BIBLOS - Teaching the Bible

Teaching the Bible

MOSES:
THE TEN PLAGUES

Notes on the Text

Plagues Listed:

(Psalms 78 and 105 also list most of these plagues).

Water to blood
Frogs
Gnats
Flies
Diseased livestock
Boils
Thunder and hail
Locusts
Darkness
Death of the first born sons.

1st Plague: Blood (Exodus 7:14-25)

The Pharaoh may have been at the river bank to bathe or to worship the river-god. Egypt depended on the Nile for her very existence which was now threatened.
The P strand magnifies the miracle to include all the waters of Egypt. Normally, in June or July, at the inundation, the Nile water becomes a dirty red through the soil carried down from high in the mountains of Abyssinia, then for a short time green, due to the presence of vegetable matter, then again red and back to white. At this time the natives call it the Red Nile. Normally the water remains drinkable and the fish do not die.
Fish played an important part in the Egyptian diet, so their death would create great hardship.

If the river was in the flood stage surely it would have been impossible to dig round it (7:24)? If it was the flood season, presumably such discolouration would not be unusual and unlikely to be remarked upon.

*It is the intensification of the natural phenomenon which constitutes the miracle.*

2nd Plague: Frogs (Exodus 8:1-16)

Frogs are common in Egypt, especially appearing with the inundation of the Nile, but not usually in numbers to create a plague. Frogs are rarely mentioned in the Bible, as they were uncommon in Palestine.
Moses fixes a time to remove the plague to prove it is a sign from God.
The Pharaoh has to be seen to be giving in a little, but as predicted in 4:21, his 'heart hardens'.
Ps 78:45; 105:30 refer to this plague.

*What constitutes the miracle here is the frogs' number and the fact that they are not just around the Nile but come and disappear at Moses' command everywhere in the land.*

3rd Plague: Gnats (Lice) (Exodus 8:16-19)

The Delta area especially suffers from mosquitoes nearly all the time but especially just after the inundation, while the fields are still flooded. They rise from their breeding grounds like clouds of dust. The eggs and larvae develop in the standing water.
The magicians now admit there is divine power at work superior to their power. God is slowly winning!

*The miracle here may be that the mosquitoes arise from the dry land. This may also be the reason why the magicians cannot imitate this.*

4th Plague: Flies (Exodus 8:20-31)

This seems to be J's version of the previous plague.
The word used implies flies of every kind. Flies are a pest in Egypt anyway, breeding in swamplands and carrying disease.
This is the first time it is mentioned that Hebrews are exempted from the plagues. Some strands of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible depict the Hebrews as living in Goshen (Genesis 45:10; 46:28) whereas others have them settled throughout Egypt.
God brings the plague directly without Moses' or Aaron's intervention (8:24).
The magicians are not called upon to challenge God.
The drama heightens. Moses is much more forthright. Pharaoh is ready to meet their demand in part: they can offer the sacrifice where they are. Moses' objection (8:26) is that the Hebrews sacrificed animals such as cows, sheep and goats which were sacred to the Egyptians e.g. the cow was sacred to the Egyptian goddess Isis. That could cause trouble in Egypt. (It implies that the Hebrews did not offer sacrifices to God in Egypt). The Pharaoh accepts this and makes a further concession, which he then withdraws.
In asking Moses to intercede for him, the Pharaoh recognises God's power and Moses' role as intercessor (8:28) as in 8:8.

*The miracle here probably lies in the fact that the Israelites are not plagued by flies in the area of Goshen where they lived.*

5th Plague: Livestock Diseased (Exodus 9:1-7)

Livestock plagues are rare in Egypt but severe when they occur.
In the Delta, livestock are taken to pasture and kept there from January to April.
All the livestock are said to be killed but they are mentioned later on, so maybe only those in the fields were killed or 'all' meant a 'large number'.
Horses were not numerous and used to pull chariots.
The mention of camels is an anachronism. The camel was not yet domesticated in Egypt.
The Hebrews are again spared this plague.

*The miracle here is that immediate death is implied, from a supernatural and deadly plague not natural disease (Exodus 9:6).*

6th Plague: Boils (Exodus 9:8-12)

All the animals were killed in the previous plague so could not be infected as it is stated (See 5th Plague above) This is perhaps evidence that stories about the plague circulated independently before being gathered together in this form, hence the overlap. The fact that animals are infected suggests this plague recorded in the P strand is parallel to J's 5th plague.
However, it is also suggested that the throwing of the soot towards heaven implies the bringing of darkness and therefore it is parallel to the J and E strand stories about the 9th plague.
The kilns would be used for baking pottery and burning lime.
Diseases of the skin are common in Egypt (Deuteronomy 28:27 refers to 'the boils of Egypt'), but the particular disease is not mentioned. Leprosy, Nile-scab and blisters have been suggested.
The magicians themselves are not only powerless but are also infected now.
The Pharaoh, in sheer exasperation, becomes doubly stubborn.
The Hebrews see God as responsible for the Pharaoh's reaction.

