Plagues of egypt in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What are the Plagues of Egypt?
        PLAGUES OF E'GYPT
        When the Lord had ordered Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Goshen and conduct them to Canaan, and Pharaoh, hardening his heart, opposed the command of the Lord and would not let the people go, ten fearful plagues fell upon the land of Egypt.
        1. The waters of the Nile changed into blood; the fishes died, and no man could drink of the river. But the magicians imitated the miracle, and Pharaoh hardened his heart. Ex 7:14-25.
        2. Then followed the plague of the frogs; but this too was imitated by the magicians, and Pharaoh hardened his heart still more. Ex 8:1-15.
        3. With the third plague, however - that of lice - the magicians gave in, and acknowledged, "This is the finger of God." Ex 8:16-19.
        4. The fourth plague sent swarms of flies out over the country, and the people were devoured by their venomous bite. Ps 78:45. Pharaoh now relented and declared himself willing to yield, but on the removal of the plague he again hardened his heart. Ex 8:20-32.
        5. A very grievous murrain attacked the horses, asses, camels, oxen, and sheep of Egypt, while those of the children of Israel were free. Ex 9:1-7.
        6. Boils broke out upon man and beast, even upon the magicians themselves. Ex 9:8-12.
        7. Then a frightful thunderstorm, with hail, passed over the land of Egypt, destroying the growing crops, breaking trees, overthrowing buildings everywhere, but sparing Goshen. Alarmed, Pharaoh promised to yield, but on the withdrawal of the plague he again hardened his heart. Ex 9:13-35.
        8. Locusts followed, and ate up what the hail-storm had left; but Pharaoh sent Moses and Aaron away from his presence, and heeded not the warning. Ex 10:1-20.
        9. A thick darkness fell for three days upon the land. For three days no man was able to rise. But in Goshen there was light. Then Pharaoh was seized by despair, and he threatened Moses with death if he ever saw his face again. Ex 10:21-28.
        10. Finally, the first-born of the Egyptians were smitten at midnight; "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." Ex 12:29-30. Pharaoh now yielded, and allowed the children of Israel to leave Egypt.
        These ten plagues were doubtless spread over a long time, and probably they followed, as much as possible, the order of the seasons; for some of them were not only distinctively Egyptian, but really only an aggravation of yearly maladies. Canon Cook, in the Bible Commentary, distributes them thus: The first was toward the end of June, when the Nile begins to overflow. The second came three months later, at the time of the greatest inundation, in September,and was an attack on a native worship. The third was early in October, and the fourth after the subsidence of the inundation. The fifth was in December or January; the sixth, shortly after; the seventh, at the time when hailstorms occur now in Egypt, from the middle of February to early March. The eighth was when the leaves are green, toward the middle of March. The ninth was peculiarly Egyptian, and was the immediate precursor of the tenth. During this time the Israelites had frequent opportunities to gather, and thus were prepared for their exodus. It is interesting to know that the so-called ten persecutions of the Christian Church are thus numbered in remembrance of the ten plagues. The number, in reality, is either greater or less - greater if all be counted, less if only the important persecutions be enumerated.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'plagues of egypt' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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