Exodus 7:8 - 11:10 Signs and Wonders in Egypt
More Than Just Plagues: Understanding the Signs and Wonders of Exodus Reframing the Narrative Beyond the Traditional Ten
In the last post, we saw Moses' initial encounter with Pharaoh, as in Exodus 5:1–9. Moses and Aaron spoke God's words to Pharaoh: "Let My people go." Instead of complying, Pharaoh was filled with pride and arrogance and defied God by challenging God's authority and holding the Israelites more tightly. He blamed them for indolence and made their work even more difficult by refusing them straw for brick-making yet expecting the same productivity. This was the starting point of a spiritual and political confrontation, of resistance to God's plan, and the beginning of the narrative of deliverance.
Rethinking the 'Ten Plagues': Signs, Wonders, and the Power Struggle in Egypt
The Exodus narrative devotes considerable space to the account of the signs and wonders performed in Egypt. Although they are often described as the ten plagues', this is not an entirely satisfactory designation. First, although the biblical text refers to a few of them individually as plagues (Exodus 9:3, 14-15; 11:1; 8:2), as a whole they are more frequently called signs' (Exodus 7:3; 8:23; 10:1-2) or 'wonders' (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 11:9-10) 'miracle' in (Exodus 7:9).
Exodus 9:3 CSB: then the Lord’s hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
Exodus 9:14-15 CSB: [14] For this time I am about to send all my plagues against you, your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like me on the whole earth. [15] By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.
Exodus 11:1 CSB: The Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you out of here.
Exodus 8:2 CSB: But if you refuse to let them go, then I will plague all your territory with frogs.
Exodus 7:3 CSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:23 CSB: I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.”
Exodus 10:1-2 CSB: [1] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of mine among them, [2] and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the Lord.”
Exodus 4:21 CSB: The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart , so that he won’t let the people go.
Exodus 7:3 CSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 11:9-10 CSB: [9] The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” [10] Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
Exodus 7:9 CSB: “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’”
Secondly, there are eleven miraculous signs recorded in Exodus chapters 7-12. The first of these, the episode of the staff becoming a snake (Exodus 7:8-13), is generally not included in the list of plagues. Significantly, this was also the first sign God gave Moses to convince the Israelites that the LORD had indeed appeared to him (Exodus 4:2-5). The next sign which Moses performed before Pharaoh, turning water into blood (Exodus 7:14-25) was also used by Moses to demonstrate his divine calling to the Israelites (Exodus 4:8-9). Yet, whereas the Israelites believed Moses on account of these signs (Exodus 4:30-31), Pharaoh paid no attention to them; his magicians were able to perform the same kind of wonders (Exodus 7:11, 13, 22).
Exodus 7:8-13 CSB: [8] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, [9] “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’ ” [10] So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. [11] But then Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers #— #the magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same thing by their occult practices. [12] Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. [13] However, Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 4:2-5 CSB: [2] The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand? ” “A staff,” he replied. [3] “Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. [4] The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. [5] “This will take place,” he continued, “so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
Exodus 7:14-25 CSB: [14] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard: He refuses to let the people go. [15] Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When you see him walking out to the water, stand ready to meet him by the bank of the Nile. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake. [16] Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But so far you have not listened. [17] This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. [18] The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it.” [19] So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt #— #over their rivers, canals, ponds, and all their water reservoirs #— #and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.” [20] Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood. [21] The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt. [22] But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. [23] Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and didn’t take even this to heart. [24] All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink the water from the river. [25] Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.
Exodus 4:8-9 CSB: [8] “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. [9] And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”
Exodus 4:30-31 CSB: [30] Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. [31] The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low and worshiped.
Exodus 7:11, 13, 22 CSB: [11] But then Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers #— #the magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same thing by their occult practices. [13] However, Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. [22] But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Divine Control and Human Resistance: Patterns and Progression in the Miraculous Signs
The individual accounts of the miraculous signs tend to follow the same pattern but with some variation to avoid monotone. Several noteworthy features are common to all eleven episodes. First, the report of each miraculous sign begins with the phrase, 'the Lord said to Moses'. The initiative for each sign rested with God, with every stage in the encounter between Moses and Pharaoh being divinely controlled. Secondly, each episode, echoing the predictions given in Exodus 4:21 and Exodus 7:3-4, concludes with an explicit reference to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Significantly, the hardening of Pharaoh's heart stands in sharp contrast to other developments which occur in the narrative.
