The Ten Plagues are a key part of the Exodus story, demonstrating G‑d’s power and delivering justice to Egypt when Pharaoh and his people refused to free their Jewish slaves. Read on for 13 fascinating facts about this series of miraculous events.
1. Their Story Is Told in the Book of Exodus
The Ten Plagues are described in the Book of Exodus, specifically in the portions of Va’eira and Bo.1 They’re also briefly listed in two chapters of Psalms.2 The Midrash and later commentaries add even more details and insights, painting a vivid picture of the chaos that gripped the country.
2. They Began With Blood and Ended With the Death of the Firstborn
Here’s a summary of the plagues:
- Blood (Dam): The Nile and other waterways turned to blood, killing fish and creating a terrible stench.
- Frogs (Tzefardeia): Frogs swarmed out of the Nile and invaded Egyptian homes.
- Lice (Kinim): Dust turned to lice, plaguing people and animals.
- Wild Animals (Arov): Hordes of wild beasts terrorized Egypt.
- Pestilence (Dever): A deadly disease killed all Egyptian livestock left outdoors.
- Boils (Shechin): Painful boils broke out on Egyptians and their remaining livestock.
- Hail (Barad): Fiery hail destroyed crops and trees.
- Locusts (Arbeh): Swarms of locusts consumed whatever vegetation remained.
- Darkness (Choshech): Thick darkness immobilized the Egyptians.
- Death of the Firstborn (Makat Bechorot): Every Egyptian firstborn died at midnight.
Read: The Ten Plagues of Egypt
3. Some Interpretations of the Plagues Differ
Not all plagues are universally understood. Don Isaac Abarbanel, citing Rabbeinu Chananel, suggests tzefardeia were not frogs but crocodiles,3 and Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir (Rashi’s grandson) interprets arov (wild beasts) as wolves.4 Yet another tradition understands arov as swarms of insects.5
4. Moses and Aaron Played Key Roles
While the plagues came from G‑d, Moses and Aaron carried them out. Often, Moses or Aaron raised a staff to begin the plague. For boils, they tossed ash into the air, spreading the plague wherever it landed.6 Interestingly, Moses did not initiate the first three plagues, as an act of gratitude to the Nile (which saved him as a baby) and the earth (which concealed the Egyptian Moses had killed to protect a fellow Jew).7
5. Most of Them Followed a Monthly Cycle
According to one tradition, Moses warned Pharaoh about each plague for 24 days, and then the plague struck for a week. Others suggest the warning lasted one week and the plague continued for 24 days.8 Exceptions include darkness, which lasted six days,9 and the death of the firstborn, which happened in a moment. Three plagues—lice, boils, and darkness—occurred without any warning.
6. Pharaoh’s Heart Was Hardened
In the throes of the plagues, Pharaoh repeatedly promised to free the Jews, only to go back on his word once the danger had passed. At first, he did this consciously, but eventually, G‑d hardened Pharaoh’s heart, ensuring he would resist until all ten plagues were complete.10
7. Many Reasons Are Given
Many different traditions explain why these specific plagues were wrought on the Egyptians. Here are two of them:
- Military Tactics: Like a siege, the plagues began by cutting off Egypt’s water supply (blood), followed by loud disturbances (frogs), shooting arrows (lice), and so on.11
- Measure for Measure: The plagues mirrored the Egyptians’ cruelty to the Jews,12 as illustrated in the following chart:
| Act of Cruelty Toward Jews | Plague |
|---|---|
| Throwing their babies into the Nile | Nile turns to blood |
| Wailing of mothers over murdered children | Frogs create deafening noise |
| Forcing them to work the land | Dust turns to lice |
| Abducting their children for slavery | Wild beasts maul Egyptian children |
| Robbing their livestock | Pestilence kills livestock |
| Segregating them | Boils force them to isolate |
| Throwing stones at them | Hail |
| Robbing their produce | Locusts consume produce |
| Darkness of exile | Debilitating darkness |
| Persecuted the Jews, G‑d’s firstborn nation | Firstborns die |
Watch: The Ten Plagues Unplugged
8. Pharaoh’s Sorcerers Gave Up
Egypt was known for its sorcery,13 and Pharaoh’s magicians initially imitated the plagues of blood and frogs to prove that they were not Divinely-orchestrated.14 But when they were unable to replicate the plague of lice, they were forced to admit, “This is the finger of G‑d!”15
9. The Jews Were Spared
The Jewish people, living in Goshen, were protected from the plagues.16 Interestingly, some commentators believe the first three plagues affected Jews and Egyptians alike.17 This, they explain, was because the plagues of blood and frogs targeted Egypt’s deity—the Nile—requiring them to be absolute. Similarly, for the sorcerers to have no doubt that the lice was “the finger of G‑d” (see previous fact), it needed to strike all of Egypt’s dust.18 Other traditions differ, maintaining that the Jews were spared from all ten plagues.19
Read: A Mixture of Wild Beasts
10. Moses Predicted Exact Times
The plagues demonstrated G‑d’s omnipotence by occurring and ending at precisely predicted times. Before the plague of hail, Moses marked a spot on Pharaoh’s palace wall and declared, “When the sun reaches this point tomorrow, the plague will begin”—and it did.20 Likewise, when Moses asked Pharaoh when he should pray for the frogs to disappear, Pharaoh replied, “Tomorrow.” True to Moses’ word, the frogs left the next day.21
Why did Pharaoh wait an extra day? His patience here was a calculated strategy to uncover Moses as a charlatan. He suspected that far from being the hand of G‑d, the frogs’ proliferation was a natural phenomenon due to end that day. Moses, he assumed, had asked Pharaoh to designate a time for their departure because he was sure he would want them to leave right away. He therefore cunningly answered, “Tomorrow”—but of course, that is indeed when they left.22
Read: Fire and Ice
11. The Midrash Adds Amazing Details
The Midrash enriches the story with fascinating details. Here is a sampling:
- When the Nile turned to blood, Egyptians could only drink water by purchasing it from Jews, often at exorbitant prices.23
- The frogs’ willingness to jump into ovens inspired future Jewish heroes like Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.24
- During the plague of darkness, Jews visited Egyptian homes and located their treasures—information they later used when G‑d commanded them to solicit these items before leaving Egypt.25
Read: The Gold of Egypt
12. The Plagues Can Be Subdivided
Some sources divide each plague into multiple subcategories, totaling 40 or even 50 plagues.26 For example, the plague of wild animals encompassed several calamities: (1) The animals attacked and killed the Egyptians; (2) Egyptians slipped and fell while trying to escape; (3) Attempts to barricade themselves in their homes failed, as the animals broke through; (4) The animals trampled the land, leaving it uneven and damaged; (5) Even furs collected from the animals vanished when the plague ended.27
Read: The Plague Count
13. They Had a Higher Purpose
Chassidic teachings explain that the plagues weren’t just punishments; they were a form of spiritual refinement. By breaking Egypt’s arrogance, G‑d revealed the sparks of holiness within, much as a nut must be cracked to extract the fruit. Even Pharaoh ultimately declared, “G‑d is righteous, and I and my nation are wicked.”28 These events prepared Egypt—and the world—for the Divine revelation at Mount Sinai.29
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