Exodus 8:14 kjv

And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

Exodus 8:14 nkjv

They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.

Exodus 8:14 niv

They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them.

Exodus 8:14 esv

And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.

Exodus 8:14 nlt

The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land.

Exodus 8 verses

Exodus 8 14 Meaning

Exodus 8:14 describes the immediate aftermath of the plague of frogs when the countless deceased amphibians were collected. It vividly illustrates the vast number of frogs and the severe, pervasive stench that afflicted the land of Egypt. This verse underscores the complete and overwhelming nature of this divine judgment, showcasing its physical and sensory impact.

Exodus 8 14 Context

Exodus chapter 8 details the second and third plagues, those of frogs and gnats/lice, followed by the fourth plague, flies, though the stench described in verse 14 specifically relates to the frogs. Prior to this, God, through Moses, commanded Pharaoh to let His people go, but Pharaoh stubbornly refused. The plague of frogs (Exo 8:1-15) was a direct affront to Egyptian polytheism, particularly targeting Heqet, the frog goddess associated with fertility and resurrection, worshipped for her life-giving properties. God demonstrates His absolute sovereignty by turning this source of life and blessing into an overwhelming nuisance and then, by their death, into a source of widespread corruption and disgust. The land becoming filled with heaps of dead frogs and the subsequent horrific stench was a palpable, undeniable manifestation of God's power and judgment, forcing the Egyptians, even the hardened Pharaoh, to confront the consequence of resisting the True God.

Exodus 8 14 Word analysis

• And they gathered (וַיִּצְבְּרוּ, vayyitsberu): From the root צָבַר (tsabar), meaning "to pile up, to heap up, to accumulate." This signifies a collective, burdensome effort by the Egyptians themselves, as no mention is made of others helping. It highlights the vast quantity of dead frogs and the sheer manual labor required to manage the abhorrent mess. The word choice implies a necessity to remove the rotting carcasses, yet their action, paradoxically, merely brought the problem into more consolidated, potent masses.
• them together (אֹתָם, otam): Refers directly to the frogs. This reiterates the overwhelming presence of the dead amphibians.
• in heaps (עֲרֵמֹת עֲרֵמֹת, aremot aremot): This is a reduplication of the word עֲרֵמָה (aremah), meaning "pile, heap." The repetition emphasizes the extraordinary number of piles, conveying an image of countless, large mounds of dead frogs spread throughout the land. This linguistic intensity paints a picture of a landscape completely dominated by death and decay.
• and the land (וַתִּבְאַשׁ הָאָרֶץ, vat’b’ash ha’aretz): The term הָאָרֶץ (ha'aretz) refers to "the land" of Egypt. The specific mention highlights the pervasive nature of the judgment—it wasn't just a localized problem but afflicted the entire nation. This broad impact demonstrates God's complete dominion over Pharaoh's kingdom.
• stank (בָּאֲשָׁה, ba'ashah): From the root בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash), meaning "to smell badly, to stink, to be odious or abominable." This word describes the most impactful consequence—the nauseating odor. This wasn't merely unpleasant; it was a deeply offensive and health-threatening stench, signifying pollution and corruption. It's a vivid sensory detail that conveys profound disgust and desperation, reinforcing the unholy nature of the dead frogs from a divine perspective. The stench symbolizes spiritual defilement that stemmed from resistance to God's command.
• "gathered them... in heaps": This phrase encapsulates the futility and overwhelming nature of the situation for the Egyptians. Despite their effort to clean up, the sheer volume of dead frogs made it a Sisyphean task. It was not a magical disappearance; the evidence of judgment remained tangible and repulsive. This highlights Pharaoh's inability, and thus Egypt's gods' inability, to truly solve the problem, only to manage its horrid byproduct.
• "the land stank": This phrase describes the inescapable, pervasive result of the plague. The "land" (representing the entire kingdom and its inhabitants) became defiled and unbearable. The stench was a constant, undeniable reminder of God's power and Pharaoh's stubbornness. It was a sensory attack that no human power could alleviate, a sign of utter spiritual decay.

Exodus 8 14 Bonus section

The concept of a "stench" is often used in the Bible metaphorically to represent something morally repugnant, spiritually offensive, or associated with corruption and divine displeasure (e.g., Ps 38:5 for sin). In Exodus 8:14, the literal stench served as a powerful sensory symbol of the spiritual rot of Egypt due to its rebellion against God. Pharaoh and his people were forced to live in a physical manifestation of their spiritual state. Furthermore, the frogs were associated with the Egyptian deity Heqet, revered as a goddess of fertility and birth. Their death, decay, and subsequent stench was a direct desecration and mockery of this goddess, clearly demonstrating that the true God held power over life, death, and even the "divine" entities of Egypt. This profound defilement illustrated God's supremacy over all pagan deities and belief systems, serving as a powerful polemic against the supposed life-giving power of Heqet and, by extension, other Egyptian gods.

Exodus 8 14 Commentary

Exodus 8:14 powerfully articulates the tangible and repellent aftermath of the second plague. Following Moses' intercession, the frogs died as promised, but the departure of the plague was not without its own severe consequence: the entire land was overwhelmed by the decaying carcasses and an unbearable stench. This verse highlights the profound extent of the divine judgment, emphasizing that God's power doesn't just cease a plague but leaves an inescapable, nauseating monument to His omnipotence and the futility of Pharaoh's resistance. The Egyptians themselves had to gather the repulsive bodies, which became heaps upon heaps, showing their immense numbers and the utter saturation of the land. This foul odor, an attack on one of the most primal senses, symbolized the moral and spiritual putrefaction of a nation defying the living God, demonstrating that God can make even their attempts at "clean-up" serve as a constant reminder of His wrath. The stench became a living testament to their predicament, further eroding Pharaoh's authority and underscoring the undeniable truth of Yahweh's unparalleled power over all creation and even over the very atmosphere they breathed.