[8] "Pray ye to the Lord": By this it appears, that though the magicians, by the help of the devil, could bring frogs, yet they could not take them away: God being pleased to abridge in this the power of Satan. So we see they could not afterwards produce the lesser insects; and in this restraint of the power of the devil, were forced to acknowledge the finger of God.
[15] "Hardened his own heart": By this we see that Pharao was himself the efficient cause of his heart being hardened, and not God.-- See the same repeated in ver. 32. Pharao hardened his heart at this time also: likewise chap. 9. 7, 35, and chap. 13. 15.
[16] "Sciniphs": Or Cinifs, Hebrew Chinnim, small flying insects, very troublesome both to men and beast.
[26] "The abominations": That is, the things they worship for Gods: oxen, rams, etc. It is the usual style of the scriptures to call all idols and false gods, abominations, to signify how much the people of God ought to detest and abhor them.