Bible Strands
Exodus 8:31
and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Yahweh acting in direct response to Moses’ prayer, removing the insect plague from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. This event closes the intercession cycle begun in Exodus 8:30 and immediately precedes Pharaoh’s renewed refusal in Exodus 8:32.
The words — The verb וַיַּעַשׂ (va.ya‘as) literally means “and he did,” signaling divine execution of the request. The noun הָעָרֹב (ha‘āroḇ) identifies the specific swarm removed, while the verb וַיָּסַר (va.yāsar) denotes the turning aside or clearing of that swarm from the royal court and populace.
The thread — The prayer-response structure appears in Exodus 8:30 and 8:32, framing the plague narrative. The removal of the עָרֹב swarm is confined to Exodus 8:31 and 8:33 within the supplied context.
Why it lands — The text states that divine action fully satisfies the prophetic request before human resistance resumes. A reader must note that compliance does not produce repentance, requiring continued intercession rather than assumption of lasting change.
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
King James Version
And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.