God permitted the conflict between Moses and Pharaoh for three reasons at least.
1. In this conflict God displayed His superior power and sovereignty over Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt.
2. God strengthened the faith of His people so that they would trust and obey Him and thereby realize all of His gracious purposes for them as a nation.
3. God also used these events to heighten anticipation of and appreciation for the redemption He would provide. The Israelites would forever after look back on the Exodus as the greatest demonstration of God's love at work for them.
"It is impossible to find a more exact illustration of the truth of Rom. i. than that presented in this story of Pharaoh's conflict with Jehovah."99
5:1-9 At Moses and Aaron's first audience with Pharaoh they simply presented God's command (v. 1). They did not perform miracles but asked for permission to leave Egypt.
The Israelites could have worshipped the gods of Egypt in the land, but they had to leave Egypt to worship a non-Egyptian God. Moses' request was a request to exercise a basic human freedom, namely, the freedom of worship.
"Exodus 5:1-5 introduces another aspect of labour in Egypt: claims for time off work, and specifically for worship or religious holidays. On this topic, useful background comes from the extensive, fragmentary and often very detailed records kept for the activities of the royal workmen (who lived at the Deir el-Medina village), who cut the royal tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens in Western Thebes, c. 1530-1100 B.C.
"Daily notes were kept for the men's attendances at work or of their absences from it. Sometimes reasons for absence are given. . . . The entire workforce might be off for up to 8 or 14 days, especially if interruptions, official holidays and weekends' came together. In Ancient Egypt--as elsewhere--major national festivals (usually main feasts of chief gods) were also public holidays. Then, each main city had its own holidays on main feasts of the principal local god(s). Besides all this, the royal workmen at Deir el-Medina can be seen claiming time off for all kinds of reasons, including offering to his god,' (off) for his feast'; even brewing for his feast'or for a specific deity. Not only individuals but groups of men together could get time off for such observances. And a full-scale feast could last several days.
"What was true in Thebes or Memphis would apply equally at Pi-Ramesse (Raamses). So, when Moses requested time off from Pharaoh, for the Hebrews to go off and celebrate a feast to the Lord God, it is perhaps not too surprising that Pharaoh's reaction was almost not another holiday!'"100
Pharaoh was not only the king of Egypt, but the Egyptians regarded him as a divine person; he was a god (v. 2).101Consequently when Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to accede to the command of Yahweh, Pharaoh saw this request as a threat to his sovereignty. He knew (i.e., had respect for) the gods of Egypt, but he did not know (have respect for) Yahweh, the God of his foreign slaves. If Yahweh had identified Himself with these slaves, and if He had not already delivered them, why should Pharaoh fear and obey Him?
"It required no ordinary daring to confront the representative of a long line of kings who had been taught to consider themselves as the representatives and equals of the gods. They were accustomed to receive Divine titles and honours, and to act as irresponsible despots. Their will was indisputable, and all the world seemed to exist for no other reason than [to] minister to their state."102
"These words ["Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD . . ."] form the motivation for the events that follow, events designed to demonstrate who the Lord is.
"Thus as the plague narratives begin, the purpose of the plagues is clearly stated: so that the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD' (7:5). Throughout the plague narratives we see the Egyptians learning precisely this lesson (8:19; 9:20, 27; 10:7). As the narratives progress, the larger purpose also emerges. The plagues which God had sent against the Egyptians were to be recounted to your son and your son's son . . . so that you may know that I am the LORD.'"103
In their second appeal to Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron used milder terms (v. 3). They presented themselves not as ambassadors of Yahweh but as representatives of their brethren. They did not mention the name "Yahweh,"that was unknown to Pharaoh, or "Israel,"that would have struck him as arrogant. They did not command but requested ("Please . . ."). Moreover they gave reasons for their request: their God had appeared to them, and they feared His wrath if they disobeyed Him.
"Moses . . . appealed to him [Pharaoh] almost precisely as, centuries after, Paul addressed the assembly on Mars Hill . . . [cf. Acts 17:22-23]."104
The Egyptians regarded the sacrifices that the Israelites would offer as unacceptable since almost all forms of life were sacred in Egypt. They believed their gods manifested themselves through cows, goats, and many other animals.
"The Egyptians considered sacred the lion, the ox, the ram, the wolf, the dog, the cat, the ibis, the vulture, the falcon, the hippopotamus, the crocodile, the cobra, the dolphin, different varieties of fish, trees, and small animals, including the frog, scarab, locust, and other insects. In addition to these there were anthropomorphic gods; that is, men in the prime of life such as Annen, Atum, or Osiris."105
Pharaoh's reply to Moses and Aaron's second appeal was even harsher than his response to their first command (v. 5; cf. v. 1). Their aggressive approach may have been what God used to cause Pharaoh to harden his heart initially.
5:11-21 Stubble was the part of the corn or grain stalk that remained standing after field hands had harvested a crop (v. 12). This the Israelites chopped up and mixed with the clay to strengthen their bricks.
"In 2:23 the cry of the people went up before God. By contrast, here in 5:15 the cry of the people is before Pharaoh. It is as if the author wants to show that Pharaoh was standing in God's way and thus provides another motivation for the plagues which follow."106
"This Pharaoh, so unreasonable with men and so stingy with straw, is about to be shown up before Yahweh as no more than a man of straw."107
The Israelites turned on Moses just as the Israelites in Jesus' day turned against their Savior.
"The Lord God brought a vine out of Egypt, but during the four hundred years of its sojourn there, it had undeniably become inveterately degenerate and wild."108
5:22-6:1 Moses' prayer of inquiry and complaint reveals the immaturity of his faith at this time. He, too, needed the demonstrations of God's power that followed.
