Exodus 8:20 kjv

And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 8:20 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.

Exodus 8:20 niv

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

Exodus 8:20 esv

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 8:20 nlt

Then the LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh's way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.

Exodus 8 verses

Exodus 8 20 Meaning

Exodus 8:20 signifies the initiation of the fourth plague, the plague of swarms of flies, revealing God's escalating judgment against Pharaoh and Egypt. It underscores God's persistent demand for the liberation of His people to worship Him. The specific instruction to Moses to meet Pharaoh by the Nile in the early morning highlights the direct confrontation of Yahweh with Pharaoh's power and the false deities of Egypt, reinforcing God's supreme authority over creation and human rulers. This warning sets the stage for a distinct plague that would visibly separate the Israelites from the Egyptians.

Exodus 8 20 Context

Exodus 8:20 is strategically placed as the third warning to Pharaoh before the fourth plague. It follows the initial three plagues—water turned to blood, frogs, and gnats—which afflicted all of Egypt and Israel indiscriminately, though diminishing Egyptian confidence in their magicians. The first three plagues were relatively less severe or disruptive compared to what was to come. With this verse, the plagues transition to a new phase where God explicitly differentiates between His people and the Egyptians. The recurring demand, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me," sets the core purpose for God's actions. Pharaoh's continued refusal hardens his heart further, inviting greater divine judgment, demonstrating Yahweh's unparalleled power over the entire cosmos and specifically over Egypt's presumed deities and sovereign.

Exodus 8 20 Word analysis

• Then: Signifies temporal progression, indicating a new instruction from the LORD after the failure of the previous plague to compel Pharaoh's obedience.
• The LORD (YHWH): Refers to the personal, covenantal God of Israel, highlighting His sovereign will and active involvement in history. It directly contrasts with the impersonal or lesser gods of Egypt.
• said to Moses: Emphasizes Moses' role as the divinely appointed messenger and prophet, conveying God's precise words and commands without alteration.
• "Rise early in the morning": This specific timing implies urgency and immediacy, but also hints at Pharaoh's daily routine, often involving rituals at the Nile. It signals God's proactive confrontation, initiating the encounter.
• "and stand before Pharaoh": Denotes a direct, authoritative confrontation, challenging Pharaoh's kingly authority and asserting God's higher dominion. Moses acts as God's representative, not a supplicant.
• "Behold, he is coming out to the water": "Water" refers to the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt, revered as a deity (Hapi) and associated with Pharaoh's power and divinity. God intentionally orchestrates encounters here, transforming a symbol of Egyptian life and worship into a locus of divine judgment, reiterating His supremacy over their deities, similar to Exo 7:15.
• "And say to him": Moses is commissioned as the voice of Yahweh, delivering a divine ultimatum, not a negotiation.
• "Thus says the LORD": This is a formal prophetic formula, signaling that the words are not Moses' own, but an authoritative oracle directly from God Himself, demanding immediate attention and obedience from Pharaoh.
• "Let My people go": The core, non-negotiable demand, asserting God's ownership of Israel, challenging Pharaoh's enslavement and defiance. It signifies liberation from bondage, physical and spiritual.
• "that they may serve Me": This states the ultimate purpose of Israel's liberation – to worship, obey, and exclusively devote themselves to Yahweh. It highlights that freedom is for relationship and service to God, directly opposing their forced service to Pharaoh and pagan gods. This underscores redemption not as an end in itself, but for fellowship with God.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he is coming out to the water": This sequence describes a deliberate, pre-arranged divine encounter, leveraging Pharaoh's daily ritual to maximize the impact of God's message and demonstrate His comprehensive knowledge and control. It sets the stage for a powerful divine challenge at a symbolic site of Egyptian power and worship, asserting Yahweh's authority over the very elements revered by Egyptians.
• "Thus says the LORD, 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me'": This phrase represents the divine ultimatum that forms the consistent theme of the plagues narrative. It asserts God's sovereignty over nations and peoples, challenging human enslavement and the worship of false gods. "My people" emphasizes a covenantal relationship, and "serve Me" clarifies that their liberation is fundamentally for true worship, not mere freedom from hardship. This sets the theological framework for true redemption.

Exodus 8 20 Bonus section

The repetitive nature of God's command to "Let My people go" throughout Exodus is not merely a sign of Pharaoh's stubbornness, but a progressive revelation of God's persistent grace and patience before judgment intensifies. The choice of the Nile as the consistent point of early morning confrontation for Pharaoh (first, second, and fourth plagues) is highly significant. The Nile was worshipped as Hapi, the spirit of the Nile's flood, and was seen as a god by Egyptians, crucial for their sustenance. Pharaoh himself was considered a living god (Horus or Re), embodying divine power on earth. By meeting Pharaoh at the Nile and turning its water into a vehicle of plague or announcing plagues there, Yahweh directly challenged Pharaoh's divine claims and ridiculed the supposed power of the Egyptian deities, demonstrating their impotence against the one true God of Israel. This narrative serves as a strong theological polemic against Egyptian polytheism and imperial cults, asserting Yahweh's singular supremacy.

Exodus 8 20 Commentary

Exodus 8:20 introduces the fourth plague with a renewed, pointed divine instruction. God orchestrates a specific morning encounter at the Nile, challenging Pharaoh where he typically conducted royal or religious rites. This meeting reinforces that God's power extends even to the mundane and sacred routines of the powerful. The consistent demand, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me," articulates the very essence of redemption – liberation for the purpose of worship and devotion to the Creator. Pharaoh's obstinate refusal to acknowledge God's authority in this instance initiates a new phase of divine judgment: plagues that would distinctly spare Israel while devastating Egypt, highlighting Yahweh's capacity for both judgment and faithful protection, forcing the Egyptians, and Pharaoh, to "know" Him. The upcoming plague of flies will specifically target Egyptian life and land, intensifying the pressure on Pharaoh and further diminishing his power, reflecting God's sovereign distinction between His covenant people and the idolatrous Egyptians.