The Ten Plagues Of Egypt Explained

Publish date: 2024-05-04

The traditional account of the plagues is told in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus. The story begins with the Hebrews (sometimes Israelites) migrating to Egypt due to famine. The Hebrews originally prospered, but eventually they were enslaved by the Egyptians. Then, during the undated reign of an unnamed pharaoh, the prophet Moses entered the story. 

Moses was commanded by God to act as his prophet and free the Israelites. Exodus 7 quotes God, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

Moses, as commanded by God, demanded the release of the enslaved Israelites with his companion Aaron, who acted as Moses' speaker. The pharaoh, as predicted, refused even though God turned Aaron's rod to a snake. As a result, God inflicted 10 plagues upon Egypt, called the maggafeh in Hebrew, which culminated in the slaying of every firstborn Egyptian son. This last plague broke the pharaoh's will and he freed the Hebrews. It is a great story, but people throughout history have asked whether it is true.

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