Ten Plagues of Egypt
Overview
- Testament: Old
- Book: Exodus 7:14 — 12:30
- Summary: God sends ten escalating judgments upon Egypt, each targeting Egyptian gods, until Pharaoh releases Israel.
Details
Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh with God’s demand: “Let My people go.” Pharaoh refused. God sent ten plagues, each escalating in severity:
- Water to Blood (Ch 7) — Nile and all water turned to blood
- Frogs (Ch 8) — Frogs covered the land
- Gnats/Lice (Ch 8) — Dust became gnats
- Flies (Ch 8) — Swarms of flies
- Livestock Disease (Ch 9) — Cattle died
- Boils (Ch 9) — Painful sores on people and animals
- Hail (Ch 9) — Fire and hail destroyed crops
- Locusts (Ch 10) — Devoured everything remaining
- Darkness (Ch 10) — Three days of palpable darkness
- Death of Firstborn (Ch 12) — Every firstborn in Egypt died
After each plague, Pharaoh offered to let Israel go, then relented. God hardened his heart. Only the death of the firstborn broke his resistance.
Key People Involved
Important Verses
- “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened… Get thee unto Pharaoh… for I have hardened his heart.” — Exodus 9:12
- “And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” — Exodus 12:30
Cross-References
- Romans 11:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:11 — Hardening of heart
- Revelation 16: — Bowls of judgment parallel the plagues
- Deuteronomy 11:2-7 — Moses recalls the plagues