"By allowing us to listen to Moses' prayer to God, the author uncovers Moses' own view of his calling. It was God's work, and Moses was sent by God to do it."109
This section climaxes with the apparent failure of Yahweh's plan to rescue Israel. This desperate condition provides the pessimistic backdrop for the supernatural demonstrations of Yahweh's power that follow.
The writer gave the credentials of God and His representatives, Moses and Aaron, in these verses.
6:2-9 God explained to Moses that He would indeed deliver Israel out of Egypt in spite of the discouragement that Moses had encountered so far. God proceeded to remind Moses of His promises to the patriarchs and to reveal more of Himself by expounding one of His names.
"During the patriarchal period the characteristic name of God was God Almighty' (6:3; see, for example, Gen. 17:1), the usual translation of the Hebrew El Shaddai, which probably literally means God, the Mountain One.' That phrase could refer to the mountains as God's symbolic home (see Ps. 121:1), but it more likely stresses His invincible power and might. . . .
"But during the Mosaic period the characteristic name of God was to be the LORD,' the meaning of which was first revealed to Moses himself (Exod. 3:13-15). Exodus 6:3 is not saying that the patriarchs were totally ignorant of the name Yahweh."110
"Thus though the name YHWH existed well before the time of Moses, the meaningof that name was not revealed until the time of Moses."111
Yahweh reveals God as "the absolute Being working with unbounded freedom in the performance of His promises."112It emphasizes God's power at work for His people as He was about to demonstrate it.
"Whatever the situation or need (in particular, the redemption from Egypt, but also future needs), God will become' the solution to that need."113
In this revelation God promised to do three things for Israel.
1. He would deliver the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage (v. 6). Moses communicated this in a threefold expression suggesting the completeness of the deliverance.
2. He would adopt Israel as His nation (v. 7). This took place at Sinai (19:5).
3. He would bring Israel into the Promised Land (v. 8).
Note the repetition of the phrase "I will"seven times in these verses emphasizing the fact that God would certainly do this for Israel.
The whole revelation occurs within the statements "I am the LORD"(vv. 2, 8) which formalize it and further stress the certainty of these promises.114
"This small section of narrative also sketches out the argument of the whole Pentateuch. God made a covenant with the patriarchs to give them the land of Canaan (Ex 6:4). He remembered his covenant when he heard the cry of the Israelites in Egyptian bondage (v. 5). He is now going to deliver Israel from their bondage and take them to himself as a people and be their God (v. 6). He will also bring them into the land which he swore to give to their fathers (v. 8). The die is cast for the remainder of the events narrated in the Pentateuch."115
6:10-13 Moses continued to claim lack of persuasive skill in speech (v. 12; cf. v. 30). He failed to grasp the full significance of what God had just revealed to him. It was God, not Moses, who would bring the people out of Egypt. (Jesus' disciples, and we, had and have the same problem!)
"Seven distinct objections were raised by Moses as reasons why he should not undertake the arduous task to which he was called. They have been thus epitomised [sic]: Lack of fitness, who am I, that I should go?' (iii. 11); lack of words, what shall I say?' (iii. 13); lack of authority, they will not believe me' (iv. 1); lack of power of speech, I am not eloquent' (iv. 10); lack of special adaptation, Send by whom Thou wilt send' (iv. 13); lack of success at his first attempt, neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all' (v. 23); lack of acceptance, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me' (vi. 12)."116
6:14-30 The selective genealogy (cf. Num. 3:27-28) of Moses and Aaron accredits these men as God's divinely appointed messengers (prophets) to the Israelites.
Moses' Family Tree (Exod. 6:14-27)
7:1-7 Moses was "as God"to Pharaoh in that he was the person who revealed God's will (v. 1). Pharaoh was to be the executor of that will. Aaron would be Moses' prophet as he stood between Moses and Pharaoh and communicated Moses and God's will to the king.
God referred to the miracles Moses would do as signs (i.e., miracles with special significance) and wonders (miracles producing wonder or awe in those who witnessed them, v. 3).117The text usually calls them "plagues,"but clearly they were "signs,"miracles that signified God's sovereignty.
The ultimate purpose of God's actions was His own glory (v. 5). The glory of God was at stake. The Egyptians would acknowledge God's faithfulness and sovereign power in delivering the Israelites from their bondage and fulfilling their holy calling. God's intention was to bless the Egyptians through Israel (Gen. 12:3), but Pharaoh would make that impossible by his stubborn refusal to honor God. Nevertheless the Egyptians would acknowledge Yahweh's sovereignty.
The writer included the ages of Moses and Aaron (80 and 83 respectively) as part of God's formal certification of His messengers (v. 7).118
"It is a common feature of biblical narratives for the age of their heroes to be stated at the time when some momentous event befalls them . . ."119
"D. L. Moody wittily said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh's court thinking he was somebody; forty years in the desert learning he was nobody; and forty years showing what God can do with somebody who found out he was nobody."120
Pharaoh requested that Moses and Aaron perform a miracle to prove their divine authority since they claimed that God had sent them (vv. 9-10).
"What we refer to as the ten plagues' were actually judgments designed to authenticate Moses as God's messenger and his message as God's message. Their ultimate purpose was to reveal the greatness of the power and authority of God to the Egyptians (7:10-12:36) in order to bring Pharaoh and the Egyptians into subjection to God."121
The Jews preserved the names of the chief magicians even though the Old Testament did not record them. Paul said they were Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim. 3:9). These were not sleight-of-hand artists but wise men who were evidently members of the priestly caste (cf. Gen. 41:8). The power of their demonic gods lay in their "secret arts"(v. 11). They were able to do miracles in the power of Satan (1 Cor. 10:20; cf. Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-10; Rev. 13:13-14).122The superiority of the Israelites' God is clear in the superiority of Aaron's serpent over those of the Egyptian magicians (v. 12). The rod again represented regal authority and implied that Yahweh, not Pharaoh, was sovereign (cf. 4:2-5).
