The quick answer
What were the Ten Plagues of Egypt?
After Pharaoh refused to release Israel, Egypt experienced ten plagues: water turned to blood, frogs, lice or gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. Moses and Aaron announced or performed the commanded signs, while Pharaoh repeatedly resisted.
Before the last plague, Israel observed the first Passover, marking homes with lamb’s blood and eating a meal prepared for departure. Pharaoh then ordered Israel to leave. The plagues function in Exodus as judgments, signs that reveal Yahweh’s authority, and the immediate path to deliverance from slavery.
Follow the plagues, prepare for Passover, and continue toward the sea in the Exodus Journey Game.
The complete order
The Ten Plagues in Order
Moses and Aaron return to Pharaoh
God told Moses that Pharaoh would resist so that signs and judgments would be multiplied in Egypt. Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. Aaron’s staff became a snake before the court, but Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. Exodus 7:1–13
“The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring the children of Israel out from among them.”
1. Water turns to blood
Aaron struck the Nile with the staff. The river, canals, pools, and stored water turned to blood; fish died, the river stank, and Egyptians dug for drinking water. Pharaoh’s magicians performed a similar sign, and Pharaoh did not listen. Exodus 7:14–25
2. Frogs
Frogs covered Egypt and entered houses, bedrooms, ovens, and kneading bowls. The magicians also brought up frogs. Pharaoh asked Moses to pray, promising release, but hardened his heart after relief came. Exodus 8:1–15
3. Lice or gnats
Aaron struck the dust, and tiny insects came on people and animals. English translations differ between “lice” and “gnats.” The magicians could not reproduce the sign and told Pharaoh, “This is God’s finger.” Exodus 8:16–19
4. Flies
Swarms filled Egyptian houses and ruined the land, while Goshen was set apart. Pharaoh offered partial compromises but withdrew permission after the swarms left. Exodus 8:20–32
5. Livestock disease
A severe pestilence struck Egyptian livestock in the field, while Israel’s livestock were distinguished. Pharaoh investigated and still refused to release the people. Exodus 9:1–7
6. Boils
Moses scattered soot toward heaven, and boils broke out on people and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils. Exodus 9:8–12
7. Hail
A devastating storm of hail and fire struck people, animals, and crops left in the fields. Egyptians who feared the warning brought servants and livestock indoors. Goshen was spared. Pharaoh confessed sin, then returned to resistance when the storm stopped. Exodus 9:13–35
8. Locusts
Locusts covered the land and consumed what the hail had left. Pharaoh’s servants urged him to release the people, but negotiations failed over who could go. Pharaoh confessed again and again reversed himself after relief. Exodus 10:1–20
9. Darkness
Thick darkness covered Egypt for three days, so people could not see or move from their places. Israel had light in their dwellings. Pharaoh’s final proposed compromise failed, and he warned Moses not to return. Exodus 10:21–29
“There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They didn’t see one another, and no one rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
10. Death of the firstborn and the first Passover
Before the final plague, Israelite households selected lambs, marked their doorframes with blood, and ate roasted lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, ready to travel. The blood was the sign that judgment would pass over their homes.
At midnight, the firstborn in Egypt died, from Pharaoh’s household to the prisoner and livestock. The grief was nationwide. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron at night and commanded Israel to leave. This is a severe judgment scene; Exodus does not present the suffering as entertainment or spectacle. Exodus 11–12
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
A repeated question
Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
Exodus does not use only one formula. Early scenes say Pharaoh’s heart was hardened or that he hardened it. Other passages say Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The language develops through Pharaoh’s repeated exposure to warning, signs, temporary concessions, and renewed refusal.
A careful reading should preserve both Pharaoh’s active resistance and the text’s claim of divine judgment. It should not erase Pharaoh’s decisions or pretend that every verse describes the process in exactly the same words.