Exodus 8:6 kjv

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8:6 nkjv

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8:6 niv

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.

Exodus 8:6 esv

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8:6 nlt

So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land!

Exodus 8 verses

Exodus 8 6 Meaning

Exodus 8:6 describes the immediate execution of the second plague upon Egypt: following Yahweh's command through Moses, Aaron stretches out his hand over Egypt's water sources, causing countless frogs to emerge from these waters and thoroughly cover the entire land. This act manifests divine judgment, demonstrating God's sovereign control over creation and His power against the gods of Egypt.

Exodus 8 6 Context

Exodus 8:6 details the manifestation of the second of ten plagues upon Egypt. This plague follows the blood plague (Exodus 7:14-25), which Pharaoh endured without yielding, signifying the escalating severity of divine judgment. The narrative highlights God's unwavering resolve to deliver His people, Israel, from Egyptian bondage and His intent to reveal His supremacy over all Egyptian deities and Pharaoh himself. The immediate context of Exodus 8 begins with God instructing Moses to warn Pharaoh again, threatening the frog plague if he refused to release Israel. When Pharaoh, in his typical obstinacy, refuses, the command to Aaron is given and executed, demonstrating God's consistent method of working through His appointed human agents. Historically and culturally, this plague was a direct polemic against the Egyptian goddess Heket, who was depicted with a frog's head and associated with fertility, childbirth, and water. By turning a sacred creature into an abhorrent, inescapable curse, Yahweh directly challenged and humiliated this esteemed deity, underscoring His unrivaled sovereignty over life, water, and creation. The widespread nature of the frogs meant pervasive defilement, contrasting with the Egyptians' strong emphasis on cleanliness.

Exodus 8 6 Word analysis

• So Aaron stretched out (וַיֵּט - vayyeṭ): This verb indicates a deliberate and directed action, signifying the immediate and obedient execution of a divine command. The stretching out of the hand or staff is a recurring symbolic act throughout the plagues, a visible sign of the divine power being channeled through God's chosen instruments, Aaron and Moses. It signifies agency and authority delegated by Yahweh.
• his hand (יָדוֹ - yāḏōw): The hand is a symbol of power, authority, and agency. Here, Aaron's physical hand becomes the conduit for God's supernatural power, making visible the invisible divine will and demonstrating God's willingness to work through human vessels.
• over the waters (עַל־מֵימֵי - ʿal-mêmêy): This preposition and plural construct noun point to the direct target of the plague—Egypt's primary source of life and religious reverence, the Nile and its surrounding waterways. The defilement of water through frogs echoes the blood plague, which also targeted water, signaling a consistent divine judgment upon what the Egyptians held sacred and relied upon.
• of Egypt (מִצְרָיִם - miṣrayim): Specifies the geographical scope of the judgment, targeting the entire nation that oppressed God's people.
• and the frogs came up (וַתַּעַל הַצְּפַרְדְּעִים - wattāʿal haṣṣəfardeʿîm): The verb "came up" (ascended/emerged) describes the sudden, overwhelming, and abnormal eruption of frogs from their natural habitat. "The frogs" (plural, definite) points to specific creatures usually associated with life (and deity Heket), now turning into a pervasive curse, showing a reversal of natural order. Their sheer numbers overwhelm any sense of reverence, transforming them into a symbol of infestation and impurity.
• and covered (וַתְּכַס - wattəḵas): This verb indicates complete, comprehensive coverage and permeation. It denotes the vast, innumerable quantity of frogs that allowed no escape or sanctuary, highlighting the inescapable nature of God's judgment across the entire landscape.
• the land (אֶרֶץ - ʾereṣ): Refers to the physical ground and inhabited areas.
• of Egypt (מִצְרָיִם - miṣrayim): Reiterates the nationwide extent of the plague, leaving no place untouched.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• So Aaron stretched out his hand: This phrase highlights God's command being obeyed through a delegated authority. Aaron acts as the obedient instrument, showing that God works His wonders not only directly but also through human agents who respond in faith and obedience. This pattern validates the authority of God's messengers.
• over the waters of Egypt: This specific targeting of Egypt's lifeblood (the Nile and its canals) reveals a strategic judgment. The water, source of their livelihood and object of worship, now brings forth a pervasive curse, directly undermining Egyptian religious beliefs and exposing the impotence of their gods.
• the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt: This phrase emphasizes the overwhelming and inescapable nature of the plague. The sudden, unmanageable emergence of countless frogs from every water source and their widespread covering of the entire land illustrates the totality and invasive quality of divine judgment, leaving no one and no place unaffected. It turns a creature sacred to the Egyptians into a source of pervasive defilement and misery.

Exodus 8 6 Bonus section

The speed and comprehensiveness of the frogs' appearance underscored the supernatural nature of the plague. It was not a gradual increase but an instantaneous eruption that defied natural processes. The particular choice of frogs was a deliberate theological statement; while the magicians could replicate the miracle to some extent (Ex 8:7), they utterly failed to remove the frogs (Ex 8:8), illustrating the qualitative difference between limited human power, even demonic power, and the infinite, sovereign power of God. This distinction compelled Pharaoh's own magicians to later admit, "This is the finger of God" (Ex 8:19) after the plague of gnats, recognizing YHWH's unique ability to both inflict and relieve the judgments. The death of the frogs and the ensuing stench (Ex 8:14) was a further element of the plague, transforming a living pestilence into a decaying horror, assaulting another one of the human senses, showing the persistent nature of the divine curse.

Exodus 8 6 Commentary

Exodus 8:6 succinctly describes the immediate, physical manifestation of God's judgment in the second plague of frogs. This verse serves as a powerful declaration of Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over creation, directly contrasting His power with the perceived power of Egyptian deities, particularly Heket. Aaron's simple act of stretching out his hand, empowered by divine command, demonstrates that even seemingly insignificant creatures like frogs are entirely at God's disposal to execute His will. The deluge of frogs was a multifaceted judgment: it desecrated a revered animal, brought inescapable impurity, disrupted daily life on a national scale, and further hardened Pharaoh's heart while showcasing God's unparalleled might. This plague affirmed that no aspect of Egyptian life, no matter how cherished or mundane, was beyond God's reach, serving the ultimate purpose of making Pharaoh and Egypt know that there is no one like the LORD.