This miracle should have convinced Pharaoh of Yahweh's sovereignty, but he chose to harden his heart in unbelief and disobedience. Consequently God sent the plagues that followed.
"The point of this brief section is that Yahweh's proof of his powerful Presence to the Pharaoh and thus to the Pharaoh's Egypt will be miraculous in nature."123
Psalm 78:43 places the scene of the plagues in northern Egypt near Zoan.
The plagues were penal; God sent them to punish Pharaoh for his refusal to obey God and to move him to obey Yahweh. They involved natural occurrences rather than completely unknown phenomena. At various times of the year gnats, flies, frogs, etc., were a problem to the Egyptians. Even the pollution of the Nile, darkness, and death were common to the Egyptians.
Evidence that the plagues were truly miraculous events is as follows. Some were natural calamities that God supernaturally intensified (frogs, insects, murrain, hail, darkness). Moses set the time for the arrival and departure of some. Some afflicted only the Egyptians. The severity of the plagues increased consistently. They also carried a moral purpose (9:27; 10:16; 12:12; 14:30).124
"The plagues were a combination of natural phenomena known to both the Egyptians and Israelites alike (due to their long sojourn in Egypt) heightened by the addition of supernatural factors."125
God designed them to teach the Egyptians that Yahweh sovereignly controls the forces of nature.126The Egyptians attributed this control to their gods.
Some writers have given a possible schedule for the plagues based on the times of year some events mentioned in the text would have normally taken place in Egypt. For example, lice and flies normally appeared in the hottest summer months. Barley formed into ears of grain and flax budded (9:31) in January-February. Locusts were a problem in early spring. The Jews continued to celebrate the Passover in the spring. This schedule suggests that the plagues began in June and ended the following April.127
"The Egyptians were just about the most polytheistic people known from the ancient world. Even to this day we are not completely sure of the total number of gods which they worshipped. Most lists include somewhere in the neighborhood of eighty gods . . ."128
Many writers have noticed that the plagues appeared in sets of three. The accounts of the first plague in each set (the first, fourth, and seventh plagues) each contain a purpose statement in which God explained to Moses His reason and aim for that set of plagues (cf. 7:17; 8:22; 9:14). God had announced His overall purpose for the plagues in 7:4-5.129
The water turned to blood (first plague) 7:14-25
The first mighty act of God serves in the narrative as a paradigm of the nine plagues that follow. Striking the Nile with the rod suggested dominion over creation and all the gods of Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians linked many of their gods with the life-giving force of the Nile. The tenth plague is unique in that it is both a part of the narrative of Exodus as a whole and is a mighty act of God in itself.130
Evidently Pharaoh had his morning devotions on the banks of the sacred Nile River. Moses and Aaron met him there as he prepared to honor the gods of the river (v. 15).
We could perhaps interpret the statement that the water turned into blood (v. 20) in the same way we interpret Joel's prophecy that the moon will turn into blood (Joel 2:31 cf. Rev. 6:12). Moses may have meant that the water appeared to be blood.131Nevertheless something happened to the water to make the fish die. The Hebrew word translated "blood"means blood, so a literal meaning is possible.132Furthermore the passage in Joel is poetry and therefore figurative whereas the passage here in Exodus is narrative and should be understood literally.133Note too that this plague affected all the water in pools and reservoirs formed by the overflowing Nile as well as the water of the Nile and its estuaries (v. 19). Understood figuratively or literally a real miracle took place as is clear from the description of the effects this plague had on the Egyptians and the fish in the Nile. The Egyptian wizards were able to duplicate this wonder, but they could not undo its effects.
"The most that can be said for their miracle-working is that it is a copy of what Moses and Aaron have accomplished and that it actually makes matters worse for their master and their people."134
"It was appropriate that the first of the plagues should be directed against the Nile River itself, the very lifeline of Egypt and the center of many of its religious ideas. The Nile was considered sacred by the Egyptians. Many of their gods were associated either directly or indirectly with this river and its productivity. For example, the great Khnum was considered the guardian of the Nile sources. Hapi was believed to be the spirit of the Nile' and its dynamic essence.' One of the greatest gods revered in Egypt was the god Osiris who was the god of the underworld. The Egyptians believed that the river Nile was his bloodstream. In the light of this latter expression, it is appropriate indeed that the Lord should turn the Nile to blood! It is not only said that the fish in the river died but that the river stank,' and the Egyptians were not able to use the water of that river. That statement is especially significant in the light of the expressions which occur in the Hymn to the Nile': The bringer of food, rich in provisions, creator of all good, lord of majesty, sweet of fragrance'.135With this Egyptian literature in mind, one can well imagine the horror and frustration of the people of Egypt as they looked upon that which was formerly beautiful only to find dead fish lining the shores and an ugly red characterizing what had before provided life and attraction. Crocodiles were forced to leave the Nile. One wonders what worshipers would have thought of Hapi the god of the Nile who was sometimes manifest in the crocodile. Pierre Montet relates the following significant observation:
"At Sumenu (the modern Rizzeigat) in the Thebes area, and in the central district of the Fayum, the god Sepek took the form of a crocodile. He was worshipped in his temple where his statue was erected, and venerated as a sacred animal as he splashed about in his pool. A lady of high rank would kneel down and, without the slightest trace of disgust, would drink from the pool in which the crocodile wallowed. Ordinary crocodiles were mummified throughout the whole of Egypt and placed in underground caverns, like the one called the Cavern of the Crocodiles in middle Egypt.'136
"Surely the pollution of the Nile would have taken on religious implications for the average Egyptian. Those who venerated Neith, the eloquent warlike goddess who took a special interest in the lates, the largest fish to be found in the Nile, would have had second thoughts about the power of that goddess. Nathor was supposed to have protected the chromis, a slightly smaller fish. Those Egyptians who depended heavily on fish and on the Nile would indeed have found great frustration in a plague of this nature."137
The commentators have interpreted the reference to blood being throughout all Egypt "in (vessels of) wood and in (vessels of) stone"(v. 19) in various ways. Some believe this refers to water in exterior wooden and stone water containers. Others hold it refers to water in all kinds of vessels used for holding water. Still others think Moses described the water in trees and in wells. However this expression may refer to the water kept in buildings thatthe Egyptians normally constructed out of wood and stone.
