The Nature of the Ten Plagues

Exodus 7:14-11:10 describes or narrates or relates or reports ten plagues. Various thinkers and scholars, ancient and recent, have understood the ten plagues in various ways.

1. Some propose that this account is completely fictional. This is the kind of ancient thinking and literature which was popular and common hundreds or thousands of years ago, but sophisticated, modern human beings KNOW this is not historically true. As one example, Johannes Pedersen wrote a book arguing that Exodus 1-15 is the cult legend of the Passover reflecting the annual re-living of historical events, as it took shape through the ages.

2. A widely accepted scholarly view, championed by G. Hort in 1957-1958, is that natural phenomena in Egypt explain the ten plagues related in Exodus 7:14-11:10. The right condition of the Nile River described in Exodus 7:14-25 meets four necessary phenomena: the blood red color, the death of the fish, the putrid smell of the water, and the undrinkableness of the water. These four phenomena set the basis for the rationale for later plagues in Exodus 8-9, the presence of massive numbers of flagellates in the waters of the inundation. Probably the flagellates originated in Lake Tana and came through the Blue Nile to Egypt, accounting for the change to a red color and the horrible taste of the water. The Nile rises in July-August, crests in September, and declines in October-November. A strong sandstorm would explain the darkness. Generally speaking, natural scourges in Egypt explain the ten plagues.

3. Several scholars suggest that each of the plagues represents a different "deity" or "god" in Egypt, and thus the story of the ten plagues is a kind of mythological adaptation of ancient Near Eastern myths. The god of the Nile is Hapi. The god of frogs is the goddess Heket. The god of the cows and bulls are Hathor and Apis. The god of the sun [obscured by darkness] is Re. And the propositions go on and on.

BUT, the biblical composers affirm, testify, claim, declare, announce that the ten plagues are Yahweh's "signs and wonders" (Exodus 7:3; 11:9) and "miracles" (Psalms 78:42-43; 105:27). We are in no position to know or understand or explain HOW God works, but the important point is that Yahweh performs such phenomena which human beings cannot initiate or reproduce. These are "superhuman" deeds.

I believe that God works in phenomena all the time which we call "natural." But we still cannot make these things happen--like making a seed grow into a plant into a fruit or a vegetable; OR, making a human being eat food and produce energy and eliminate waste and continue to grow for many years in life; and so on. OH, we can describe these phenomena; we can "tamper" with them and aid God's work medically and in other ways--BUT NO ONE has figured out HOW all these things occur day by day, year by year, through the centuries.

The ten plagues are God's miracles, God's superhuman acts, God's signs and wonders. This is the biblical testimony. It is left to each hearer and reader to accept or reject this testimony. NO ONE can prove or disprove this testimony is true or false.

How do YOU respond to this testimony? What thoughts do you have? Discuss this with your friends. I need your thoughts and your prayers. Let me hear from all of you.

John Willis