oand/ from/ people/ his מָחָ֑רma.Chartomorrow רַ֗קRakonly אַל־'al-may not יֹסֵ֤ףyo.Sefhe repeat פַּרְעֹה֙par.'OhPharaoh הָתֵ֔לha.Telto deceive לְבִלְתִּי֙le./vil.Tito/ not שַׁלַּ֣חsha.Lachto let go אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָעָ֔םha./'Amthe/ people לִזְבֹּ֖חַli/z.Bo.achto/ sacrifice לַֽיהוָֽה׃la./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh

King James Version

And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.

Cross-references

Exodus 8:15 When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
Jeremiah 42:20 For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’
Psalms 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
Psalms 78:34 When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
Acts 5:3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

People named

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