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    In Context

    What Were the Ten Plagues of Egypt — In Biblical Context

    God sent ten devastating plagues — from water turned to blood to the death of the firstborn — to demonstrate His power over Egypt's gods and liberate Israel from slavery.

    Quick Answer

    God sent ten devastating plagues — from water turned to blood to the death of the firstborn — to demonstrate His power over Egypt's gods and liberate Israel from slavery.

    "Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD." — Exodus 12:12 (KJV)

    The Biblical Context

    The ten plagues (Exodus 7-12) were: (1) water turned to blood, (2) frogs, (3) lice, (4) flies, (5) livestock disease, (6) boils, (7) hail, (8) locusts, (9) darkness for three days, and (10) the death of the firstborn. Each plague targeted a specific Egyptian deity — the Nile god Hapi, the frog goddess Heqet, the sun god Ra (darkness), etc. — demonstrating that the God of Israel is supreme: 'Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD' (Exodus 12:12). Pharaoh's heart was hardened through the process, both by his own stubbornness and by God's sovereign purpose (Exodus 9:12, Romans 9:17). The plagues escalated in severity, giving Pharaoh repeated opportunities to repent. The final plague — death of the firstborn — was averted only by the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts. This entire sequence foreshadows God's ultimate deliverance through the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.

    Where It Sits in Scripture

    The core passage for this question, Exodus 12:12, sits inside Exodus 12. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.

    "Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD."
    — Exodus 12:12 (KJV)

    Supporting Passages

    Exodus 7:5
    "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt."
    Psalm 105:27
    "They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham."

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