Exodus 8:20-24 (NKJV)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” ’ ” And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

The Hebrew word for fly (zebub) does not appear in this passage. The Hebrew just says “swarms.” Technically, this is the plague of swarms, not the plague of flies.

Yet the vast majority of English translations say “swarms of flies.” A few (e.g., the Common English Bible, the Complete Jewish Bible) say “swarms of insects.” Why?

Most of the published reasons for why people think that the swarms were flies are natural explanations. The rotting corpses of frogs would have bred flies. Also, flies carry disease and thus could have naturally brought on the next plague (livestock). But searching for natural explanations for God’s miracles can be a source of error. So, what were they swarms of?

Maybe the pattern of the LORD busting on the Egyptian gods can provide a clue. Is there a particular Egyptian god who would be a logical fit?

http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/

Nope. None of them here fit the swarms theme, though we can never be sure that any list has them all.

Since no specific insect is named in the text, maybe this isn’t about a specific insect (or god). The point of this plague seems to be the separation of the land of Goshen from the rest of Egypt. The target this time isn’t an Egyptian god; it’s the Egyptians. The plagues are starting to hurt (the land was corrupted because of the swarms) yet the people of Israel are miraculously spared.

The Egyptian people have to be wondering what the heck is going on. As things develop, they will become increasingly anxious for this nightmare to end. Eventually, they will be so desperate to be rid of the Hebrews that they’ll be willing to give up everything to get them to leave.

Our situation is the opposite of what the ancient Egyptians were going through. We have challenges, but they’re nothing compared to theirs. This is amazing, and we don’t thank God for it often enough.

Also, let’s lift up our nation’s leaders. Many of the biggest challenges lie with them. Specifically, pray for the ones you disagree with. May the LORD bless them and give them wisdom. Pray for reconciliation.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies