I have read the last few days' readings of the Daily Bible on the plagues of Egypt. I have a question for anyone who might read this. Read the account of the 10 plagues in Exodus. At one point God uses a plague which kills all of Egypt's animals. The NIV used the word all. The horses, the livestock, the sheep and the goats. Then a couple of plagues later God sends a hailstorm. The text says that the Israelites and the God fearing Egyptians took their slaves and their livestock in from the fields, those that were left out were killed. I started to wonder where the Egyptians got the replacement livestock. Finally, the last plague killed all the firstborn. Including the firstborn of the animals. That is 3 killings of the animals.
Was there a long time between each plague? Did the first one not really mean all? How were there enough horses left for Pharoah to muster his chariots and army to chase the Israelites at the Red Sea?
In the next couple of days I hope to investigate this, but meanwhile I thought I'd post the question in case any one else has any thougts.
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A little further reading has revealed a phrase that I had failed to notice. The first plague against the animals killed all the animals "in the field." All of the horses and cattle that were in the barns and such were spared. Also, some of the Egyptians heeded Moses warning and brought the animals in from the field. Thus there would still have been an army of horses for the chariots to pursue the Isrealites.
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