And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
The promise came after another appeal to let the people go, that on the morrow God would put a division and sign between Israel and Egypt in the plague of swarms of flies. The division was geographic, for the land of Goshen where Israel dwelt was severed and exempted so that no swarms of flies appeared there throughout their coasts. By contrast the houses of Pharaoh and his servants and all the land of Egypt were to be full of a grievous swarm. The flies filled the houses and swarmed upon the ground, and the ground whereon they were and the land was corrupted.
They were not harmless common flies that merely annoy in some seasons, but large and venomous flies whose sting was very painful upon man and beast. The purpose of the division was that Pharaoh might know that the LORD is in the midst of the earth. The sign came exactly as promised and was found to be true when the swarms were sent on Pharaoh, his servants, and all Egypt while Goshen was kept free.
Afterward at Moses' entreaty every fly was removed, yet Pharaoh hardened his heart and still refused to let the people go three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD as commanded. The verse belongs to the account of the plagues that exposed the powerlessness of Egypt's idols and showed Jehovah's supremacy. Those plagues also made clear that Israel was to be delivered from Egypt, as was shown when Israel's cattle were spared when Egypt's were struck.
The promise came after another appeal to let the people go, that on the morrow God would put a division and sign between Israel and Egypt in the plague of swarms of flies. The division was geographic, for the land of Goshen where Israel dwelt was severed and exempted so that no swarms of flies appeared there throughout their coasts. By contrast the houses of Pharaoh and his servants and all the land of Egypt were to be full of a grievous swarm. The flies filled the houses and swarmed upon the ground, and the ground whereon they were and the land was corrupted.
They were not harmless common flies that merely annoy in some seasons, but large and venomous flies whose sting was very painful upon man and beast. The purpose of the division was that Pharaoh might know that the LORD is in the midst of the earth. The sign came exactly as promised and was found to be true when the swarms were sent on Pharaoh, his servants, and all Egypt while Goshen was kept free.
Afterward at Moses' entreaty every fly was removed, yet Pharaoh hardened his heart and still refused to let the people go three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD as commanded. The verse belongs to the account of the plagues that exposed the powerlessness of Egypt's idols and showed Jehovah's supremacy. Those plagues also made clear that Israel was to be delivered from Egypt, as was shown when Israel's cattle were spared when Egypt's were struck.