A sudden hard hit or event that causes serious harm or trouble to people.
About Plague
A word used to refer to a disease, disaster, or pestilence (a widespread disease resulting in many deaths). "Plague" in Scripture does not mean a specific disease. It refers to multiple diseases (1 Kings 8:37; Luke 7:21). "Plague" can mean an epidemic disease or widespread disaster. It can refer to the ten plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7–12).
The Hebrews believed plagues were part of God's judgment on people. God threatened to send plagues to the Israelites for their sins (Leviticus 26:21) and took full responsibility for the Egyptian plagues (Joshua 24:5). The Old Testament plagues demonstrated God’s control over the processes of nature, just as Christ’s miracles do in the New Testament.
Key References
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
All Scripture References (25)
Exodus (1)
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
Numbers (9)
those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
Anyone who comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to perish?”
followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,
but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”
“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
1 Samuel (2)
The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
“What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
2 Samuel (4)
Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.
1 Chronicles (2)
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
2 Chronicles (1)
So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow.
Psalms (2)
So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.
Ezekiel (1)
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take away the desire of your eyes with a fatal blow. But you must not mourn or weep or let your tears flow.
Zechariah (3)
And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then the rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.