"In the Bible a totality is more often indicated by mentioning two fundamental elements; see e.g., milk and honey' (Ex. iii 8, etc.) and flesh and blood' (Matt. xvi 17)."138
This quotation supports the idea that God changed even the water stored in buildings to blood.
"Each of the first nine of the mighty-act accounts may be said to have the same fundamental point, expressed in much the same way. That point, concisely summarized, is that Yahweh powerfully demonstrates his Presence to a Pharaoh prevented from believing so that Israel may come to full belief."139
Frogs (second plague) 8:1-15
Before the second plague, Moses gave Pharaoh a warning, for the first time, and for the first time the plague touched Pharaoh's person.
"The god Hapi controlled the alluvial deposits and the waters that made the land fertile and guaranteed the harvest of the coming season. These associations caused the Egyptians to deify the frog and make the theophany of the goddess Heqt a frog. Heqt was the wife of the great god Khnum. She was the symbol of resurrection and the emblem of fertility. It was also believed that Heqt assisted women in childbirth. . . . The frog was one of a number of sacred animals that might not be intentionally killed, and even their involuntary slaughter was often punished with death."140
The goddess Heqt ". . . who is depicted in the form of a woman with a frog's head, was held to blow the breath of life into the nostrils of the bodies that her husband fashioned on the potter's wheel from the dust of the earth . . . ."141
"This second plague was not completely unrelated to the first, for the Nile and the appearance of the frogs were very much associated. The presence of the frogs normally would have been something pleasant and desirable, but on this occasion quite the opposite was true. The frogs came out of the rivers in great abundance and moved across the land into the houses, the bedchambers, the beds, and even moved upon the people themselves (v. 3). One can only imagine the frustration brought by such a multiplication of these creatures. They were probably everywhere underfoot bringing distress to the housewives who attempted to clear the house of them only to find that they made their way into the kneading troughs and even into the beds. It must have been a unique experience indeed to come home from a long day's work, slip into bed only to find that it has already been occupied by slimy, cold frogs! Whatever popularity the goddess Heqt must have enjoyed prior to this time would have been greatly diminished with the multiplication of these creatures who at this point must have tormented her devotees to no end."142
"Since the frog or toad was deified as the Egyptian goddess Heqt, who was believed to assist women in childbirth, there may be a touch of irony in the statement that large numbers of frogs would invade the Pharaoh's bedroom and even jump on his bed (v. 3)."143
The Egyptian magicians were able to bring up frogs, too (v. 7), but they seem to have lacked the ability to make them go away since Pharaoh asked Moses to get rid of them (v. 8). Satanic power does not generally work for the welfare of humanity but is basically destructive.
To impress upon Pharaoh that a personal God was performing these miracles (v. 10) Moses asked the king to set the time when the frogs should depart (v. 9). Yahweh was in charge of the very territory over which Pharaoh regarded himself as sovereign.
Gnats (third plague) 8:16-19
The Hebrew word translated "gnats"(kinnim) probably refers not to lice or fleas but to gnats.144The frogs had invaded the Egyptians' homes, but the gnats afflicted their bodies.
They were ". . . a species of gnats, so small as to be hardly visible to the eye, but with a sting which, according to Philo and Origin, causes a most painful irritation of the skin. They even creep into the eyes and nose, and after the harvest they rise in great swarms from the inundated rice fields."145
"The dust . . . became gnats"(v. 17) probably means that the gnats rose from the dust, resembled the dust in that they were so small, and were as numerous as the dust. Moses evidently used the language of appearance (here a metaphor).
The magicians failed to reproduce this miracle (v. 18). They had to confess that it was of divine origin and not the result of Moses and Aaron's human ability. The "finger of God"(v. 19) is a phrase denoting creative omnipotence in Scripture (31:18; Ps. 8:3; Luke 11:20).146
"The new element introduced in the account of the third of the mighty acts is the realization by Pharaoh's learned men that God or a god is in the midst of what is happening in Egypt."147
"At this point in the narrative we, the readers, see that the Egyptian magicians were using tricks in their earlier signs. Their confession plays an important role in uncovering the writer's real purpose in recounting these events."148
The magicians gave credit to "God"(Elohim), not Yahweh. They did not ascribe this miracle to the God of the Israelites but were only willing to say it had some supernatural origin.
"It is not clear against what specific deities this particular plague was directed. It is entirely possible, however, that the plague was designed to humiliate the official priesthood in the land, for it will be noted in verse 17 that these creatures irritated both man and beast, and this included all the land of Egypt.' The priests in Egypt were noted for their physical purity. Daily rites were performed by a group of priests known as the Uabor pure ones.' Their purity was basically physical rather than spiritual. They were circumcised, shaved the hair from their heads and bodies, washed frequently, and were dressed in beautiful linen robes.149In the light of this it would seem rather doubtful that the priesthood in Egypt could function very effectively having been polluted by the presence of these insects. They, like their worshipers, were inflicted with the pestilence of this occasion. Their prayers were made ineffective by their own personal impurity with the presence of gnats on their bodies.
