The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Exodus 8:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy house, and from thy servants, and from thy people; and shall remain only in the river.

Douay-Rheims

וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּ֤י הָֽיְתָה֙ הָֽרְוָחָ֔ה וְהַכְבֵּד֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

2 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

He did not desire to inflict punishment, as evidenced by His repeated interventions to halt executions, which demonstrated both His authority and His compassion. Although the first, second, and third instances were sufficient to utterly eradicate them as irredeemably lost, He chose not to do so. Even with the foresight of their persistent decline, knowing that they would not improve after the fifth, sixth, or ninth actions, He remained committed to His work.

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In this, we witness His incredible power, diligence, wisdom, and benevolence—His power in delivering judgment, His diligence in suspending the executions, His wisdom in carrying out His mission despite foreseeing the outcome, and His humanity, which is especially evident in His attention to the most humble of creatures, the silent animals.

Roshdestwenski W.G.

Teacher of the Church

Moses suggested to the king that he should set a time for him to entreat the Lord for the removal of the frogs. The king replied that it should be in the morning, claiming, “As I have said, eat, let it be eaten, for there is none else but the Lord.” The frogs would then leave you, your homes, your towns, and your servants, yet they would remain in the river. The authority over time and seasons rests solely with God, as evidenced when Christ addressed His disciples, saying, “It is not yours to understand times and years, which the Father hath put in His own power” (Acts 1:7).

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The context of the apostles' queries is important. They approached their Lord, overwhelmed by their inability to grasp the profound mysteries, inquiring about when the restoration of Israel's kingdom would occur, perceiving it through a worldly lens, as a tangible and physical kingdom. Thus, Christ’s response to their inquiry should not be interpreted in a singular manner. The case of the residents and leaders of Bethulia described in the book of Judith (Judith 7:30-31) illustrates how they, bound by their own beliefs, misunderstood God’s will and acted in confusion, lacking divine approval for their actions, which rendered them deserving of judgment.

Moses, however, had a different understanding. He was acutely aware that he was divinely appointed by God to approach Pharaoh for this critical mission. He held steadfast assurance that God would respond favorably to his efforts in honoring His majesty. Moreover, Moses recognized the gravity of liberating the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage and had no doubt that this divine deliverance was solely the work of Almighty God. Confident in this divine assistance, he boldly agreed to petition God at the time designated by Pharaoh. As a devout servant of God and a prophet empowered by Him, Moses exhibited extraordinary faith, enriched by the Spirit of God, which inspired and guided him toward fulfilling this mission. Thus, there is no trace of base desires or unlawful decrees in his actions. Therefore, anyone lacking this specific honor and blessing from God, having not received extraordinary gifts or graces from the Lord, cannot possess the same confidence that Moses had to seek divine favor through intercession.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.