person and animal in Egypt. These things were no doubt unpleasant. But did it kill anyone? There’s just no way of knowing.
But the Bible is clear about the seventh plague: hail.
Upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field … the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. ... So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous ... And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast. Exodus 9:19-25
So God killed everybody in Egypt who was out and about that day with fire and hail (except Israelites).
Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 9:26
But how many people would that have been?
Well, the Egyptian population is estimated to have been 3 million at the time the Exodus supposedly happened (McEvedy and Jones 1978, p.226). So if maybe 10% of the Egyptians were in the field at the time, about 300 thousand would have been killed by God’s fiery hailstorm.
9. The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt
Exodus 12.29-30
Estimated Number Killed: 500,000
Firstborn Egyptians
God starts planning this mass murder in Chapter 3 of Exodus, and he doesn’t stop talking about it until he kills every Egyptian firstborn child (and animal) in Exodus 12.
Here was the way God planned it.
On the night of the mass child murder, God told each Israelite family to find a year-old lamb without blemish, kill it, and wipe the blood on the top and sides of the door.
In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb … without blemish, a male of the first year … And ye shall … kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses. Exodus 12.3-7
That way when God came through Egypt looking for first born children and animals to kill, he would see the bloody door and “pass over” the house, saying to himself, “Oh yeah, I’m not supposed to kill any children or animals here.”
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast … and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, 12.12-13
And that’s what happened.
At midnight God passed through Egypt killing every Egyptian first-born child and animal.
At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 12.29
After God was done, there was not a single Egyptian house that didn’t have one dead child.
And there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 12.30
Why did God do it?
Well, it seems that he did it to show off.
To show off his signs and wonders.
I will … smite Egypt with all my wonders. 3.20
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 7.3
Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him. 10.1
The LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. 11.9
To introduce himself to the Egyptians.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. 7.5
To show what he can do.
Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh. 6.1
To show that there is nobody else on earth quite like him.
For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 9:14
To make himself famous (so that everyone will know his name).
That my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 9.16
To give us a story to tell our children and grandchildren.
That thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt. 10.2
To show that the whole
But the Bible is clear about the seventh plague: hail.
Upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field … the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. ... So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous ... And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast. Exodus 9:19-25
So God killed everybody in Egypt who was out and about that day with fire and hail (except Israelites).
Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. 9:26
But how many people would that have been?
Well, the Egyptian population is estimated to have been 3 million at the time the Exodus supposedly happened (McEvedy and Jones 1978, p.226). So if maybe 10% of the Egyptians were in the field at the time, about 300 thousand would have been killed by God’s fiery hailstorm.
9. The Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt
Exodus 12.29-30
Estimated Number Killed: 500,000
Firstborn Egyptians
God starts planning this mass murder in Chapter 3 of Exodus, and he doesn’t stop talking about it until he kills every Egyptian firstborn child (and animal) in Exodus 12.
Here was the way God planned it.
On the night of the mass child murder, God told each Israelite family to find a year-old lamb without blemish, kill it, and wipe the blood on the top and sides of the door.
In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb … without blemish, a male of the first year … And ye shall … kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses. Exodus 12.3-7
That way when God came through Egypt looking for first born children and animals to kill, he would see the bloody door and “pass over” the house, saying to himself, “Oh yeah, I’m not supposed to kill any children or animals here.”
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast … and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, 12.12-13
And that’s what happened.
At midnight God passed through Egypt killing every Egyptian first-born child and animal.
At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 12.29
After God was done, there was not a single Egyptian house that didn’t have one dead child.
And there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 12.30
Why did God do it?
Well, it seems that he did it to show off.
To show off his signs and wonders.
I will … smite Egypt with all my wonders. 3.20
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 7.3
Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him. 10.1
The LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. 11.9
To introduce himself to the Egyptians.
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. 7.5
To show what he can do.
Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh. 6.1
To show that there is nobody else on earth quite like him.
For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 9:14
To make himself famous (so that everyone will know his name).
That my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 9.16
To give us a story to tell our children and grandchildren.
That thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt. 10.2
To show that the whole
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