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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 8:20
Then 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.

Exodus 8:22
But 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.

Exodus 8:24
And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.

Exodus 10:6
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.

Psalm 105:31
He spoke, and insects swarmed--gnats throughout their country.


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.

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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














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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