"The priests in Egypt were a group of people to be reckoned with not only religiously but economically and politically. They controlled to a large degree, the minds and hearts of the people."150
The Egyptian priests wore animal masks representing various gods to help the people understand the god the mask portrayed and his activities.151
"As the Egyptian magicians saw nothing more than the finger of God in the miracle which they could not imitate, that is to say, the work of some deity, possibly one of the gods of the Egyptians, and not the hand of Jehovah the God of the Hebrews, who had demanded the release of Israel, a distinction was made in the plagues which followed between the Israelites and the Egyptians, and the former were exempted from the plagues: a fact which was sufficient to prove to anyone that they came from the God of Israel. To make this the more obvious, the fourth and fifth plagues were merely announced by Moses to the king. They were not brought on through the mediation of either himself or Aaron, but were sent by Jehovah at the appointed time; no doubt for the simple purpose of precluding the king and his wise men from the excuse which unbelief might still suggest, viz. that they were produced by the powerful incantations of Moses and Aaron."152
Flies (fourth plague) 8:20-32
Moses announced this plague to Pharaoh like the first, in the morning near the Nile River (v. 20; cf. 7:15).
These insects were very annoying, even more bothersome than the gnats.
"When enraged, they fasten themselves upon the human body, especially upon the edges of the eyelids. . . . [they] not only tortured, devoured' (Ps. 68:45) the men, and disfigured them by the swellings produced by their sting, but also killed the plants in which they deposited their eggs . . . ."153
"The blood-sucking gadfly or dogfly was something to be abhorred and may in part have been responsible for the great deal of blind men in the land. . . . It might also be noted that the Ichneuman fly, which deposits its eggs on other living things upon which its larvae can feed, was regarded as the manifestation of the god Uatchit."154
God demonstrated His sovereignty over space as well as nature and time by keeping the flies out of Goshen and off the Israelites (v. 22).155Many of the commentators assume that the first three plagues did not afflict the Israelites either (cf. 7:19; 8:2, 16, 17). God distinguished between the two groups of people primarily to emphasize to Pharaoh that Israel's God was the author of the plagues and that He was sovereign over the whole land of Egypt (v. 23).
For the first time Pharaoh gave permission for the Israelites to sacrifice to Yahweh (v. 25). He would not allow them to leave Egypt, however. Pharaoh admitted that Yahweh was specifically the God of Israel ("yourGod"), but he did not admit that hehad an obligation to obey Him.156
The Egyptians regarded the animals the Israelites would have sacrificed as holy and as manifestations of their gods. Consequently the sacrifices would have been an abomination.157
". . . we know from excavations that this Pharaoh, Amenhotep II, worshipped bulls."158
The abomination that the Israelites' sacrifice would have constituted to the Egyptians also may have consisted in the method by which the Israelites would have sacrificed these animals. The Egyptians themselves practiced animal sacrifices, but they had rigorous procedures for cleansing their sacrificial animals before they killed them, which the Israelites would not have observed.159
Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites leave Egypt to sacrifice temporarily in the wilderness after Moses had reminded him of the problems involved in sacrificing in Egypt (v. 28). Yet they were not to go very far from Goshen.
Again Pharaoh asked Moses to pray that his God would remove the plague (v. 28; cf. 8:9-10).
"What is new in this fourth of the mighty acts, apart from the nature of the miracle itself, is the separation of the land of Goshen from the effects of miracle (there has been no mention of Goshen's fate in the earlier accounts), the negotiations between Pharaoh and Moses, with each of them setting conditions, and the allusion to the antipathy of the Egyptians to Israel worhsip [sic] (or to Israelite ways, and to Israelites in general)."160
Murrain (fifth plague) 9:1-7
This plague, apparently some kind of disease like anthrax, was more severe than the preceding ones in that it affected the personal property of the Egyptians for the first time.
"The whole creation is bound together by invisible cords. None can sin or suffer alone. No man liveth or dieth to himself. Our sins send their vibrations through creation, and infect the very beasts."161
All the other plagues had caused the Egyptians irritation or pain to their bodies, but now God began to reduce their wealth.
"The religious implications of this plague are most interesting and instructive. A large number of bulls and cows were considered sacred in Egypt. In the central area of the Delta, four provinces chose as their emblems various types of bulls and cows. A necropolis of sacred bulls was discovered near Memphis which place was known for its worship of both Ptah and a sacred Apis bull. The Apis bull was considered the sacred animal of the God Ptah; therefore, the associated worship at the site of Memphis is readily understood. There was at any one time only one sacred Apis bull. As soon as it died another was chosen to take its place, an event that attracted a great deal of attention in the area of Memphis.162The sacred bull was supposed to have been recognized by twenty-eight distinctive marks that identified him as deity and indicated that he was the object of worship.163
"Another deity whose worship would have been affected by the impact of this plague was Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty and joy represented by the cow. The worship of this deity was centered mainly in the city of Denderah although its popularity is witnessed by representations both in upper and lower Egypt. This goddess is often depicted as a cow suckling the king giving him divine nourishment. In upper Egypt the goddess appears as a woman with the head of a cow. In another town--Hathor was a woman, but her head was adorned with two horns of a cow with a sun disc between them. Another deity associated with the effects of the plague would be Mnevis, a sacred bull venerated at Heliopolis and associated with the god Re."164
"Amenhotep II [the Pharaoh of the plagues] surpassed all his predecessors in his fanatical devotion to the worship of animals, and especially of the bull. In 1906 a statue made of sandstone was excavated representing a cow and Amenhotep II leaning his head under its head; he is also depicted kneeling under a cow, drinking its divine milk. He is thus seen as child and slave of the cow goddess. What a threat this must have been to him!"165
"All"cattle (v. 6) refers to all cattle in the fields (v. 3). Some cattle survived this plague (cf. vv. 19, 20, 22).
The only new element in this fifth report is the notice that Pharaoh sent to Goshen to check on the predicted exclusion of the Israelites' livestock from the epidemic (v. 7).
