Exodus-10-Plagues
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Remember the following two truth’s
from our beloved Scriptures!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER
SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם -
the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2.
Remember We are Never Alone!
Davarim -
Deuteronomy Chapter 31, verse 6.
JPS-1917 version of the Torah.
חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ, אַל-תִּירְאוּ וְאַל-תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם: כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּךְ-לֹא יַרְפְּךָ, וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶךָּ
“Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be affrighted at them; for יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheycha (God), He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee’”.
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Exodus 7:14-24 to 12:29-30.
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
This story comes from the Book of Shemos - Exodus: Using the JPS-1917 version of the Torah!
The Ten Plagues are described in the Book of Exodus,
specifically in the portions of Parashat ‘Va’eira’ and ‘Bo’. They’re also briefly listed
in two chapters of Psalms, which adds even more into the details and
insights; it certainly paints a vivid picture of the chaos that gripped ‘Mizraim - Egypt’. But there is much
more to these plagues, as each plague greatly insulted countless Egyptian deities!
It all began with
‘Blood’, but it ended with the ‘Death of the Firstborn males’, including Pharaoh’s own son!
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Here’s a summary of the plagues:
Please Note: Below, shown first is what the plague is in
English, which is followed by the Hebrew name, and then its transliteration and
its description.
1. Blood = דָּם - Dam - Exodus 7:14-24. The Nile and other waterways turned
to blood, killing fish and creating a terrible stench.
There were two greatly revered Egyptian gods
that were slammed down when Moshe struck the Nile. 1. was the god ‘Khnum’, supposedly the guardian of the river’s source, it was
clearly off duty that day, or at least it was no match for the אֱלֹהִים
- Elohim of Israel. However, it also insulted Hapi, the god of the annual flooding of
the Nile was also unable to resist the plague.
2. Frogs = צְפַרְדֵּעַ - Tzefardēa
- Exodus 8:1-15. Frogs swarmed out of the Nile and invaded Egyptian
homes.
The אֱלֹהִים
– Elohim, blessed be He, of Israel was
delivering a direct strike against the Egyptian god Heqet. Representing regeneration, rebirth, and fertility, Heqet was depicted as a frog-headed woman. However, this
supposedly almighty frog-god could do nothing to stop the sudden invasion of
frogs, and was proved to be powerless in the face of אֱלֹהִים.
3. Gnats/Lice = כִּנִּים - Kinnīm
- Exodus 8:16-19. Dust
turned to ‘lice’, plaguing people and animals.
Geb (also known as Seb or Keb) was considered a god
of the earth, however אֱלֹהִים showed His sovereignty over the earth and
all that was in it by bringing a plague of lice, there was no more laughing.
The Egyptian earth god Geb was silenced. Moses struck
the dust of the earth with his rod bringing the plague of lice by the finger of
אֱלֹהִים.
4. Flies = עָרוֹב - Ārov
- Exodus 8:20-32. Shu, the god of air and supporter of the sky was
next up for humiliation.
But now the Egyptians were beginning to get a taste of how much
mightier the אֱלֹהִים of Israel was, than all the armies of Egypt
when He released swarms of flies they could do nothing about it!
5. Livestock Pestilence = דֶּבֶר - Dever - Exodus 9:1-7. Hordes of wild beasts terrorized Egypt.
These next gods were also made in the image of livestock, such as Amon who was portrayed as a ram, and Mnevis as a black bull. Hapi, also known as Apis, was also represented as a sacred bull, and Khnum often given a ram’s head. It goes without saying that livestock in the ancient world were extremely important. By striking Egypt’s livestock in this plague, it was clear that the אֱלֹהִים of Israel could deprive Egypt of one of the main sources of life in a direct assault on their gods.
6. Boils = שְׁחִין - Sheḥīn - Exodus
9:8-12. Painful
boils broke out on Egyptians and their remaining livestock.
The next god proved His authority to affect not just the
natural world around them, but their very lives. With the plague of boils, אֱלֹהִים showed His power to wound and to heal in a
direct affront to the Egyptian gods of healing, such as Sekhmet and Isis.
7. Hail = בָּרָד - Barād
- Exodus 9:13-35. Fiery
hail storms destroyed crops and trees.
By pelting the land of Egypt with a plague of catastrophic hail, was assaulting the
Egyptian gods of the atmosphere and weather, as well as the earth and all it
contains. As this plague beat down on the land, the Egyptian sky goddess Nut, and
storm god Seth, supposedly
associated with strange and frightening events such as eclipses, thunderstorms,
and earthquakes along with Shu, god
of the air, couldn’t lift a finger to prevent the disaster.
8. Locusts = אַרְבֶּה - Arbeh - Exodus 10:1-20. Swarms of locusts consumed whatever vegetation remained.
The plague of locusts showed up the Egyptian god Bastet, a deity in the form of a cat who was supposed to be the protector of crops from rodents and vermin like locusts. Neither was Osiris god of agriculture, much help. Osiris was considered the ruler of death and life, and of sprouting vegetation, and legend had it that Osiris developed agriculture in Egypt. But again אֱלֹהִים showed who the real master was!
