Removal of flies and final refusal

This passage concludes the plague of flies episode within the early conflict scenes between Moses and Pharaoh (Exodus 7–10). The pattern repeats: Moses announces what he will do, Yahweh acts in response, and Pharaoh’s response reverses any apparent progress. The focus here is on timing (“tomorrow”), mediation (Moses praying), total reversal of the disaster (“not one remained”), and Pharaoh’s repeated pattern of reneging after relief. It sets up the next escalation by showing that temporary concessions do not change Pharaoh’s overall refusal.

The story is set in ancient Egypt, where a pharaoh ruled through a layered system of officials and a managed labor population. “Let the people go…to sacrifice” implies a request for sanctioned travel and a public act of worship outside normal state control, which could be politically sensitive when tied to a sizable work force. The narrative assumes a world where rulers negotiated demands, where public crises affected both court and populace, and where a leader’s credibility was tested by whether promises held after a threat passed.

Shared ground

This short scene finishes the “flies” crisis with a familiar pattern: Moses speaks, Moses prays, Yahweh acts, and Pharaoh reverses course. The text explicitly presents Moses as a mediator: he leaves Pharaoh’s presence and asks Yahweh to remove the swarms. Yahweh then removes them completely (“not one remained”), showing total control over the plague.

The timing (“tomorrow”) also matters. It portrays the plague’s removal as neither random nor merely seasonal, but as something that happens when Moses says he will pray and when Yahweh chooses to act. The narrative emphasizes that relief does not equal repentance: once the pressure lifts, Pharaoh again refuses to release the people.

Where interpretation differs

One question is what Moses means by warning Pharaoh not to “deal deceitfully.” Some read it as referring to a specific earlier promise Pharaoh already broke in the negotiation. Others read it more broadly as Moses naming Pharaoh’s ongoing pattern of making concessions under pressure and retracting them once conditions improve.

A second question is how to understand “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” Many agree the verse describes Pharaoh becoming stubborn again, but they differ on emphasis: whether it is mainly Pharaoh’s own decision and habit, or whether it should be read alongside other passages where God is said to harden Pharaoh, stressing God’s sovereignty over the whole conflict.

Why the disagreement exists

The phrase “deal deceitfully” does not spell out exactly which incident Moses has in mind, so readers infer from the surrounding back-and-forth. Also, “hardened his heart” can be read as describing Pharaoh’s internal resolve, while the larger Exodus story sometimes describes hardening in a way that includes divine action; readers weigh this verse’s wording against the broader storyline.

What this passage clearly contributes

This passage explicitly links effective intercession (“Moses…prayed”) with Yahweh’s decisive response (“according to the word of Moses”). It also highlights Pharaoh’s reliability problem: he can negotiate, but after relief he “this time also” becomes resistant and refuses to let Israel go to sacrifice. The scene sets expectations for what follows: each removed plague exposes Pharaoh’s repeated refusal more sharply, not less.