← Biblical history

Exodus and Confrontation with Pharaoh

  • PLA001 The Initial Confrontation Between Moses and Pharaoh

    The article examines how the first confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh, before the ten plagues, symbolizes a clash of sovereignties between Yahweh and the Egyptian deities. Moses challenges Pharaoh's authority, thus revealing a struggle for divine recognition and laying the foundations for the coming judgment. This encounter highlights the divine process of redemption initiated by the word, and underscores the asymmetry of divine power in the face of human pretensions.

    Exodus 5.1-5 (King James Version) :
    And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.NoteLet there…: Heb. Let the work be heavy upon the menAnd the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA002 The First Plague: The Water of the Nile Turned to Blood

    The first plague of Egypt turns the Nile into blood, marking a rupture in the Exodus. This divine sign illustrates the sovereignty of God, the fragility of the Egyptian idols, and calls for repentance. It highlights the dynamic of reversal orchestrated by God against Pharaoh and his beliefs.

    Exodus 7.14-24 (King James Version) :
    And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.Notepools…: Heb. gathering of their watersAnd Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA003 The Second Plague: The Invasion of the Frogs

    The article analyzes the second plague of Egypt, the invasion of frogs. This sign attacks a major Egyptian religious symbol and begins to chip away at Pharaoh's pride, illustrating the divine pedagogy and the progress of the work of liberating Israel.

    Exodus 8.5-15 (King James Version) :
    And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.NoteGlory…: or, Have this honour over me, etcNotewhen: or, against whenNoteto destroy: Heb. to cut offNoteTo morrow: or, Against to morrowAnd Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA004 The third plague: mosquitoes that emerged from the dust

    This article explores the third plague of Egypt, in which dust turns into gnats, underscoring a divine strategic turning point without prior warning to Pharaoh, and emphasizing the sovereign power of God.

    Exodus 8.16-19 (King James Version) :
    And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA005 The fourth plague: the swarms of flies

    This article deals with the fourth plague of Egypt, the swarms of flies, and explores the divine distinction between Israel and Egypt. God protects Israel while Pharaoh, unyielding, begins to negotiate.

    Exodus 8.20-32 (King James Version) :
    And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.Noteswarms…: or, a mixture of noisome beasts, etcNotea division: Heb. a redemptionNoteto morrow: or, by to morrowNotecorrupted: or, destroyedElse, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA006 The fifth plague: the death of the livestock

    The fifth plague of Egypt, addressed in this article, demonstrates divine power through the death of the livestock, a pillar of the economy. It underscores the distinction between Israel and Egypt, despite the hardening of Pharaoh. This judgment amplifies the demonstration of God's sovereignty, while sparing the flocks of the Israelites.

    Exodus 9.1-4 (King James Version) :
    Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA007 The Sixth Plague: Boils

    The sixth plague of Egypt marks a major turning point in the Exodus. God strikes the Egyptians directly with boils, revealing the collapse of Egyptian powers and illustrating his faithfulness to the Hebrews. This symbolic act turns the tools of oppression into instruments of justice, thus preparing the deliverance to come.

    Exodus 9.8-11 (King James Version) :
    And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

  • PLA008 The seventh plague: hail mingled with fire

    This article explores the seventh plague of Egypt, hail mingled with fire, underscoring the escalation of the conflict between God and Pharaoh. By describing the widespread destruction caused by this plague, the text examines the divine message about divine justice and the possibility of salvation. This analysis highlights the different behaviors of the Egyptians in the face of this manifestation of divine power.

    Exodus 9.31-35 (King James Version) :
    And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.
    King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
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    Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate