Exodus 8: What Did Pharaoh Do When the Plagues Stopped?

Pharaoh broke his promise when the plagues stopped. He hardened his heart and refused to let the people go. Exodus 8 shows what Pharaoh said and how he acted while Egypt was being struck by frogs, gnats, and swarms of flies. In particular, it clearly records two occasions when he refused to listen to the LORD even after the trouble had passed.

Two Promises and Two Refusals

The LORD told Moses to go to Pharaoh and command him to let the people go so that they could worship the LORD. He also warned that if Pharaoh refused, frogs would plague the whole land of Egypt.

When the frogs invaded the palace, houses, bedrooms, ovens, and kneading bowls, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He asked them to pray to the LORD to take the frogs away. In return, he promised to let the people go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.

When swarms of flies filled Egypt, Pharaoh again summoned Moses and Aaron. He said he would let the people go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices and asked Moses to pray for him. Yet after both plagues disappeared, Pharaoh’s actions did not match his words.

Pharaoh Refused to Listen After the Frogs Disappeared

When Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted the frogs removed, Pharaoh answered, “Tomorrow.” Moses said the frogs would leave at the appointed time so that Pharaoh would know there was no one like the LORD. Moses then cried out to the LORD, and the LORD did what Moses had asked.

The frogs came out of the houses, courtyards, and fields and died. The people piled them into heaps, and the land reeked. Just as Pharaoh had requested, the frogs disappeared from the places where the people lived.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. During the plague, he had promised to let the people go. Once the plague stopped, however, he failed to keep that promise.

His Heart Remained Hard Before the Gnats and Flies

When Aaron struck the dust of the ground with his staff, the dust became gnats that came upon people and animals. The magicians tried to do the same but could not. They told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” Still, Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he would not listen.

The LORD then sent swarms of flies but set apart the land of Goshen, where his people lived. No swarms appeared in Goshen, while countless flies invaded Pharaoh’s palace, his officials’ houses, and the rest of Egypt. The land was ruined by the swarms.

At first, Pharaoh told the people to offer their sacrifices within Egypt. When Moses replied that they had to go into the wilderness as the LORD commanded, Pharaoh agreed to let them go on the condition that they did not travel too far. But after Moses prayed and every fly departed, Pharaoh hardened his heart once again and refused to let the people go.

Compare Pharaoh’s Words and Actions

Exodus 8 records more than what Pharaoh said during the plagues. It also places his words alongside what he actually did after the LORD removed each plague. Pharaoh’s response was not an isolated mistake. He repeated it after both the frogs and the flies had disappeared.

Today, reread Exodus 8:8–15 and 25–32 in Bible Reading. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns labeled “What Pharaoh said during the plague” and “What Pharaoh did after the plague stopped.” Write one sentence in each column. Comparing the two accounts will help you see Pharaoh’s hardened heart in the words of the passage itself.

Biblical References

• Exodus 8:1–15
• Exodus 8:16–19
• Exodus 8:20–32