Exodus gives us three cycles of three plagues – with the 10th plague as the capstone.
Each set of three plagues begins with a time stamp: The first, fourth, and seventh plagues all start with Moses appearing before Pharaoh “in the morning.”
The middle plague in each triad (plagues 2, 5, and 8) all begin with the LORD saying to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh.”
And each set of three plagues ends with a brief plague that comes without warning. The third, sixth, and ninth plagues are the only ones that have no warning.
The first three plagues – blood, frogs, and gnats – would best be described as nuisances. They are annoying – but not especially painful.
The second three plagues are painful – flies, death of livestock, and boils – afflicting the Egyptians and their livelihood – but still not beyond the ordinary (except for the fact that Moses brings them all!).
The third three plagues are downright terrifying – hail, locusts, and darkness – as the judgment of God intensifies.
You can also see how these plagues signify the undoing of creation. For instance, plagues 2, 3, and 4 have creatures that come out of three realms of creation: - Frogs come out of the water of the Nile. - Gnats come from the dust. - Flies swarm through the air.
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