Exodus 9:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even within the punishment itself, one can observe the compassion inherent in it. He started with livestock and then moved to humanity. Who would not be astonished by God's might, as He executed His will so swiftly, displaying both mercy and profound wisdom? He sent this judgment (the death of infants) not as the initial course of action, intending instead to guide them through others.

A fifth plague afflicted Egypt, resulting in the death of its livestock. This served as a chastisement for the folly and ignorance of humanity, who, resembling irrational beasts, chose to revere God through idols not only shaped like humans but also fashioned from wood or stone. They honored Ammon Zeus in the form of a ram, Anubis as a dog, and Apis as a bull, alongside many other fearsome deities revered by the Egyptians. In those creatures they believed held a divine presence, they witnessed severe repercussions.

Until now, the executions inflicted suffering, yet they did not pose a significant threat to Egypt. However, the current execution affects the nation's well-being and profoundly disrupts its economic stability. All the animals mentioned can be found in the inscriptions of Egypt and in the accounts of historians and explorers, with the exception of the camel. Although it is absent from the monuments, it also does not appear in the later inscriptions from the Ptolemies. Nevertheless, it is clear that both the Ptolemaic Egyptians and the ancient Egyptians, who frequently interacted with the Sinai Peninsula and the desert, utilized this creature and maintained herds of camels in regions close to the desert.