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The Ten Plagues

The Ten Plagues

#

Plague

Affected Egypt

Affected Goshen

Magicians able to do the same

Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart?

Miscellaneous Notes

0

Rod into serpent

   

X

Pharaoh

• Aaron’s rod ate the others.

1

Water into blood

X

X

X

Pharaoh

• The Nile river was a god to Egypt because it flooded and left the silt which made their land fertile. This god of life and fertility stank with death. • The plague lasted seven days.

2

Frogs

X

X

X

Pharaoh

• Another plague out of their god, the Nile. • This time Pharaoh asked that the plague be ended. God demonstrated His control by having Pharaoh pick the time when the plague would end.

• When the frogs died they were piled into heaps and they stank.

3

Lice / gnats

X

X

 

Pharaoh

• The magicians were not able to do this. Pharaoh still hardened his heart.

4

Swarms of flies

X

   

Pharaoh

• God made a distinction between Israel and Egypt. • Pharaoh offers to allow Israel to sacrifice in Egypt. • Pharaoh agrees to let Israel go to sacrifice if the flies are removed. Moses warns Pharaoh not to go back on his word of letting Israel go to sacrifice in the wilderness.

5

Livestock disease

X

   

Pharaoh

• God demonstrates His control by setting a specific time for the plague to begin. • Cattle were gods to Egyptians. • Pharaoh investigated whether the Israelites lost any cattle. They had lost none.

6

Boils / sores

X

   

God

• The magicians couldn’t even try to perform this plague because they were so affected by it that they could not come to Pharaoh.

7

Hail and fire

X

   

Pharaoh

• God again gave a set time for the plague to begin. He warned the Egyptians to get their servants and cattle into shelter in order to be spared. • The late crops were spared for destruction in the next plague. • Pharaoh’s repentance was untrue and lasted only until the plague ended.

8

Locusts

X

   

God

• Locusts usually came from the south but God brought them from the east. • Locusts ate the late crops which were left by the hail. • Pharaoh’s servants plead that he let the people go because Egypt lay in waste. • Pharaoh agrees to let the people go to sacrifice but only the men.

9

Darkness

X

   

God

• Egyptians worshipped the sun as a god. • “Darkness of darkness,” intense darkness so that no one moved around at all. • Pharaoh offered to let Israel go to worship but without the cattle and herds.

10

Killing of the firstborn

X

   

God

• All who had blood on their doorposts (Egyptian or Israelite) according to God’s command were spared.