*The miracle here would lie in the extent of the infection - people, animals, even the magicians.*

7th Plague: Thunder and Hail (Exodus 9:13-35)

Into the announcement of this next plague are worked verses to explain why God continued to allow Pharaoh, who had already twice broken his word - the frogs and flies - to live, when he could have destroyed him at any time. The reason is so that the Pharaoh may be shown God's power and God's name declared throughout the earth (Exodus 9:16).
Acknowledgement that God is incomparable lies at the heart of monotheism. Even before monotheism was declared there was the belief that Israel's God was incomparable in power.
This and the following two plagues all come from 'above'. So they are symbolically brought on by Moses raising his hand toward heaven. The characteristic posture of prayer in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible is to stretch out or lift up hands toward heaven while standing (e.g.1 Kings 8:22; Isaiah 1:15; Psalms 28:2)
Hailstorms with thunder and lightening are not common in Egypt but they do occur sometimes in the early months of the year, January or February, according to the condition of the crops mentioned.
Flax was used for making linen, especially for garments for the priests.
Exodus 9:31-32 was probably inserted by an editor to explain why anything was left for the locusts to eat in the next plague.
Division starts to appear in the Egyptian court when some Egyptian officials heed God's word. (Exodus 9:20).
Already the Pharaoh is willing to concede Moses' demand, since 'I will let you go' seems to mean forever, rather than a temporary stay. But the concession is through anguish not from recognition of God (Exodus 9:30).

*The miracle here lies in the unusual occurrence and unprecedented severity of the hailstorm and lightening.*

8th Plague: Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20)

Plagues of locusts are one of the most feared natural disasters in the ancient world because of the speed of their reproduction and rapid destructive force. Their arrival spelt death from famine.
Locusts attack Egypt only infrequently but Palestine more frequently. Modern observation supports the fact that the wind carries locusts a great distance.
Another new feature comes with this plague. The Pharaoh's courtiers, terrified by this fresh threat, and losing patience because of all the disasters that have already fallen on them, demand that the Pharaoh grants Moses' request.
The Pharaoh makes a partial concession. The men, whose presence only was necessary at the feast, should be allowed to go. But realising that they would escape, the women and children were to be kept for security.
After the plague the Pharaoh humbles himself, but once the danger is over, he hardens his heart.

*The miracle here is that the plague is so terrible and just with a change of the wind God delivers Egypt. He is in control of even the most terrible forces.*

9th Plague: Darkness (Exodus 10: 21-29)

Swarms of locusts are sometimes so dense that they produce temporary darkness. Thus the 8th and 9th plagues may have become separated (Exodus 10:15).
Alternatively, the darkness may have come from a severe sandstorm. The Khamsin, a hot wind from the desert containing a lot of particles of sand and darkening the atmosphere, blows intermittently in Egypt in March and April and sometimes May. It usually lasts 3 or 4 days, but takes its name from the Arabic for 'fifty' because it occurs within a period of fifty days. However, no wind with the darkness is mentioned. It is obviously intended to be a supernatural darkness.
For the ancient Egyptians, such darkness would bring great fear: most peoples of the ancient near East considered darkness to be the realm of evil spirits.
The Israelites' area was untouched by the darkness.
It seems the Israelites had no rules for their offerings at this time, and would seek divine instruction at the time of the sacrifice (10:26). A 'general' sacrifice later on in their history, meant that part of an animal was burnt on the altar for God and part was eaten by the worshippers to symbolise their communion with him and each other.
As a result of the darkness the Pharaoh says everyone can go but not the animals!
As the Pharaoh shrinks in stature, Moses grows. Is Moses now even into mocking the Pharaoh when he might well know that one animal of each kind would be sufficient for the sacrifice?
Moses says he will never see the Pharaoh again but he does (Exodus 11:4-8). Evidently Exodus 11:4-8 were originally part of this section and Exodus 11:1-3 was inserted.

*The miraculous element here lies in the timing - the darkness comes at Moses' command. *

10th Plague: death of the 1st Born (Exodus 11:1 - 13:16)

Moses announces to the Pharaoh that God will kill the first-born of the Egyptians. This is the first threat to human life.
A reason is given as to why the Hebrews' request might be granted - because God is influencing the Egyptians' minds. Much prestige is coming upon Moses, due to the wonders he has done and the sufferings brought on Egypt (v.3b).
Exodus 11: 4-8 probably originally followed Exodus 10:29.
This anthropocentric (i.e. regarding humankind as the most important and central factor in the universe) language of God (12:23) is seen in Genesis 3:8 and Exodus 7:17. 'Anthropos' in Greek means 'man'. 'Anthropomorphic' is a similar term. 'Morphos' means 'form' and refers to the fact that God is presented in human form.
The grinding of the corn for the daily meal was the most menial of tasks, often done by slaves or prisoners of war (Exodus 11:5).
Pharaoh's courtiers no longer try to move the Pharaoh, but disregarding him, address Moses directly.
The narrative about the clash between God and the Pharaoh is interrupted by material from the P strand with rules for the celebration of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, valid for all time. This stresses the connection of these feasts with the 10th plague and the deliverance from Egypt.
There may be a historical core here. It is possible the Hebrews took advantage of an epidemic affecting Egyptian children to make their escape. Epidemics are frequent in Egypt in the spring. But there is a parallel at play here. At the beginning, the Pharaoh ordered the deaths of the Israelite boys. Now God will not spare those who, represented by their Pharaoh, have not only opposed him but so often broken their promises to him. So the first-born Egyptians must be killed. The Pharaoh had to lose his first-born son before freeing Israel who was God's first-born son. Originally, was it possibly only the first-born of Pharaoh who was killed?
Pharaoh orders Moses and Aaron to the palace, orders them to leave the country and humbly begs for a blessing (Exodus 12:32). His defeat is complete and as they leave, the Israelites take with them the riches of the Egyptians as God had commanded in order for the Egyptians to show respect to the Israelites in this final moment (Exodus 12:36).