Exodus 8:3 kjv

And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

Exodus 8:3 nkjv

So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls.

Exodus 8:3 niv

The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.

Exodus 8:3 esv

The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.

Exodus 8:3 nlt

The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls.

Exodus 8 verses

Exodus 8 3 Meaning

Exodus 8:3 details the precise and pervasive nature of the second plague against Egypt, foretelling how the frogs, emerging abundantly from the Nile River, would infest every aspect of Egyptian life. They would invade private living spaces—houses, bedrooms, and beds—as well as the domains of servants and the general populace. Crucially, they would also contaminate the fundamental necessities of daily existence, such as ovens and kneadingtroughs, thereby affecting food preparation and supply, making life unbearable and underscoring the completeness of God's judgment.

Exodus 8 3 Context

Exodus chapter 8 continues the narrative of God's plagues against Egypt, initiated in the preceding chapters as a demonstration of Yahweh's power over the gods of Egypt and a compelling demand for Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Specifically, Exodus 8:3 is part of the divine announcement of the second plague: the plague of frogs. Following Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to let God's people go after the Nile was turned to blood (Exod 7:23), God intensifies His judgment. This verse precisely details the extent to which these creatures would invade Egyptian daily life, from the most private to the most public and functional spaces. The historical context reveals Egypt's deep reverence for the Nile River, seen as the deity Hapi, and frogs, which were associated with Heket, a goddess of fertility and childbirth, often depicted with a frog head. This plague, therefore, was not merely an inconvenience but a direct assault on two significant aspects of Egyptian worship and natural order, turning sources of life and blessings into agents of unbearable nuisance and defilement. It underscores God's complete control over creation and His ability to subvert anything considered divine or essential by the Egyptians.

Exodus 8 3 Word analysis

• And the river: הַיְאֹר (hayye'or) - "the Nile." This is not just any river but specifically refers to the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt, worshiped as the god Hapi, the source of sustenance and fertility. Its transformation into a source of infestation is a direct assault on the perceived benevolence and deity of the Nile itself.
• shall bring forth: יְשֹׁרֵץ (yeshorets) - "to swarm, teem, multiply abundantly." This verb implies a vast, uncontrollable proliferation. It is often used in Genesis (Gen 1:20-21) to describe the abundance of living creatures in creation, ironically now turned into an abundant judgment. It signifies an overwhelming, inescapable multitude.
• frogs: צְפַרְדְּעִים (tsepharde'im) - The specific creature, common in Egypt but now becoming an instrument of torment. Frogs were associated with the goddess Heket, who represented fertility, resurrection, and childbirth. By having frogs overwhelm Egypt, God mocks Heket and demonstrates His supreme authority over life and its abundance.
• abundantly: While not a separate Hebrew word here, the meaning is conveyed by the verb יְשֹׁרֵץ. The emphasis is on the sheer, overwhelming quantity of the frogs.
• which shall go up: וְעָלוּ (ve'alu) - "and they shall go up." This denotes movement from their natural habitat (the water) into unnatural places. It implies an aggressive, invasive movement upwards and outwards, demonstrating the extent of their spread.
• and come into thine house: Invasion of personal living space. The "house" (בֵּיתֶךָ - beytekha) signifies the common family dwelling, now defiled.
• and into thy bedchamber: וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבֶךָ (u'vachadar mishkavekha) - the innermost and most private sanctuary. The very place of rest and intimacy is violated.
• and upon thy bed: וְעַל־מִטָּתֶךָ (ve'al-mitatekha) - the sacred space of rest. The Egyptians, highly concerned with hygiene, would find this particularly repugnant. This targets their personal comfort and cleanliness.
• and into the house of thy servants: וּבֵית עֲבָדֶיךָ (uveit avadeykha) - This extends the judgment to all strata of society. Pharaoh's authority extends to his servants, and they too suffer, demonstrating the pervasive nature of the plague.
• and upon thy people: וּבְעַמֶּךָ (u'v'amekha) - Encompassing the entire populace, indicating a nationwide calamity that none could escape. This includes even common people who are not directly Pharaoh's staff.
• and into thine ovens: וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ (u'v'tannureykha) - "and in your ovens." The oven was essential for baking bread, a staple of life. Its contamination meant defilement of the most basic food source, implying unholy consumption.
• and into thy kneadingtroughs: וּבְמִשְׁאֲרֹתֶיךָ (u'v'mish'arotekha) - "and in your kneading troughs." These were the vessels used for preparing dough. The invasion here signifies the disruption and defilement of food preparation, rendering daily sustenance unclean and nauseating.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly": Highlights the source of the plague (Nile, worshipped as Hapi) and its overwhelming nature, reversing a source of life into a bringer of judgment. It is a direct polemic against the Egyptian pantheon.
  • "which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed": Emphasizes the deep penetration and violation of personal privacy and sanctuary. God targets Pharaoh's comfort and sacred spaces, showing His omnipresence and inability to be confined. This specific mention of bedchamber and bed underscores the total lack of refuge.
  • "and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people": Reveals the comprehensive and indiscriminate reach of the judgment across all levels of Egyptian society, from Pharaoh's immediate household to the common citizen. No one is exempt from God's reach.
  • "and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs": Focuses on the contamination of daily necessities, particularly food preparation. This means the Egyptians' very sustenance is defiled and disgusting, making life unbearable and exposing the weakness of their gods to protect even basic provisions.

Exodus 8 3 Bonus section

The mention of frogs invading ovens and kneadingtroughs not only indicates contamination but also a direct assault on the food chain and the fundamental sustenance of life. Frogs in such places would inevitably lead to their death there as well, creating an overwhelming stench and rotting carcasses (Exod 8:14), amplifying the horror and unsanitariness of the plague. This defilement would have rendered much food inedible according to any reasonable standards of cleanliness. The plague also served a psychological purpose: the constant noise, the slime, the coldness of the frogs, and the general loathsomeness of their omnipresence would wear down Pharaoh's resolve. The deliberate and targeted nature of this plague underscores God's personal attention to the defiance of Pharaoh and the plight of His people.

Exodus 8 3 Commentary

Exodus 8:3 graphically portrays the invasive reach of the frog plague, illustrating God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His specific targeting of Egyptian beliefs. This was not a natural disaster but a divine intervention, turning the very symbol of Egyptian life, the Nile, into an instrument of their discomfort and humiliation. By commanding frogs, linked to the goddess Heket, to swarm universally and invade the most intimate spaces and essential processes of Egyptian life—bedchambers, beds, ovens, and kneadingtroughs—God directly challenged the efficacy of Egypt's gods to protect them or even sustain basic hygiene. The specificity of the locations invaded underscored that there was no sanctuary from God's judgment; every private comfort and public necessity was afflicted. This plague forced Pharaoh and his people to confront the Lord's power not as a distant deity, but as one who could permeate their lives with unceasing torment until His will was met, illustrating that even seemingly insignificant creatures could be used mightily to humble the proud.