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Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Exodus, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
God’s Identity and Power
Redemption and Deliverance
The Covenant
Mediators and the Priesthood
Summary
Analysis
The LORD tells Moses to approach Pharaoh again. If Pharaoh refuses, the LORD will strike Egypt’s livestock with a deadly pestilence. The Israelites’ livestock, however, will be spared. The next day, this very thing occurs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart is hardened again.
The fifth plague, like the previous one, draws a visible distinction between Egyptians and Israelites. That is, the Israelites’ healthy livestock plainly show that God sides with Israel and judges Egypt.
Themes
Then the LORD tells Moses to take handfuls of soot from the kiln and throw it into the air in Pharaoh’s presence. The soot will become a fine dust over the land, which will cause festering boils on people and livestock. Moses does so, and even the magicians are afflicted, preventing them from performing the same wonder. Yet the LORD hardens Pharaoh’s heart and he doesn’t listen to Moses.
Boils, the affliction of the sixth plague, don’t just affect the land or livestock, but the people themselves—the plagues are ramping up in intensity. As a result, the magicians can’t even try to replicate the feat. As the suspense keeps mounting, it’s increasingly clear that God’s power dwarfs that of Egypt.
Themes
The LORD tells Moses to approach Pharaoh early the next morning and tell him that this time, if he doesn’t let the Israelites go, God will send plagues directly on Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Until now, he has refrained, so that Pharaoh could witness God’s power. But because Pharaoh remains stubborn, God will send a deadly hail on Egypt to kill anything that’s exposed. So the next day, Moses stretches his staff toward heaven, causing thunder, hail, and fire to rain from heaven. Egypt has never seen such hail, with fire flashing in its midst. Anything in the open is struck dead, and crops are damaged. Yet Goshen remains unscathed.
The description of this seventh plague is more detailed than those that have come before. For the first time, God (through Moses) explains the purpose behind the plagues—to demonstrate his power to Pharaoh. But because Pharaoh hasn’t surrendered so far, God will now allow plagues to impact Pharaoh more directly. Indeed, widespread death and destruction (pointedly sparing Israel) shows that the situation is escalating.
Themes
Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron and tells them “this time” he has sinned—the LORD was right to send this plague. He asks them to pray to God on his behalf, and he will send them off to worship in the wilderness. Moses promises to pray, but he knows that Pharaoh and his officials don’t truly fear God. He goes out of the city and prays, and the thunder, hail, and fire cease. But when Pharaoh sees that the plague has passed, his heart is hardened again.
Though Pharaoh appears to be repentant, he only takes responsibility for the current disaster; he doesn’t acknowledge that his whole pattern of stubborn resistance has been wrong. Note that while Pharaoh is passive in his heart’s “hardening,” he’s still held responsible for his subsequent behavior—the biblical author doesn’t seem concerned about any discrepancy between God’s will and human free will.
Themes
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