Exodus 8: Natural Born Plagues

There are many interpretations as to why God picked these specific twelve plagues. One possible interpretation is that God wanted to show His mastery over nature. In this interpretation, the plagues are not supernatural phenomena, but simply natural events gone awry.The initial plague of blood is created by a small imbalance in the Nile: Most likely the introduction of an overgrowth of oxygen consuming algae that spreads creating a blood red coloration of the water (Blood). Next, the frogs that live in the water abandon their distressed natural habitat and spread across the land (Frogs). Unable to live in their natural habitat, the frogs die out quickly. Mounds of dead frog carcasses invite gnats and other small insects like lice to spread (Lice). The fourth plague, Arov mentioned in chapter 8, is commonly translated as a swarm of wild animals. Alternative translations are swarms of flies or wolves. Sforno interprets it as snakes and other creeping creatures due to the phrase “and also the land that they are on” in verse 17 אִם־אֵינְךָ֮ מְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ אֶת־עַמִּי֒ הִנְנִי֩ מַשְׁלִ֨יחַ בְּךָ֜ וּבַעֲבָדֶ֧יךָ וּבְעַמְּךָ֛ וּבְבָתֶּ֖יךָ אֶת־הֶעָרֹ֑ב וּמָלְא֜וּ בָּתֵּ֤י מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ אֶת־הֶעָרֹ֔ב וְגַ֥ם הָאֲדָמָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־הֵ֥ם עָלֶֽיהָ׃“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of creatures against you, your servants, your people, and your houses; the houses of Egypt shall be full of swarms, and even the ground upon which they stand.” (Exodus 8:17), implying that these are creatures that crawl close to the ground. Each of these interpretations would make sense in the natural order explanation. After smaller insects swarm, larger flies would be attracted to the dead frogs and dead fish from the first plague. The these dead frogs would attract wild animals to feed of their carcasses or off of rodents or other animals that would be attracted to the dead frogs (Arov). These flies or wild animals would bring disease with them that would first infect the domesticated animals (Dever). As we all know too well, sick animals can easily transfer their diseases to humans (boils). These six plagues then form the first section of natural phenomena gone awry all based on one small change to the natural order. It is in this very small change that God sends a message to the Egyptians of his power. The next four plagues extend from a much larger natural phenomenon. Wild weather would be something foreign to Egypt. The land is mostly desert and the Nile acts as the major water source. Therefore, a massive once in a lifetime hailstorm would be terrifying to the Egyptians (Hail). Such a disruption in weather would then cause a disturbance in the annual migration of locusts causing a massive swarm to descend on Egypt (Locusts). What would cause the disruption in weather and the swarm of locusts? Historically, volcanic eruptions hundreds of miles away have been known to affect weather and migratory patterns. The ash from the volcano would then travel over the land of Egypt darkening the sky (Darkness). The storm and locusts would have devoured and destroyed crops in the fields leaving only moldy old wheat stores available to the Egyptians. As a rule, the Egyptians would have fed their first-born children the diseased wheat first. Thus leading to the death of the first born sons. This plague narrative illustrates how small disruptions in natural systems can cascade into catastrophic consequences—a dynamic strikingly similar to climate change. Just as one imbalance in Egypt’s ecosystem unleashed a chain of devastation, modern environmental shifts show how human actions can trigger interconnected crises that spiral beyond control.” This is the true finger of God that the sorcerers see and it is what makes the plagues so terrifying. Simple magic cannot match nature.