Boils (sixth plague) 9:8-12
The "soot from a kiln"(v. 8) was significant in two respects. First, the soot was black and symbolized the blackness of skin in the disease linking the cause with the effect. Second, the kiln was probably one of the furnaces in which the Israelites baked bricks for Pharaoh as his slaves. These furnaces became a symbol of Israel's slavery (1:14; 5:7-19). God turned the suffering of the Israelites in the furnace of Egypt so that they and what they produced became a source of suffering to the Egyptians.
"The natural substratum of this plague is discovered by most commentators in the so-called Nile-blisters, which come out in innumerable little pimples upon the scarlet-coloured skin, and change in a short space of time into small, round, and thickly-crowded blisters. This is called by the Egyptians Hamm el Nil, or the heat of the inundation. According to Dr. Bilharz, it is a rash, which occurs in summer, chiefly towards the close at the time of the overflowing of the Nile, and produces a burning and pricking sensation upon the skin; or, in Seetzen'swords, it consists of small, red, and slightly rounded elevations in the skin, which give strong twitches and slight stinging sensations, resembling those of scarlet fever' (p. 209). The cause of this eruption, which occurs only in men and not in animals, has not been determined; some attributing it to the water, and others to the heat."166
"This plague, like previous ones, most assuredly had theological implications for the Egyptians. While it did not bring death, it was serious and painful enough to cause many to seek relief from many of the Egyptian deities charged with the responsibility of healing. Serapis was one such deity. One is also reminded of Imhotep, the god of medicine and the guardian of healing sciences. The inability of these gods to act in behalf of the Egyptian surely must have led to deep despair and frustration. Magicians, priests, princes, and commoners were all equally affected by the pain of this judgment, a reminder that the God of the Hebrews was a sovereign God and superior to all man-made idols."167
"In this plague account we learn that the magicians were still hard at work opposing the signs of Moses [v. 11]. A new twist, however, is put on their work here. Their problem now is not that they cannot duplicate the sign--something which they would not likely have wanted to do; rather, they cannot stand before Moses because of the boils.' This is apparently intended to show that, like the earlier plagues, this plague did not affect the Israelites, represented here by Moses and Aaron. It also provides a graphic picture of the ultimate failure of the magicians to oppose the work of Moses and Aaron. The magicians lay helpless in their sickbed before the work of Moses and Aaron."168
This is the first time we read that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (v. 12). If a person continues to harden his own heart, God will then harden it further in judgment (cf. Rom. 1). It is also the first indication that the Egyptian learned men could no longer resist Moses and his God.
"The lesson here is that when one ignores the prompting of the Lord time and time again (see 7:13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7), the Lord will confirm that resistance and make belief impossible."169
Moses announced the purpose of the following plagues to Pharaoh "in the morning"(cf. 7:15; 8:20). This purpose was twofold: that Pharaoh personally might know God's power (v. 14) and that the whole world might know it (v. 16; cf. Rom. 9:17).
Hail (seventh plague) 9:13-35
God sent the worst hail storm Egypt had ever experienced (vv. 18, 24) and accompanied it with thunder, fire (lightning?), and rain (vv. 23, 34).170
"The recurring thunderclaps . . ., the lightning darting back and forth . . ., and the severity of the storm . . . all suggest the advent of Yahweh in theophany . . . and thus the Presence of Yahweh in a more dramatic and intense coming than anywhere in the mighty-act sequence to this point."171
Pharaoh's repentance was shallow; he acknowledged only his mistake and unfairness, but he did not repent of his blasphemy of Yahweh (v. 27). Moses perceived Pharaoh's true attitude. The king had not yet believed that Yahweh was sovereign (v. 29). Fearing Him means bowing in submission to Him as sovereign over all the earth (v. 30; cf. 10:3).
"What would the worshippers of Nut have thought when they looked skyward not to see the blessings of the sun and warmth, but the tragedy of storm and violence. Nut was the sky goddess. It was from her domain that this tragedy originated. One reflects upon the responsibilities of both Isis and Seth who also had responsibilities relating to agricultural crops. The black and burned fields of flax were a silent testimony to the impotence and incapability of wooden and stone deities."172
The Egyptians used flax (v. 31) to make linen cloth that they preferred over wool. The Egyptian priests, among other people, dressed in linen. This plague was a judgment on them, therefore. The Egyptians used barley (v. 31) to make beer and as animal food, but the poorer people also ate it.173These two crops are in bud in late January and early February in lower (northern) Egypt, which enables us to identify the time of year when this plague took place.
This is the first miracle in which we see the presence of death.
Locusts (eighth plague) 10:1-20
Moses explained another purpose of God in sending further plagues in this context, namely, so the Israelites in future generations would believe in Yahweh's sovereignty (v. 2)
Locusts were and still are a menace in Egypt as well as in many other countries of the world. The wind drove them from the wetter areas to the whole land of Egypt, excluding Goshen, where they multiplied. They consumed the remaining half of the crops and trees left by the hail.174
Among their other gods, the Egyptians prayed to one manifested as a locust that they believed would preserve them from attacks by this devastating insect.175
Pharaoh's permission for the male Israelites to leave Egypt to worship God brought on by the urging of his counselors was arbitrary. Egyptian females worshipped with their husbands, and Pharaoh could have permitted both men and women to worship Yahweh. Pharaoh's servants seem to have been ready and willing to acknowledge Yahweh as a god, but for Pharaoh this conflict had greater significance. It was a test of sovereignty. The advice of Pharaoh's servants reflects their extreme distress (v. 7).
