A Cold Heart (Exodus 9,13-35)

Abstract

This article offers for discussion an exegetical-theological reading of the seventh blow (plague) against Egypt in the cycle of the so-called Ten Plagues. The methodology adopted is hybrid, combining elements of historical exegesis with elements of literary and narratological analysis. It is the largest of the individual accounts, with the exception of the account of the last blow if we take into account the description of the link with Passover. Its function in the cycle of blows is to add further evidence of the supremacy of YHWH’s power against the Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, so that they have no alternative but to recognize the presence and power of YHWH as the liberator of their own people. In relation to YHWH’s people, the account reinforces their conviction of YHWH’s liberating character and the importance of Moses as their partner in the liberation and exodus from Egypt.