Exodus 8:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He chose not to administer punishment, as evidenced by His frequent intervention to halt executions, demonstrating both His divine authority and compassionate nature. Even though the initial attempts to execute were sufficient to obliterate them as irreparably flawed, He refrained from this outcome. Foreseeing that they would not improve even after subsequent attempts, He persisted in His mission. Here, we particularly recognize His might, diligence, wisdom, and benevolence—His might in delivering judgment, His diligence in staying the executions, His wisdom in fulfilling His purpose despite foreseeing the future, all of which reveal His compassion. Notably, He commenced His efforts with the lowest of creation, the voiceless animals.

Consider an additional example: Moses raised his hands over the frogs, and they vanished. This is also relevant today. Those who recognize this act of the lawgiver’s hands—which reveals that through Moses one maycome to know the true Lawgiver, especially through the outstretching of His hands, referring to the One who was crucified—will discover that even when they have harbored impure thoughts likened to frogs, turning their gaze toward Him who extends His hands for our sake liberates them from their sinful entanglements, once the suffering has been put to death and annihilated.

The rapid demise of the toads throughout the nation could not, in light of Moses' teachings, be considered a mere natural occurrence by Pharaoh. However, as we will explore further, following each act of judgment, Pharaoh's darkest emotions and thoughts would resurface.