Exodus 8:21
New International Version
If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

New Living Translation
If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them.

English Standard Version
Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.

Berean Standard Bible
But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.

King James Bible
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

New King James Version
Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.

New American Standard Bible
For if you are not going to let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they live.

NASB 1995
“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and also the ground on which they dwell.

NASB 1977
“For if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of insects, and also the ground on which they dwell.

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.

Amplified Bible
For if you do not let My people go, hear this: I will send swarms of [bloodsucking] insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, as well as the ground on which they stand.

Christian Standard Bible
But if you will not let my people go, then I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if you will not let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live.

American Standard Version
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Contemporary English Version
If you don't, he will send swarms of flies to attack you, your officials, and every citizen of your country. Your houses will be full of flies, and the ground will crawl with them.

English Revised Version
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The homes of the Egyptians will be filled with flies, and even the ground outside will be covered with them.

Good News Translation
I warn you that if you refuse, I will punish you by sending flies on you, your officials, and your people. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and the ground will be covered with them.

International Standard Version
But if you don't let my people go, I'll send swarms of insects upon you, your servants, your people, and your households. The houses of Egypt—and even the ground on which they stand—will be filled with swarms of insects.

Majority Standard Bible
But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.

NET Bible
If you do not release my people, then I am going to send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and in your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground they stand on.

New Heart English Bible
Else, if you will not let my people go, look, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Webster's Bible Translation
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they are.

World English Bible
Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground they are on.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for if you are not sending My people away, behold, I am sending against you, and against your servants, and against your people, and against your houses, the beetle, and the houses of the Egyptians have been full of the beetle, and also the ground on which they are.

Young's Literal Translation
for, if thou art not sending My people away, lo, I am sending against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and against thy houses, the beetle, and the houses of the Egyptians have been full of the beetle, and also the ground on which they are.

Smith's Literal Translation
The original Julia E. Smith Bible records the following as a verse reference for Exodus 8:17And I separated in that day the land of Goshen, which my people stood upon it, for no gad-fly to be there; that thou shalt know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if thou wilt not let them go, behold I will send in upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy houses all kind of flies: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with flies of divers kinds, and the whole land wherein they shall be.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you will not release them, behold, I will send upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses, diverse kinds of flies. And the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with diverse kinds of flies, as well as the whole land in which they will be.

New American Bible
For if you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your servants and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and the very ground on which they stand will be filled with swarms of flies.

New Revised Standard Version
For if you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies; so also the land where they live.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon you and upon your people and upon your house; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, like a field when it is covered with them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you choose not to send out my people, behold, I am sending upon you and upon your people and upon your houses swarms of insects of every kind and the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with the swarms, as the land of those upon it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I send upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and upon your houses, the dog-fly; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with the dog-fly, even throughout the land upon which they are.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fourth Plague: Flies
20Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 21But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies. 22But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.…

Cross References
Exodus 10:4-6
But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. / They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields. / They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

Exodus 9:14-17
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. / For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth. / But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. ...

Exodus 7:17-18
This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. / The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”

Exodus 12:29-30
Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock. / During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

Exodus 8:2-3
But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. / The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.

Exodus 9:3-4
then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. / But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

Exodus 10:21-23
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.” / So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. / No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

Exodus 11:4-6
So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, / and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. / Then a great cry will go out over all the land of Egypt. Such an outcry has never been heard before and will never be heard again.

Exodus 9:22-26
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” / So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. / The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. ...

Exodus 10:12-15
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.” / So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. / The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. ...

Exodus 12:12-13
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. / The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Exodus 7:4-5
Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. / And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”

Exodus 9:8-11
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. / It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.” / So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast. ...

Exodus 10:1-2
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them, / and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.”


Treasury of Scripture

Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground where on they are.

swarms.