"The king who . . . has a direct knowledge of the predestined order of the universe, cannot consult mere mortals. His decisions are represented as spontaneous creative acts motivated by considerations which are beyond human comprehension, although he may graciously disclose some of them."176
Joseph had previously delivered the Egyptians from starvation, but now Moses brought them to starvation. Both effects were the result of official Egyptian policy toward Abraham's descendants (cf. Gen. 12:3).
Pharaoh's confession of sin and his request for forgiveness were also most unusual.
"The Egyptian viewed his misdeeds not as sins, but as aberrations. They would bring him unhappiness because they disturbed his harmonious integration with the existing world; they might even be explicitly disapproved by one or another of the gods, but these were always ready to welcome his better insight. . . . It is especially significant that the Egyptians never showed any trace of feeling unworthy of the divine mercy. For he who errs is not a sinner but a fool, and his conversion to a better way of life does not require repentance but a better understanding."177
". . . the picture of a halting, confused Pharaoh plays well here at the conclusion of the plague narratives. It shows that Moses and Aaron were beginning to get on his nerves."178
The Red Sea (v. 19) is the present Red Sea that lies to the east and south of the delta region. Some students of Exodus have mistakenly called it the Sea of Reeds. This opinion is due to the large quantity of papyrus reeds and seaweeds that some scholars have claimed grew on its banks and floated on its waters. However these reeds do not grow in salt water.179
Darkness (ninth plague) 10:21-29
Since the other plagues to this point seem to have been natural phenomena many commentators interpret this one as such, too. The most common explanation for the darkness that lasted three days (v. 22) and affected the Egyptians but not the Israelites (v. 23) is that it resulted from a dust storm.
A wind ". . . which generally blows in Egypt before and after the vernal equinox and lasts two or three days, usually rises very suddenly, and fills the air with such a quantity of fine dust and course sand, that the sun looses its brightness, the sky is covered with a dense veil, and it becomes . . . dark. . . ."180
"In the light of Egyptian theology and practice, this [ninth] plague was very significant. To a large degree it struck at the very heart of Egyptian worship and humbled one of Egypt's greatest gods. The sun god Re was considered one of the great blessings in the land of Egypt. His faithfulness in providing the warmth and light of sun day after day without fail caused them to express great joy over the faithfulness of this deity. The attitude of the Egyptians regarding the sun is perhaps best expressed in what has been called a universalist hymn to the sun' translated by John Wilson.
"Hail to thee, beautiful Re of every day, who rises at dawn without ceasing, Khepri wearying (himself) with labor! Thy rays are in (one's) face, without one knowing it. Fine gold is not like the radiance of thee. Thou who has constructed thyself, thou didst fashion thy body, a shaper who was (himself) not shaped; unique in his nature, passing eternity, the distant one, under whose guidance are millions of ways, just as thy radiance is like the radiance of heaven and thy color glistens more than its surface.'181
"The faithful warmth and provision of the sun was something fully enjoyed by both the Egyptian statesman and the laborer who worked in the fields. They praised the sun because thou presentest thyself daily at dawn. Steadfast is thy sailing which carries thy majesty.'182
"Of particular significance with respect to this plague was the prestige of the god Amun-Re, the chief deity of Thebes and a sun god. In the New Kingdom period [when the plagues took place] this god was the Egyptian national god, part of a very important triad of deities including Amun-Re, his wife Mut, and their son Khons. Amun-Re was commonly represented by sacred animals such as the ram and the goose. A number of other deities were associated with the sun, sky, and moon; for example Aten was the deified sun disc. This god was proclaimed to be the only god by [Pharaoh] Akhenaten with emphasis on a special cult centered at Amarna. Atum was also another important god in lower Egypt whose worship was centered mainly at Heliopolis. He was the god of the setting sun and was usually depicted in human form. Sacred animals associated with this god were the snake and the lion. The god Khepre who often appeared in the shape of the beetle (Scarabeus sacer) was a form of the sun god Re. Another very important sun god was Horus often symbolized by a winged sun disc. He was considered to be the son of Osiris and Isis but also the son of Re and the brother of Seth. Harakhte, another form of Horus and identified with the sun, was venerated mainly at Heliopolis and was represented by the hawk.
"Among the deities affected by this tragic darkness was Hathor a sky goddess and likewise the goddess of love and joy. Hathor was the tutelary deity of the Theban necropolis. She was venerated particularly at Dendera and depicted with cow horns or was a human figure which was cow-headed. The sky goddess Nut would also have been involved in the humiliation of this plague. What of the prestige of Thoth, a moon god of Hermopolis? He was also the god of writing and of the computation of time.
"This list could be greatly extended involving a number of other deities associated with the sun, stars, and light but the above are sufficient to indicate the tremendous importance of the sun and sunlight to the Egyptians. . . . One wonders what the prestige of Pharaoh must have been at this point. Among the divine attributes of Pharaoh was the fact that he was in fact a representation of Re . . . by whose beams one sees, he is one who illuminates the two lands [Upper and Lower Egypt] more than the sun disc.'"183
Pharaoh still did not submit completely to Yahweh's sovereign demands (v. 24). Consequently a tenth plague followed.
"For the first time, Yahweh moves to make Pharaoh obstinate duringthe negotiations. Heretofore he has made Pharaoh stubborn afterhe has agreed to Moses' demands, after Yahweh's mighty action has ceased and before Moses can leave with the sons of Israel."184
"It is a sad farewell when God, in the persons of his servants, refuses anymore to see the face of the wicked."185
The world had begun in total darkness (Gen. 1:2), and now Egypt had returned to that chaotic state.186
". . . the slaying of the first-born is both the culmination of the plague narrative and the beginning of the passover tradition. Chapter 11 as a literary unit, therefore, points both backward and forward."187
Evidently Moses made this announcement to Pharaoh before leaving his presence (cf. 10:29; 11:8). Thus this chapter unfolds the narrative in logical rather than chronological order. Verses 1 and 2 give the foundation for the announcement in verses 4-8. Chronologically verses 1-3 point back to 3:19-22.