Exodus 4:21 CSB: The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart , so that he won’t let the people go.
Exodus 7:3-4 CSB: [3] But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. [4] Pharaoh will not listen to you, but I will put my hand into Egypt and bring the military divisions of my people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.
Although the Egyptian magicians could initially duplicate the miraculous signs of Moses and Aaron, they soon reached the limit of their power and told Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God' (Exodus 8:19). Later, it is specifically noted that they could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them (Exodus 9:11).
Exodus 8:19 CSB: “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 9:11 CSB: The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.
Similarly, even Pharaoh's officials were gradually persuaded of God's power. When Moses predicted the worst hailstorm that had ever fallen on Egypt (Exodus 9:18), some of them took precautions against his threat (Exodus 9:20). When Moses next warned of a plague of locusts, the officials urged Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exodus 10:7; 11:3). Yet, although those around him gradually conceded to God's power, Pharaoh remained stubbornly resistant to Moses' demands.
Exodus 9:18, 20 CSB: [18] Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail that has ever occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. [20] Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters,
Exodus 10:7 CSB: Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?”
Exodus 11:3 CSB: The Lord gave the people favor with the Egyptians. In addition, Moses himself was very highly regarded in the land of Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and the people.
The Hardened Heart: Balancing Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
The numerous references to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart underline the importance of this theme. Significantly, the narrative describes this hardening in two ways. Although in the initial stages, it is reported that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, later it is stated that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, as predicted in Exodus 4:21 and Exodus 7:3. By describing the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in these ways, the narrative emphasizes both the guilt of Pharaoh and the sovereignty of God.
Exodus 4:21 CSB: The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he won’t let the people go.
Exodus 7:3 CSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
Natural Phenomena or Divine Intervention? Interpreting the Signs of Exodus
It has been suggested that the plagues described in Exodus can be related to a series of natural phenomena which may have occurred in ancient Egypt. Thus, for example, the turning of the Nile waters to blood can be accounted for as an unusually high flooding of the river during the months of July and August. The river became 'blood-like' due to the presence of red earth carried in suspension from the basins of the Blue Nile and Atbara. Such an explanation, however, does not account for the presence of such 'blood' in wooden buckets and stone jars everywhere in Egypt (Exodus 7:19).Nor does it explain either the earlier sign which Moses performed before the Israelites (Exodus 4:30) or the activities of the Egyptian magicians (Exodus 7:22). Furthermore, the text emphasizes the divine source of these events. This is indicated, for example, by the many references to Moses or Aaron stretching out their hands, or a staff, to bring about the sign. Although some of the signs may be associated with natural phenomena, their occurrence is attributed to divine intervention.
Exodus 7:19 CSB: So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt over their rivers, canals, ponds, and all their water reservoirs and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.”
Exodus 4:30 CSB: Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people.
Exodus 7:22 CSB: But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Shifting Responses, Unyielding Will: The Evolving Reactions of Pharaoh and His Court
Although the eleven episodes which comprise Exodus 7:8 to 11:10 follow the same basic pattern, by comparing them it is possible to observe certain interesting developments within the plot. We have already noted this regarding the magicians who are portrayed as becoming increasingly powerless before Moses and Aaron. Similarly, the attitude of Pharaoh's officials gradually changes. A similar change can be observed by noting Pharaoh's reaction. Initially, he agreed to let the people go on the condition that Moses prayed for the removal of the frogs (Exodus 8:8). Next, while he would have preferred the Israelites to stay within Egypt, he was persuaded to let them go a little way into the desert (Exodus 8:25-28).Although he stated, after the hail, that the people might go (Exodus 9:28), this never happened. When Moses threatened an invasion of locusts, Pharaoh was prepared to allow the Israelite men, but not the women and children, to go and worship the LORD (Exodus 10:8-11). Finally, he conceded that men, women and children might go, but not their flocks and herds (Exodus 10:24). Despite his apparent willingness to give way to Moses and Aaron in the face of further divine signs and wonders, Pharaoh continued to refuse to let the people go.
