By David M. Renfro
As discussed in “Introduction to the Plagues of Egypt,” the first nine plagues can be viewed as occurring in three cycles of three plagues each. The second cycle includes plagues four, five, and six. These plagues were somewhat more severe than those in the first cycle.
Because these plagues were more severe than the first three, they caused much pain and irritation in the lives of the Egyptians, but they did not cause human death.
The plagues in the second cycle can be found in Exodus 8:20–9:12.
THE FOURTH PLAGUE: SWARMS OF FLIES (EXODUS 8:20-32)
THE PLAN
As in the first plague, Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh early in the morning (v 20) when he bathed in the Nile River (see Exod 7:15). The command to Pharaoh was the same as in the first plague—free the Israelites so they can serve and worship Yahweh.
Moses was to describe to Pharaoh what would happen if he was disobedient (again). Huge swarms of insects (v 21) would cover the land and invade people’s houses. However, the insects would not appear in Goshen where the Israelites lived.
All of this would be done to show Pharaoh again that Yahweh was the sovereign God and that the things the Egyptians worshipped were not God.
THE PLOT
It happened just as Yahweh said. Moses came to Pharaoh as he emerged from the Nile River. He related Yahweh’s command to release the Israelites and described what would happen if he did not let them go. Pharaoh was also warned that if he did not obey Him, a swarm would cover the land, humans, and beasts (v 21). However, the swarm would not appear in Goshen, the region where the Israelites, Yahweh’s covenant people, lived (v 22). All this would be done so that Pharaoh would know that Yahweh was the sovereign Lord of creation.
Pharaoh did not let the Israelites go. Yahweh responded by sending thick swarms (v 24) of insects to enter all the houses of Egypt, including Pharaoh’s palace! The word for flies is not in the Hebrew text, so no one knows for sure what kind of insect these were. However, because the fly was a symbol of Egypt (see Isa 7:18), these were probably swarms of flies. Apparently, there were so many of them throughout Egypt that they caused extreme misery.
Pharaoh became so desperate that he told Moses he would let the Israelites go to worship their God, provided they stayed within the borders of the Egyptian kingdom (v 25). Moses replied that this was not a workable solution because the Israelite sacrifices would offend the Egyptian people, who would then want to stone (kill) the Israelites (v 26).
Moses said that the only solution was for the Israelites to go a three days’ journey (v 27) into the desert to worship and sacrifice to Yahweh. The problem for Pharaoh was that this would put the Israelites outside Egypt’s borders and thus outside Egypt’s control. Pharaoh responded that he would let them go, but not very far away (v 28) so that he could keep them under his rule. Pharaoh also asked Moses to intercede (plead, entreat) for him with Yahweh. This gave Pharaoh the appearance of submitting to the God of Israel. Moses then told Pharaoh that he would ask Yahweh to remove the plague the next day. He also warned him not to go back on his word.
Moses left Pharaoh’s presence to ask Yahweh to eliminate the flies tomorrow (v 29). True to his word (unlike Pharaoh), Moses asked Yahweh to remove the plague from the Egyptians (v 30). Yahweh answered Moses’ request completely; amazingly, not one remained (v 31). Only a powerful Sovereign can command flies to leave.
Despite this incredible show of Yahweh’s power, Pharoah again became stubborn (v 32) and, going back on his promise (see v 29), did not let the Israelites go. This decision would later cost him dearly.
THE PURPOSE
This plague targeted the following Egyptian deities:
- Ra – the sun god, the main god of Egypt.
- Uatchit – a goddess of flies (with the head of a fly) who guarded life in the Nile River.
This plague demonstrated that Yahweh had the power to inflict physical suffering on the wicked and to preserve and protect His covenant people.