9. Darkness = חֹשֶׁךְ - Ḥōshekh - Exodus 10:21-29. Thick darkness immobilized the Egyptians.
By bringing the plague of darkness, אֱלֹהִים demonstrated His sovereignty over Egypt’s
most powerful gods. The sun god, Ra, had the head of a falcon and the
body of a human. This deity was often considered to be the first king, ruling
initially over humans and gods on earth and then later in the heavens. This
complete darkness stopped the nation!
10. Death of
Egypt’s Firstborn = מַכַּת
בְּכוֹרו - Makkat
Bekhōrōt - Exodus 11:1-10 &
12:29-30. Every
Egyptian firstborn male died at midnight.
This the last but not least was a direct repayment for Pharaoh’s genocidal massacre of Hebrew baby boys. This tenth plague was a direct strike against the Pharaoh himself and his line. Of course Egyptian pharaohs were considered deities, and descendants of the gods, but none could withstand אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s destroying angel. In the book of the dead, the Pharaoh says “I am decreed to be the Heir, the Lord of the Earth of Geb. Of course, Pharaoh’s son died at midnight and now he finally gave in to let the Hebrews go!
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Moshe - Moses and Acharon - Aaron Played Key Roles:
While the plagues came from אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה ... בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם קָדוֹשׁוֹ - “Baruch Shem Kadosho” – “Blessed be His Holy Name”, it was Moshe and Acharon who had to carry them out. Often, Moshe or Acharon raised a staff to begin the plague. For boils, they tossed ash into the air, spreading the plague wherever it landed. Interestingly, Moshe did not initiate the first three plagues, as an act of gratitude to the Nile (which saved him as a baby) and the earth (which concealed the Egyptian Moshe had killed to protect a fellow Hebrew).
Most of them Followed a Monthly Cycle:
According to tradition, Moshe warned Pharaoh about each plague for 24 days, and then the plague struck for a full week. Exceptions include ‘darkness’, which lasted six days, and the death of the firstborn, which happened in an instant, at Midnight. However, three plagues being lice, boils, and darkness occurred without any warning at all.
Pharaoh’s Heart Was Hardened:
In the throes of the plagues, Pharaoh repeatedly promised to free the Hebrews, only to go back on his word once the danger had passed. At first, he did this consciously, but eventually, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, hardened Pharaoh’s heart, ensuring he would resist until all the ten plagues were complete.
Many Reasons Are Given:
Many different traditions explain why these specific plagues were wrought on the Egyptians. Thus here are two of them:
Military Tactics: Like a siege, the plagues began by cutting off Egypt’s water supply (blood), followed by loud disturbances (frogs), shooting arrows (lice), and so on.
Measure for Measure: The plagues mirrored the Egyptians’ cruelty to the Hebrews, as illustrated in the following chart:
|
Act of Cruelty toward Hebrews |
Plagues |
|
Throwing their babies into the Nile. |
Nile turns to blood. |
|
Wailing of mothers over murdered children. |
Frogs create deafening noise. |
|
Forcing them to work the land. |
Dust turns to lice. |
|
Abducting their children for slavery. |
Wild beasts maul Egyptian children. |
|
Robbing their livestock. |
Pestilence kills livestock. |
|
Segregating them. |
Boils force them to isolate. |
|
Throwing stones at them. |
Hail. |
|
Robbing their produce. |
Locusts consume produce. |
|
Darkness of exile. |
Debilitating darkness. |
|
Persecuted the Hebrews, Elohim’s firstborn nation! |
Egypt’s firstborn sons had to die. |
Pharaoh’s Sorcerers Gave Up:
Egypt was known for its sorcery, and Pharaoh’s magicians initially imitated the plagues of blood and frogs to prove that they were not Divinely-Orchestrated. But when they were unable to replicate the plague of lice, they were forced to admit, “This is the finger of the Hebrew אֱלֹהִים - Elohim!”
The Hebrew’s were Spared:
The people of Yisrael were living in the land of Goshen, were they were protected from all the plagues. And of course the sorcerers had no doubt that the lice was “the finger of the Hebrew’s אֱלֹהִים - Elohim” (see previous fact), it needed to strike all of Egypt’s dust.
Moshe Predicted Exact Times:
The plagues demonstrated אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s Omnipotence by occurring and ending at precisely predicted times. Before the plague of hail, Moshe marked a spot on palace wall and declared, “When the sun reaches this point tomorrow, the plague will begin” and it did. Likewise, when Moshe asked Pharaoh when he should pray for the frogs to disappear, Pharaoh replied, “Tomorrow.” True to Moshe’s word, the frogs left the next day.
In conclusion:
Why did Pharaoh wait an extra day? His patience here was a calculated strategy to uncover Moshe as a charlatan. He suspected that far from being the hand of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, the frogs’ proliferation was a natural phenomenon due to end that day. Moshe, he assumed, had asked Pharaoh to designate a time for their departure because he was sure he would want them to leave right away. He therefore cunningly answered, “Tomorrow”, but of course, that is indeed when the Hebrews commenced for their departure!
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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim,
blessed be He, said the following, via several of our prophets...
“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem; walk
in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances,
and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and
you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
- the LORD your Eloheichem”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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He
is the one who gave us our Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with
you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם -
Shalom
Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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