Cartun has some other interesting links up his sleeve: “‘God ( elohim ) occurs, as was previously pointed out, eighteen times in its various forms. The ‘Nile,’ a god to Egypt, is the only other single word repeated eighteen times total in the plagues narrative. These . . . . Continue Reading »
I’ve been musing all day on the possibility that the somehow symbolize Israel. The Nile turns to blood because Pharaoh has been killing Hebrew babies in the river, and the frogs swarm just like the Hebrews had done (cf. Exodus 1:7). Now I come across a 1991 article from the Union . . . . Continue Reading »
In an essay in Andre Wenin, ed., Studies in the Book of Genesis Literature, Redaction and History (Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium) , Benedicte Lemmelijn argues that the plague narrative is playing off of the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2. Citing Z. Zevit’s work . . . . Continue Reading »
The Passover is, like the Law itself, to be on the hand and the forheads of Israel (Exodus 13:16). It is to be like a phylactery attached to the “frontlet between the eyes.” Eyes are organs of investigation and judgment, and putting the Passover between the eyes means that Israel . . . . Continue Reading »
Frogs come up from the Nile and “cover” the land of Egypt (Exodus 8:6), and later locusts do the same (10:5). Earlier, the same verb ( kasah ) is used to describe the waters “covering” the mountains in the flood (Genesis 7:19-20). The plagues covering Egypt are another . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 7:20-21: All the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink from the Nile. As Pastor Sumpter has pointed out, when Moses turns the Nile to blood, it only makes visible what was . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 7:19: Then Yahweh said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of . . . . Continue Reading »
When Moses turns the water of the Nile to blood, the Egyptians don’t have any water to drink. Do the Israelites? We’re not told. In the second plague, frogs creep from the Nile and fill the land of Egypt. Do they infest Goshen, where the Israelites live? . . . . Continue Reading »
When Moses turned the Nile to blood, the fish died and a stench arose (Exodus 7:18, 21). Nothing is said about fish or putrid smells in the account of Exodus in the Pentateuch. When Isaiah recounts the exodus, however, he talks about the dying stinking fish: “Behold, I dry up . . . . Continue Reading »
Some thoughts arising from a conversation with Toby Sumpter, Doug Jones and Gabe Telling. Moses is the first human god ( elohim ) in Scripture, the first man to grow up to the fuller image of Yahweh. He is god in relation to his mouth, his brother Aaron (Exodus 4:16) and also to Pharaoh . . . . Continue Reading »
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