Exodus 8:25-28 CSB: [25] Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to your God within the country.” [26] But Moses said, “It would not be right to do that, because what we will sacrifice to the Lord our God is detestable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what the Egyptians detest in front of them, won’t they stone us? [27] We must go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he instructs us.” [28] Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me.”
Exodus 9:28 CSB: Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.”
Exodus 10:8-11, 24 CSB: [8] So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” Pharaoh said. “But exactly who will be going? ” [9] Moses replied, “We will go with our young and with our old; we will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds because we must hold the Lord’s festival.” [10] He said to them, “The Lord would have to be with you if I would ever let you and your families go! Look out you’re heading for trouble. [11] No, go just able-bodied men worship the Lord, since that’s what you want.” And they were driven from Pharaoh’s presence. [24] Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
Repetition with Purpose: Distinctions, Intercession, and the Shaping of the Exodus Narrative
As well as the subtle changes which can be observed between episodes, certain aspects of the story are highlighted by repetition. Two features are worth noting. First, a clear distinction was drawn between the Israelites and the Egyptians (Exodus 8:22-23; 9:4, 26; 10:23; 11:7).
Exodus 8:22-23 CSB: [22] But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where my people are living; no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, the Lord, am in the land. [23] I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.”
Exodus 9:4, 26 CSB: [4] But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that the Israelites own will die.” [26] The only place it didn’t hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Exodus 10:23 CSB: One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.
Exodus 11:7 CSB: But against all the Israelites, whether people or animals, not even a dog will snarl, so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Secondly, Pharaoh entreated Moses on several occasions to pray for him (Exodus 8:8-12, 28-30; 9:28-29, 33; 10:17-18). The portrayal of Moses as one who could mediate with God on behalf of others is a theme which reappears later in Exodus. While the eleven episodes in Exodus 7:8 to 11:10 have the same basic form, each one contributes something distinctive to the overall story.
Exodus 8:8-12, 28-30 CSB: [8] Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Appeal to the Lord to remove the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let the people go and they can sacrifice to the Lord.” [9] Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor of choosing. When should I appeal on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile? ” [10] “Tomorrow,” he answered. Moses replied, “As you have said, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God, [11] the frogs will go away from you, your houses, your officials, and your people. The frogs will remain only in the Nile.” [12] After Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord for help concerning the frogs that he had brought against Pharaoh. [28] Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me.” [29] “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will appeal to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceptively again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the Lord.” [30] Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord.
Exodus 9:28-29, 33 CSB: [28] Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.” [29] Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth , belongs to the Lord. [33] Moses left Pharaoh and the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail ceased, and rain no longer poured down on the land.
Exodus 10:17-18 CSB: [17] Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the Lord your God, so that he will just take this death away from me.” [18] Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord.
Exodus 7:8-13: The Staff Becomes a Snake
Interestingly, the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh begins with the Egyptian king demanding a ‘miracle’ (Exodus 7: 9); the same Hebrew word is translated as 'wonders' in Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 11:9-10. Pharaoh was convinced that in a show of strength, he had the power, through his sorcerers, to defeat Moses. Yet, while they were powerful enough to duplicate Aaron's staff becoming a snake, their power was less; Aaron's staff swallowed up their staff (Exodus 7:12).
Exodus 7:9 CSB: “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’”
Exodus 4:21 CSB: The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart , so that he won’t let the people go.
Exodus 7:3 CSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 11:9-10 CSB: [9] The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” [10] Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.
Exodus 7:12 CSB: Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.
Exodus 7:14-25: The Water Becomes Blood
Through a fourfold repetition of the details associated with the water becoming blood, the narrative highlights the extent and seriousness of the wonder performed jointly by Moses and Aaron: Blood was everywhere in Egypt (Exodus 7:21).
Exodus 7:21 CSB: The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:1-15: The Plague of Frogs
Pharaoh's request that Moses should Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people introduces into this section a theme which occurs in a a number of the episodes. Pharaoh acknowledged the ability of Moses to mediate with God for the restoration of normal conditions within Egypt (Exodus 8:28-31; 9:28-29, 33; 10:17-18).
Exodus 8:28-31 CSB: [28] Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me.” [29] “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will appeal to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceptively again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the Lord.” [30] Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord. [31] The Lord did as Moses had said: He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one was left.
