What are the major differences between the plagues narratives in J and P? (See the Study Guide for a side by side of these sources in Exodus 7:14-24).
What is the purpose of the plagues, for J, for P, and for the canonical text? What conclusion do we draw by reading them all together?
How should we think about the moral question regarding Pharaoh’s free will? What does this tell us about God and God’s providence?
How should interpreters incorporate the history of real natural disasters when studying texts like Exodus and Genesis? Is it important to match up miracles of this nature with recorded events?
Applying the Text:
God in the Yahwist source (J) seems to have less control over the world than God in the Priestly source (P). How can we make sense of these conflicting images of God’s guiding hand in the world? Does one voice speak more to you than the other?
The story of the plagues draws meaning from natural disasters. How have people ascribed meaning to similar “plagues” in modern days, and how do you understand those explanations?
What do the plagues say about the acceptability of violence when it is used to accomplish good aims? Do the ends justify the means in the Bible? How do these actions make us see God (or see God’s actions)?