Exodus 8:2

8:2 But if you refuse to release them, then I am going to plague ¹  all your territory with frogs. ² 

Exodus 8:27

8:27 We must go ³  on a three-day journey ⁴  into the desert and sacrifice ⁵  to the Lord our God, just as he is telling us.” ⁶ 

Exodus 9:35

9:35 So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, ⁷  and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Exodus 10:4

10:4 But if you refuse to release my people, I am going to bring ⁸  locusts ⁹  into your territory ¹⁰  tomorrow.

Exodus 11:4

11:4 Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight ¹¹  I will go throughout Egypt, ¹² 

[8:2]  ¹ tn The construction here uses the deictic particle and the participle to convey the imminent future: “I am going to plague/about to plague.” The verb נָגַף (nagaf) means “to strike, to smite,” and its related noun means “a blow, a plague, pestilence” or the like. For Yahweh to say “I am about to plague you” could just as easily mean “I am about to strike you.” That is why these “plagues” can be described as “blows” received from God.

[8:2]  ² tn Heb “plague all your border with frogs.” The expression “all your border” is figurative for all the territory of Egypt and the people and things that are within the borders (also used in Exod 10:4, 14, 19; 13:7).

[8:27]  ³ tn The verb נֵלֵךְ (nelekh) is a Qal imperfect of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). Here it should be given the modal nuance of obligation: “we must go.”

[8:27]  ⁴ tn This clause is placed first in the sentence to stress the distance required. דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) is an adverbial accusative specifying how far they must go. It is in construct, so “three days” modifies it. It is a “journey of three days,” or, “a three day journey.”

[8:27]  ⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive; it follows in the sequence: we must go…and then [must] sacrifice.”

[8:27]  ⁶ tn The form is the imperfect tense. It could be future: “as he will tell us,” but it also could be the progressive imperfect if this is now what God is telling them to do: “as he is telling us.”

[9:35]  ⁵ tn The verb about Pharaoh’s heart in v. 35 is וַיֶּחֱזַק (vayyekhezaq), a Qal preterite: “and it was hardened” or “strengthened to resist.” This forms the summary statement of this stage in the drama. The verb used in v. 34 to report Pharaoh’s response was וַיַּכְבֵּד (vayyakhbed), a Hiphil preterite: “and he hardened [his heart]” or made it stubborn. The use of two descriptions of Pharaoh’s heart in close succession, along with mention of his servants’ heart condition, underscores the growing extent of the problem.

[10:4]  ⁷ tn הִנְנִי (hinni) before the active participle מֵבִיא (mevi’) is the imminent future construction: “I am about to bring” or “I am going to bring” – precisely, “here I am bringing.”

[10:4]  ⁸ tn One of the words for “locusts” in the Bible is אַרְבֶּה (’arbeh), which comes from רָבָה (ravah, “to be much, many”). It was used for locusts because of their immense numbers.

[10:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “within your border.”

[11:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “about the middle of the night.”

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I will go out in the midst of Egypt.”