Plagues of Egypt

The Plagues of Egypt, also referred to as the Ten Plagues, were inflicted upon the nation of Egypt after the Pharaoh of the time, whose heart was hardened by God possibly in retribution to how he did not accept his existence and powerExodus 5:1-9, refused to free the enslaved Hebrew people upon request from Moses and Aaron. The plagues occurred when God performed miracles through Moses. The Plagues of Egypt are documented primarily in the Book of Exodus, but are mentioned a few other times throughout the Bible.
As a result of the plagues, Egypt allowed the Hebrew Israelites to be freed from slavery, so they could leave and became an independent nation. In the process, the Israelites observed the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in remembrance of the plagues which had caused Egypt to suffer greatly economically and culturally.
== Prelude ==
At the time the ethnical group of the Hebrews (who would eventually become the nation of Israel) was enslaved in the country of Egypt. After the descendants of Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for centuries, God saw their sufferingExo 3:7,9 and resolved to rescue the IsraelitesExo 3:8 by the hand MosesExo 3:10. Before Moses went to Egypt to plead with the Pharaoh, God foretold that Egypt would not release the Hebrews unless a powerful force compelled him to do soExo 3:19.
Therefore, God would perform miracles amongst the Egyptians and after that, the slaves would be releasedExo 3:20. God also told Moses that he would make the Egyptians disposed in their favor, so the slaves would not have to leave without possessionsExo 3:21. God instructed Moses that in order to ensure this, all the women would need to ask the Egyptians for their valuables, such as gold, silver, and clothes; thereby plundering the EgyptiansExo 3:22.
Moses still doubted that the Israelites would believe and follow him, so God made his staff to turn into a snakeExo 4:1-5. God also foretold Moses the turning of the Nile River and the water in Egypt into bloodExo 4:9.
Moses then went on to Egypt, on his way meeting his brother Aaron who agreed to speak for him to the Pharaoh. Aaron and Moses went to speak before the Pharaoh, though they were told that the Pharaoh would not listen, even after many miraclesExo 7:2-5.
After the two pleaded for the Egyptian Monarch to release the Hebrew people by order of God (the Hebrew God Yahweh), the monarch asked them to prove their claim by performing a miracleExo 7:9. They did just as they were told by God, and Aaron threw down his staff on the ground which became a snakeExo 7:10
Egyptian sorcerers came and did the same thing using magical practicesExo 7:11, yet each of the sorcerer's snakes were eaten by Aaron's staffExo 7:12. Despite this direct challenge to the Egyptian Magic and to their idols, the Pharaoh still refused just as God had foretoldExo 7:13.
== The Plagues ==
=== Plague of Blood ===
God then spoke to Moses about Egypt's refusal to release EgyptExo 7:14 and was given instructions on what to do. In the morning when the Pharaoh went out to bathe in the Nile, Moses confronted himExo 7:15, pleading for him to release the slavesExo 7:16. Then Moses hit the Nile River with Aaron's staff and it was changed to blood in the presence of Pharaoh and his officialsExo 7:17,20, killing all the fish, making the river smelly and undrinkableExo 7:18,20Psa 78:44, 105:29.
Then Aaron took his staff and raised his hands over inland bodies of water and reservoirs (ponds, lakes, streams, bathing tubs) and turned them all to bloodExo 7:19. The Egyptian sorcerers once came again and did the same things, and the Pharaoh's heart was "hard"Exo 7:22. The Pharaoh simply returned to his palace not taking heart on the situationExo 7:22. The Egyptians soon began to dig along the banks of the nile, searching for reserves of water, because they could not drink any of the other waterExo 7:24.
=== Plague of Frogs ===
Seven days passed after the Plague of BloodExo 7:25 before God sent Moses back to the PharaohExo 8:2. Moses again pleaded with the Pharaoh and he refused. So God commanded Aaron to raise his staffExo 8:6 and out of the waters (mainly the Nile) frogs came and covered the landExo 8:2,6. The frogs went everywhere in the land, from houses and bedrooms of the government officialsPsa 105:30, to the ovens and cooking devicesExo 8:3; being upon all the people and officialsExo 8:4.
The sorcerers once again came and did the same thingExo 8:7. After the plague had gone on long enough for the Egyptians, the Pharaoh asked Moses to pray for His God Yahweh to end it in exchange for releasing the HebrewsExo 8:8. After negotiating that the freedom would be granted tomorrowExo 8:9-10. Moses went and prayed and the plague was removedExo 8:11 and all the frogs dropped dead all over Egyptian landExo 8:13. The frogs then were all piled up and the land began to reek from the strong smell of the deathExo 8:14. Pharaoh saw this as a relief, but decided not to let the Hebrews goExo 8:15.
=== Plague of Gnats ===
God then told Aaron and Moses to take his staff and hit the dust on the ground and all the dust would become gnatsExo 8:16. They did this, and all the ground's dust became gnats that came on the people and animalsExo 8:17. The sorcerers also tried to perform this miracle, but they were unable toExo 8:18.
The sorcerers then told the Pharaoh that it was Yahweh God's doing , but the Pharaoh refused to listenExo 8:19.
=== Plague of Flies ===
The then told Moses to get up early in the morning and confront the Pharaoh by the riverExo 8:20. Once again, the people were not freed, and therefore a plague of flies was inflictedExo 8:21 upon the people of Egypt and the government officialsExo 8:24. This time, God made a distinction between the people of Israel and of EgyptExo 8:23 and the flies did not disturb the region of Goshen were the Hebrews livedExo 8:22. After this Moses was promised he and the Hebrews could go out in the wilderness and worship, and so God ended the plague of fliesExo 8:25-31. This promise was then changed and the Hebrews were not allowed to goExo 8:32.
=== Plague on Livestock ===
== Verses ==
Category:Events