The plagues on Egypt
Exodus & Wilderness · Draft · BSB
Content revision: af5e522bd0a5b9ba · No editorial review date recorded
Date: c. 1446 BC
God strikes Egypt with plagues: water turned to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, the death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts and darkness, sparing the Israelites in Goshen from several of them. Each time Pharaoh relents and then hardens his heart again. Moses announces one last plague, the death of every firstborn in Egypt.
Primary Scripture
7:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
7:15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
7:16 Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
7:17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.
7:18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”
7:19 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
7:20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.
7:21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
7:23 Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.
7:24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
7:25 And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
8:2 But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
8:3 The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.
8:4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
8:5 And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”
8:6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
8:7 But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
8:8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
8:9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?”
8:10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.
8:11 The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
8:12 After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.
8:13 And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.
8:14 They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.
8:15 When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
8:16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”
8:17 This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.
8:18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.
8:19 “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
8:20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
8:21 But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.
8:22 But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.
8:23 I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”
8:24 And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.
8:25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”
8:26 But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?
8:27 We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”
8:28 Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
8:29 “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”
8:30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,
8:31 and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained.
8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.
9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
9:2 But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
9:3 then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
9:4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
9:5 The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”
9:6 And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.
9:7 Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
9:8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air.
9:9 It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”
9:10 So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.
9:11 The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.
9:12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
9:13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
9:14 Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
9:15 For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.
9:16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
9:17 Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.
9:18 Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.
9:19 So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’”
9:20 Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,
9:21 but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.
9:22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”
9:23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.
9:24 The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation.
9:25 Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.
9:26 The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
9:27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
9:28 Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
9:29 Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
9:30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.”
9:31 (Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;
9:32 but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)
9:33 Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.
9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.
9:35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
10:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,
10:2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.”
10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
10:4 But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
10:5 They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.
10:6 They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.
10:7 Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”
10:8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”
10:9 “We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
10:10 Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil.
10:11 No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.
10:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.”
10:13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
10:14 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be.
10:15 They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
10:16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.
10:17 Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”
10:18 So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD.
10:19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.
10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
10:21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”
10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.
10:23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
10:24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
10:25 But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God.
10:26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”
10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.
10:28 “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
10:29 “As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”
11:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will drive you out completely.
11:2 Now announce to the people that men and women alike should ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”
11:3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.
11:4 So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt,
11:5 and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle.
11:6 Then a great cry will go out over all the land of Egypt. Such an outcry has never been heard before and will never be heard again.
11:7 But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
11:8 And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence.
11:9 The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
11:10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
Related Scripture
Deuteronomy 4:34 · recollection
Moses: has any god taken a nation for himself by trials, signs and wonders?
Deuteronomy 6:21–22 · recollection
What parents are to tell their children about Egypt.
Location evidence
Event map marker: Approximate region; [longitude, latitude] = [31.3075, 30.129444]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Egypt: Approximate region. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [31.3075, 30.129444]. Classification source: editorial.
Goshen: Approximate region. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [31.834217, 30.79937]. Classification source: editorial.
Illustrative regional extent: [[31.4,30.4],[32.3,31.1]]; not a measured confidence interval.
For the class
What do the plagues show about the gods of Egypt and the LORD?
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: editorial (content/authored/exodus-wilderness.json)
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm