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.
But if you refuse to let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and into your houses. The homes of the Egyptians will be filled with swarms of flies, and even the ground will be covered with them.
God is warning Pharaoh that if he continues to refuse to free the Israelites, Egypt will be overwhelmed by swarms of flies as the fourth plague.
📚 Historical Context
This warning comes during the series of ten plagues God sent upon Egypt to convince Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. At this point, Egypt had already experienced three plagues (water turning to blood, frogs, and gnats), but Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. The plague of flies would be particularly devastating in a culture that valued cleanliness and order, making daily life nearly impossible.
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