.">. I'li: Plagues themselves. — We here notice firsl a preliminary phenomenon of the same genera] character with the "plagues." When Moses and Aaron came. before Pharaoh a miracle was required of them. Then Aaron's rod became a ••seriienl" (A. Y. |, or rather '"a crocodile" ("*iP ). Its being changed into an animal reverenced by all the Egyptians, or by some of them, would have been an especial warning to Pharaoh. The Egyptian magicians called by the king produced what seemed to hi' the same wonder, yet Aaron'- rod swal- lowed up th'- other- i\ii. ;; 12). This passage, taken alone, would appear to indicate that the magicians suc- ceeded in working wonders, hut if it is compared with those others relating their opposition on the occasions of the lirst three plague-, a contrary inference seems more reasonable. In this case the expression "they
also did in like manner with their enchant in. ntS VI r. 1 I i l- used, and it is repeated in the cases of I In ii -i i ru- ing success on tin casions of the firsl pis
22), and the sec I (viii. 7), as well as when they failed
on the occasion of the third plague | \ cr. 18 I. A com- parison with other passages strengthens us in tin infer- ence thai the magicians succeeded merely by juggling.
Vet. even il they weiv able to pro, luce any real effects
by magic, a broad distinction should be drawn between the genera] and powerful nature of the wonders wrought l\ the hand of Moses and Aaron and their partial and weak imitations. See M \<.n .
(1.) Th "Plague" of Blood.— When Pharaoh had refused to lei the Israelites go, Moses was sent again, and. on the second refusal, was commanded to smite
U| the water- of the ri\er. and to turn tin m and all
the waters of Egypt into blood. The miracle was to
be wrought when Pharaoh went forth in the morning to the river. Its general character is very remarkable,
for not only was the water of the Nile smitten, bul all the water, even thai in vessels, throughout the country.
The fish died, and the river stank. The Egyptians could not drink of it. and digged around il for water.
This plague appears i,, ha\ c la-led seven days, for the
account ol it ends, "And seven days were fulfilled, after thai the Lord had smitten the river" (vii, 13 25), and the narrative of the second plague immediately fol-
PLAGUES
259
PLAGUES
lows, as if the other had then ceased. Some difficulty has been occasioned by the mention that the Egyptians digged for water, but it is not stated that they so gained what they sought, although it may be conjectured that only the water that was seen was smitten, in order that the nation should not perish. It appears that the wa- ter, when filtered through the soil of the banks, regained its salubrity. This plague was doubly humiliating to the religion of the country, as the Nile was held sacred, as well as some kinds of its fish, not to speak of the crocodiles, which probably were destroyed. It may have been a marked reproof for the cruel edict that the Israelitish children should be drowned, and could scarce- ly have failed to strike guilty consciences as such, though Pharaoh does not seem to have been alarmed by it. He saw what was probably an imitation wrought by the magicians, who accompanied him, as if he were engaged in some sacred rites, perhaps connected with the worship of the Nile. Events having some resem- blance to this are mentioned by ancient writers; the most remarkable is related by Manetho, according to whom it was said that, in the reign of Nephercheres, seventh king of the second dynasty, the Nile flowed mixed with honey for eleven days. Some of the his- torical notices of the earliest dynasties seem to be of very doubtful authenticity, and Manetho seems to treat this one as a fable, or perhaps as a tradition. Nepher- cheres, it must be remarked, reigned several hundred years before the Exodus. Those who have endeavored to explain this plague by natural causes have referred to the changes of color to which the Nile is subject, the appearance of the Red Sea, and the so-called rain and dew of blood of the Middle Ages; the last two occa- sioned by small fungi of very rapid growth. But such theories do not explain why the wonder happened at a time of year when the Nile is most clear, nor why it killed the fish and made the water unfit to be drunk. These are the really weighty points, rather than the change into blood, which seems to mean a change into the semblance of blood. The employment of natural means in effecting a miracle is equally seen in the pas- sage of the Red Sea; but the divine power is proved by the intensifying or extending that means, and the opportune occurrence of the result, and its fitness for a great moral purpose. See Nile.
(2.) The '■'■Plague" of Frogs. — When seven days had passed after the smiting of the river, Pharaoh was threatened with another judgment, and, on his refusing to let the Israelites go, the second plague was sent. The river and all the open waters of Egypt brought forth countless frogs, which not only covered the land, but rilled the houses, even in their driest parts and ves- sels, for the ovens and kneading-trotighs are specified. The magicians again had a seeming success in their op- position; yet Pharaoh, whose very palaces were filled by the reptiles, entreated Moses to pray that they might be removed, promising to let the Israelites go; but, on the removal .of the plague, again hardened his heart (vii, 25 ; viii, 1-15). This must have been an especially trying judgment to the Egyptians, as frogs were in- cluded among the sacred animals, probably not among those which were reverenced throughout Egypt, like the cat, but in the second class of local objects of wor- ship, like the crocodile. The frog was sacred to the goddess Hekt, who is represented with the head of this reptile. In hieroglyphics the frog signifies "very many," " millions," doubtless from its abundance. In the present day frogs abound in Egypt, and in the sum- mer and autumn their loud and incessant croaking in all the waters of the country gives some idea of this plague. They are not, however, heard in the spring, nor is there any record, excepting the Biblical one, of their having been injurious to the inhabitants. It must be added that the supposed cases of the same kind elsewhere, quoted from ancient authors, are of very doubtful authenticity. The species of reptile which was made the instrument of this infliction was probably