Whereas Moses and Aaron had been the mediators through whom God had sent the first nine plagues, this last one came immediately from Himself.
11:1-3 The Israelites asked the Egyptians to give them the articles mentioned, not to lend them with a view to getting them back (v. 2).188The Israelites received many such gifts from the Egyptians, enough to build the tabernacle, its furniture, furnishings, and utensils, as well as the priests' garments. This reflects the respect and fear the Israelites enjoyed in Egypt following these plagues.
"The Egyptians thus are picked clean' (3:22 and 12:36) by Israel as a result of yet another action by Yahweh in behalf of his people, demonstrating the power of his Presence."189
11:4-8 The first-born sons who were not old enough to be fathers themselves would die (v. 5). This is a deduction supported by the following facts. First-born sons were symbolic of a nation's strength and vigor (cf. Gen. 49:3). First-born sons were also those through whom the family line descended. Sons old enough to be fathers who had themselves fathered sons were members of the older generation. The younger generation was the focus of this plague. It was the male children of the Israelites that Pharaoh had killed previously (1:15-22). When God later claimed the tribe of Levi in place of Israel's first-born whom He spared in this plague (Num. 3:12-13; cf. Exod. 22:29; 34:20), He chose only the males.
We owe God the firstfruits of our labors because He is the source of all life and fruitfulness.
"In common with the rest of the ancient Near East, the Hebrews believed that the deity, as lord of the manor, was entitled to the first shareof all produce. The firstfruits of plants and the firstborn of animals and man were his. The Lord demonstrated that he gave Egypt its life and owned it by taking its firstborn."190
Some critics of the Bible have challenged God's justice in putting to death so many "innocent"children. Looked at one way, a priori, whatever God does is right because He is God. Looked at another way, God as the giver and sustainer of life is righteous in withdrawing life from any creature at any time because life belongs to Him. He can take it as well as give it at will. Furthermore the fact that humans are all sinners and sin results in death means that God is just in requiring the punishment for any individual's sin at any time. We do not have any claim on God's grace. God graciously did not kill all the Egyptians.
Moses' anger reflected God's wrath against Pharaoh for his stubborn rebellion (v. 8).
"To be in the presence of evil and not be angry is a dreadful spiritual and moral malady."191
11:9-10 "These two verses are considered by many commentators as redundant or misplaced. But they can easily be explained as a summary and epilogue of the Section of the Plagues.
"In the following section not only the course of events will change, but also the background and the dramatis personae. Till now the central theme was the negotiations conducted by Moses and Aaron on the one hand, and Pharaoh and his servants on the other, in Pharaoh's palace or its environs. But henceforth the principal hero of the drama will be the people of Israel in its totality, and the perspective will be enlarged. Moses and Aaron will no longer be sent to Pharaoh but to the Israelites, in order to prepare them for the exodus and to implement it; nor will they be enjoined again to perform acts for the purpose of bringing the plagues, for the last plague will take place of its own accord, through the instrumentality of the angel of the Lord. Since the episode about to be narrated represents a new theme, and one, moreover, of fundamental importance, it is desireable that before reading this account we should look back for a moment, and review generally the events that have taken place thus far, as well as the situation obtaining at the conclusion of those events. This review is provided for us in the verses under consideration."192
The theological lesson that Pharaoh and the Egyptians were to learn from this plague was that Yahweh would destroy the gods that the Egyptians' gods supposedly procreated. Pharaoh was a god and so was his first-born son who would succeed him. The Egyptians attributed the power to procreate to various gods. It was a power for which the Egyptians as well as all ancient peoples depended on their gods. By killing the first-born Yahweh was demonstrating His sovereignty once again. However this plague had more far-reaching consequences and was therefore more significant than all the previous plaguescombined.
"Possibly no land in antiquity was more obsessed with death than Egypt. The real power of the priesthood lay in its alleged ability to guarantee the dead a safe passage to the Western World' under the benign rule of Osiris. This terrible visitation which defied and defies all rational explanation, showed that Yahweh was not only lord of the forces of nature, but also of life and death."193
". . . it is by means of the account of the last plague that the author is able to introduce into the Exodus narrative in a clear and precise way the notion of redemption from sin and death. The idea of salvation from slavery and deliverance from Egypt is manifest throughout the early chapters of Exodus. The idea of redemption and salvation from death, however, is the particular contribution of the last plague, especially as the last plague is worked into the narrative by the author. . . .
"By means of the last plague, then, the writer is able to bring the Exodus narratives into the larger framework of the whole Pentateuch and particularly that of the early chapters of Genesis. In the midst of the judgment of death, God provided a way of salvation for the promised seed (Ge 3:15). Like Enoch (5:22-24), Noah (6:9), and Lot (19:16-19), those who walk in God's way will be saved from death and destruction."194
This tenth plague brought Yahweh's concentrated education of both the Egyptians and the Israelites to a climactic conclusion.
"In short, therefore, what were the essential purposes of these ten plagues? First of all, they were certainly designed to free the people of God. Second, they were a punishment upon Egypt for her portion in the long oppression of the Hebrews [cf. Gen. 15:13]. Third, they were designed to demonstrate the foolishness of idolatry. They were a supreme example both for the Egyptians and for Israel. It was by these that Jehovah revealed His uniqueness in a way that had never before been revealed (6:3; cf. 10:2). Finally, the plagues clearly demonstrated the awesome, sovereign power of God. In the Book of Genesis, God is described as the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all the laws of nature. In the Book of Exodus the exercise of that creative power is revealed as it leads to the accomplishment of divine goals. God's sovereignty is not only exercised over the forces of nature, but is also revealed against evil nations and their rulers."195