Exodus 9:28-29, 33 CSB: [28] Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.” [29] Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth , belongs to the Lord. [33] Moses left Pharaoh and the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail ceased, and rain no longer poured down on the land.
Exodus 10:17-18 CSB: [17] Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the Lord your God, so that he will just take this death away from me.” [18] Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord.
Exodus 8:16-19: The Dust Becomes Gnats
By abbreviating the form of presentation found in other episodes, this brief section focuses on the reaction of the Egyptian magicians to the plague of gnats. Unable to copy the actions of Moses, they admitted to Pharaoh that this was the finger of God (Exodus 8:19).
Exodus 8:19 CSB: “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:20-32: The Plague of Flies
In this episode, detailed attention is given to the bargaining between Pharaoh and Moses over where the Israelites may sacrifice to their God. The narrative highlights the deceitfulness of Pharaoh in that once Moses had prayed on his behalf he refused to let the people go. Similar deceitfulness is revealed in Exodus 9:34 and Exodus 10:16-17.
Exodus 10:16-17 CSB: [16] Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. [17] Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the Lord your God, so that he will just take this death away from me.”
Exodus 9:1-7: The Death of The Livestock
The characteristic feature of this section is the distinction which was drawn between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The plague which came upon the livestock brought death only to the animals of the Egyptians: not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died (Exodus 9:7).
Exodus 9:7 CSB: Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:8-12: The Plague of Boils
This short episode resembles closely Exodus 8:16-19. It comes to a climax in the comment that the Egyptian magicians could no longer stand before Moses. Although they had been able initially to challenge Moses and Aaron, the magicians now found themselves weak and helpless in the face of these miraculous wonders.
Exodus 8:16-19 CSB: [16] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it will become gnats throughout the land of Egypt.” [17] And they did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and when he struck the dust of the land, gnats were on people and animals. All the dust of the land became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. [18] The magicians tried to produce gnats using their occult practices, but they could not. The gnats remained on people and animals. [19] “This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Exodus 9:13-35: The Plague of Hail
In contrast to the previous episode this one is much more detailed. Through repeated references to 'the LORD', the narrative focuses on his divine power. We are reminded that Moses was merely God's agent and that the purpose of the various wonders was to demonstrate God's sovereign power.
Exodus 10:1-20: The Plague of Locusts
The most notable feature in this episode is the stance of Pharaoh's officials. After Moses announced the sending of locusts, they immediately tried to persuade Pharaoh to reconsider his position. By this stage, the officials were convinced of the folly of trying to stop the Israelites from going and worshipping their God. Pharaoh, however, was only prepared to let the men go; the women and children had to remain behind. Apart from a brief comment in Exodus 9:20-21, this is the first dictation of a difference in attitude between Pharaoh and his officials towards the Israelites.
Exodus 9:20-21 CSB: [20] Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, [21] but those who didn’t take to heart the Lord’s word left their servants and livestock in the field.
Exodus 10:21-29: The Plague of Darkness
The most distinctive feature of this episode is its conclusion. A reference to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart indicates the end of almost all the other episodes, but not this one. Several verses are added which draw attention to a new development in the plot. Whereas the other episodes conclude with Moses having already left Pharaoh, the command that Moses should leave (Exodus 10:28) reveals that he was still in the king's presence. The narrative also highlights, as occurs nowhere else, the depth of Pharaoh's hatred for Moses; if Moses appeared before him again, he would surely die. With this climax, the scene is set for the final episode in the series.
Exodus 10:28 CSB: Pharaoh said to him, “Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
Exodus 11:1-10: The Death of The Firstborn was Announced
While still in Pharaoh's presence, Moses received a further revelation from God. There would be one last plague which would cause Pharaoh to let the people go. Immediately, Moses announced the plague to Pharaoh: Every firstborn son in Egypt will die (Exodus 11:5). With this final pronouncement, Moses left Pharaoh's presence in anger. As a result of Pharaoh's willingness to listen, Egypt would experience one further terrible example of God's power. After this, the Israelites would leave. Although Exodus 11:10 marks the end of the cycle of episodes which commenced in Exodus 7:8,further developments in the plot are anticipated by this final episode.
Exodus 11:5 CSB: and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is at the grindstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock.
Exodus 11:10 CSB: Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.