Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 8:25

"And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land." — Exodus 8:25 (ASV)

Pharaoh called for Moses. —Pharaoh suffered from the swarms of flies equally with his subjects, or rather, more than his subjects. It was “upon him,” inflicting its painful bites (Exodus 8:21); it was “upon his palaces” (Exodus 8:21), destroying his rich and magnificent furniture; it was upon his lands, ravaging and devastating them (Exodus 8:24). He therefore gave way before this plague almost at once, and without waiting for any remonstrance from the magicians or others, called for Moses.

In the land. —Pretending to grant the request made of him, Pharaoh ruins everything with this little clause. A three days’ journey into the wilderness had been demanded from the first (Exodus 5:3), and no less could be accepted.