A Quick Look at the Ten Plagues of Egypt Quiz

Answer: Water turned into blood

Plague No. 1 involved the water in Egypt being turned into blood. While it's generally assumed the Nile River was turned into blood, Scripture indicates the plague involved more than the Nile. In fact, Scripture states there was "blood throughout all the land of Egypt."

Exodus 7:19-21 in the NKJV explains things this way: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone."' And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt."

Answer: Death of the firstborn

The death of the firstborn was the tenth and final plague unleashed by God on Egypt. Details can be found in in Exodus 11:1-10 and Exodus 12:29-42. According to Scripture the firstborn in every Egyptian household died and the same held true for their livestock. The Israelites, however, were spared the misery and suffering.

Here's how Exodus 12:29-30 explains things in the NKJV: "And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead."

Finally, the Pharaoh granted permission to the Israelites to leave Egypt.

Meanwhile, Exodus 12:1-28 provides details of the Israelites commemorating Passover, or being spared from the plague of death of the firstborn. In fact, the Israelites were spared from the previous nine plagues as well, according to Scripture.

Answer: Frogs

The plague of frogs was the second plague unleashed on Egypt, as per Exodus 7:25 to 8:15. According to Scripture, when Aaron stretched his hand and his rod over the streams and rivers of Egypt, the country became infested with frogs. In fact, Exodus 8:2 states the frogs were so plentiful they were found in the houses of the Egyptians, including their bedrooms, ovens and kneading bowls.

Exodus 8:5-15 explains things this way in the NKJV:

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt."' So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, 'Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.' And Moses said to Pharaoh, 'Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.'

"So he said, 'Tomorrow.' And he said, 'Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.'

"Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. So the LORD did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said."

Answer: Boils

The plague of boils was Plague No. 6 inflicted by God on Egypt, according to Scripture. Exodus 9:11 states boils afflicted every Egyptian, even the Pharaoh's magicians. The boils started appearing on the Egyptians after Moses took handfuls of ashes from a furnace and scattered it toward the heavens, Scripture states.

Exodus 9:8-12 explains things this way in the NKJV: "So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.' Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses."

Answer: Locusts

Plague No. 8 unleashed by God on Egypt was the plague of locusts. According to Scripture, the locusts were created when Moses stretched out his hand over the land of Egypt and the insects were so plentiful, they darkened the sky. The plague of locusts followed the plague of hail.

Exodus 10:12-20 explains things this way in the NKJV:

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land -- all that the hail has left.' So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, 'I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only.' So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. And the LORD turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go."

Answer: Diseased livestock

Plague No. 5 involved the plague of diseased livestock, as per Exodus 9:1-7. Scripture states all the livestock of the Egyptians was killed in the plague while, when it came to the Israelites and their livestock, "not one died". Similar to what happened after the earlier plagues, the Pharaoh told Moses he was free to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

However, Exodus 9:7 reports "the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go."

Answer: Flies

The fourth plague unleashed by God on Egypt involved flies, as per Exodus 8:20-32. Scripture states "thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt." Scripture goes on to state the country was "corrupted" because of the flies.

However, Exodus 8:22 states there were no flies in Goshen, the area where the Israelites lived.

According to Scripture, the Pharaoh granted permission to the Israelites to leave Egypt, but then his heart became hardened and permission was rescinded.

Answer: Darkness

The ninth plague to hit Egypt was the plague of darkness, as per Exodus 10:21-29. According to Scripture, when Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, there was intense darkness for three days in Egypt. Although the darkness was so intense the Egyptians could not see each other, Scripture states the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

Here's how Exodus 10:21-23 explains things in the NKJV: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.' So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings."

Similar to what happened during the previous plagues, the Pharaoh granted permission to the Israelites to leave Egypt, then changed his mind and insisted they could not leave. It set the stage for the tenth and final plague.

Answer: Hail

The seventh plague unleashed by God on Egypt involved hail. According to Scripture, a highly punishing hailstorm was unleashed when Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven. According to the KJV and the NKJV, the hail storm was accompanied by thunder and fire. (The NIV states the hail was accompanied by thunder and lightning.) Scripture states the entire nation, with the exception of Goshen, was pummeled by the hail. Goshen is where the Israelites lived.

Here's how Exodus 9:22-26 explains things this way in the NKJV: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt -- on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.' And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail."

Scripture goes on to tell of the Pharaoh telling Moses he was free to lead the Israelites out of Egypt if the hail could be stopped. However, after Moses spread out his hands to the LORD calling for an end to the storm, Scripture states the Pharaoh's heart hardened and he rescinded permission for the Israelites to leave.

Answer: Lice

The third plague to hit Egypt involved lice. According to Scripture, when Moses' brother Aaron stretched out his rod and struck the dust of the land, lice infested the Egyptians as well as their livestock.

Exodus 8:16-19, tells what happened in the NKJV: "So the LORD said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt."' And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said."