Since a Plague Killed the Livestock, How Did the Egyptians Chase the Israelites?

“In the Bible, one of the 10 plagues God sent to the Egyptians was illness and death of the cattle and horses. Since the Egyptian horses were dead, how did the Egyptians chase the Israelites on chariots before the parting of the Red Sea?”

Great question, Lauren!

Whenever we have a question about the Bible, we first need to read the passage carefully to ensure we understand what the Bible says. Exodus 9:3–6 says that “all the livestock of the Egyptians died,” including horses.

However, the Bible indicates that not every animal died. Just a few verses later, the next plague of boils affected man and beast, and the seventh plague, hail, came with a warning to get slaves and livestock indoors so they wouldn’t die. The tenth and final plague, the death of the firstborn, also affected the firstborn of the cattle (Exodus 11:5).

Exodus was originally written in Hebrew. Kol is the Hebrew word that normally means “all,” but it can also mean “all types of” or “all around,” depending on the context. Since other verses indicate that there were still livestock around, the best interpretation is “all types of.”

Additionally, the livestock that died were in the fields. It is quite likely that the chariot horses received the best care as they were Egypt’s war machines, so they might have been stabled inside somewhere and spared from the plagues.

The Egyptians were also able to bring in livestock from other countries. There was some time between each plague, and Egypt often traded with the nations around them.

Sometimes, a biblical account doesn’t include every detail that we would like it to because the author’s focus is to tell us about God’s actions. This account in Exodus does that in enough detail to let us know there isn’t any contradiction.

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