Psalm 78:45
He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

Psalm 105:31
He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

Isaiah 7:18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

Jump to Previous
Clouds Dwell Egyptians Filled Flies Full Ground Houses Insects Servants Stand Swarms Whereon Wilt
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Clouds Dwell Egyptians Filled Flies Full Ground Houses Insects Servants Stand Swarms Whereon Wilt
Exodus 8
1. Frogs are sent
8. Pharaoh complains to Moses, who by prayer removes them
16. The dust is turned into lice, which the magicians could not do
20. The plague of flies
25. Pharaoh inclines to let the people go, but yet is hardened














But if you refuse to let My people go
This phrase is a direct challenge to Pharaoh's authority, highlighting the ongoing struggle between God's will and human obstinacy. The Hebrew word for "refuse" (מָאֵן, ma'en) implies a stubbornness or unwillingness to comply. This reflects Pharaoh's hardened heart, a recurring theme in Exodus, symbolizing resistance to divine command. The phrase "let My people go" underscores God's claim over Israel, emphasizing their identity as His chosen people, destined for freedom and worship.

I will send swarms of flies
The Hebrew term for "swarms" (עָרוֹב, 'arov) is often interpreted as a mixture of insects, possibly including flies, gnats, or other pests. This plague represents a direct assault on the Egyptian way of life, disrupting daily activities and religious practices. In the ancient world, flies were not only a nuisance but also carriers of disease, symbolizing chaos and divine judgment. The sending of these swarms illustrates God's control over nature and His ability to use creation to fulfill His purposes.

on you and your officials and your people
This phrase indicates the comprehensive nature of the plague, affecting all levels of Egyptian society. The inclusion of "officials" (עֲבָדֶיךָ, avadekha) highlights the political implications of the plagues, as Pharaoh's advisors and administrators are also subject to God's judgment. This serves as a reminder that no one is beyond the reach of divine justice, and that leadership carries responsibility for the welfare of the people.

and into your houses
The invasion of homes signifies a personal and intimate disruption, as the sanctity of private space is violated. In ancient Egypt, homes were places of refuge and security, and this plague shatters that sense of safety. The presence of flies in the houses symbolizes the pervasive nature of sin and the inescapable reach of God's judgment when His commands are ignored.

The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies
This statement emphasizes the severity and totality of the plague. The word "full" (מָלֵא, male) conveys a sense of overwhelming abundance, leaving no room for comfort or relief. The Egyptians' homes, once places of order and control, become chaotic and uninhabitable, reflecting the disorder that results from defying God's will.

and even the ground where they stand
The phrase "even the ground" (וְגַם הָאֲדָמָה, vegam ha'adamah) suggests that the plague extends beyond the immediate environment to affect the very foundation of Egyptian life. The ground, often associated with stability and sustenance, becomes a source of discomfort and distress. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of sin, illustrating how rebellion against God can undermine the very ground upon which society stands.

Verse 21. - Swarms of flies is an unfortunate translation of a single substantive in the singular number, accompanied by the article. A mixture, etc., is nearly as bad. The writer must mean some one definite species of animal, which he called "the arob." On the probable identification of the animal, see the Introductory paragraph to this Chapter. And also the ground. The 'arob, like the frogs, was to plague them both inside their houses and outside, but especially inside.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you will not
אֵינְךָ֮ (’ê·nə·ḵā)
Adverb | second person masculine singular
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

let My people
עַמִּי֒ (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

go,
מְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ (mə·šal·lê·aḥ)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

I will send
מַשְׁלִ֨יחַ (maš·lî·aḥ)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

swarms of flies
הֶעָרֹ֑ב (he·‘ā·rōḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6157: Probably a swarm

upon you
בְּךָ֜ (bə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and your officials
וּבַעֲבָדֶ֧יךָ (ū·ḇa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏe·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

and your people
וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֛ (ū·ḇə·‘am·mə·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

and your houses.
וּבְבָתֶּ֖יךָ (ū·ḇə·ḇāt·te·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

The houses
בָּתֵּ֤י (bāt·tê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the Egyptians
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt

and even
וְגַ֥ם (wə·ḡam)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

the ground
הָאֲדָמָ֖ה (hā·’ă·ḏā·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 127: Ground, land

where they [stand]
הֵ֥ם (hêm)
Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

will be full
וּמָ֨לְא֜וּ (ū·mā·lə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

of flies.
הֶ֣עָרֹ֔ב (he·‘ā·rōḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6157: Probably a swarm


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OT Law: Exodus 8:21 Else if you will not let my (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 8:20
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