THE FIFTH PLAGUE: DEATH OF EGYPTIAN LIVESTOCK (EXODUS 9:1-7)
THE PLAN
In this fifth plague, Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron to go to Pharoah and once again demand the release of the Israelites. They were also to warn him that his disobedience would cause his kingdom much more misery. This time, a disease would afflict the Egyptians’ livestock. The livestock in view here were cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep (v 3). All these animals were worshipped in Egypt and were considered a measure of one’s wealth. Yahweh also warned that this plague would be a very severe pestilence (v 3).
They were to tell Pharaoh that none of the Israelites’ livestock would be affected by this plague. Yahweh also set the time that the plague would begin: tomorrow (v 5)!
THE PLOT
Pharaoh decided not to do what Yahweh said (again!), so the hand of the LORD (not His finger–see v 3) was on Egypt’s livestock the next day (v 6). The result was that all the livestock of the Egyptians died, while not one of the Israelites’ livestock died.
Pharaoh even sent some of his officials to verify that Israel’s livestock survived, but it did not change his attitude toward letting Israel go. His heart was as stubborn (hard, v 7) as ever.
THE PURPOSE
This plague showed the Egyptians the powerlessness of their deities:
- Hathor – goddess of love, beauty, music, sky, and fertility. She was pictured as having a cow’s head. Cows, along with other livestock, were considered wealth in Egypt. The more livestock one had, the wealthier he was, so the destruction of livestock was a severe blow to the nation’s economy and the people’s personal prosperity.
- Apis – the bull god. Bulls were sacred in Egypt because they represented strength and power, especially pertaining to Pharaoh.
This plague was also a demonstration that Israel’s God, Yahweh, was sovereign over all animal life, including those animals worshipped by the Egyptians. He can control when a plague begins and when it ends.
THE SIXTH PLAGUE: BOILS (EXODUS 9:8-12)
THE PLAN
The previous plague targeted Egypt’s livestock. This plague added humans to the list of sufferers. Yahweh used boils (or some similar skin disease) to inflict painful suffering on the Egyptians and their livestock.
Like the third plague, this one was not announced to Pharaoh.
THE PLOT
Yahweh told Moses and Aaron to take “handfuls of ashes” (v 8) from furnaces and throw them into the air. This was to be done in Pharaoh’s presence so he could witness the miracle as it happened. It would appear that the plague had come from heaven.
As Yahweh commanded, Moses and Aaron collected ashes from special furnaces used to make pottery and bricks, then threw them into the air (v 10). Yahweh then turned the ashes into tiny particles of dust that in turn caused boils (painful sores or blisters) on both man and beast in Egypt. Even Egypt’s magicians could not avoid being afflicted, and it was so bad that they could not stand before Moses and Aaron (v 11). This made it appear that Moses and Aaron were sovereign over the religious leaders of Egypt.
One would think that after being an eyewitness to all these miraculous events, Pharaoh would have been convinced that the God of Israel was overwhelmingly powerful and could not be defeated; thus, Pharaoh would obey Him. But in spite of all this, Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn.i
THE PURPOSE
The plague of boils targeted the following Egyptian deities:
- Serapis – god of healing
- Imhotep – god of medicine
- Sekhmet – goddess of disease
- Sunu – god of pestilence
This plague was a demonstration of Yahweh’s absolute power over the physical health of both humans and beasts (Exod 15:26; Deut 32:39; 2 Chron 7:14; Matt 4:23f). Egypt’s deities could in no way control what Yahweh did.
CONCLUSION
The second cycle of plagues was more severe than the first. Even though these plagues did not cause any Egyptians to die, they all suffered. However, not a single one of God’s people were afflicted. God’s control can be seen clearly in this cycle.
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David Renfro and his wife Linda live in Highland Village, TX. He is a native Dallasite and has a Th. M. degree from D.T.S. in Old Testament Semitics. He is currently busy with writing projects as well as occasionally filling the pulpit in the Dallas area.
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i Pharoah hardened his own heart several times (Exod 8:15, 32; 9:34). In this instance, God hardened (made stubborn) Pharaoh’s heart (Exod 9:12).
