The Ten Plagues Will Strike Edom As They Struck Egypt

And all the plagues that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians, He is destined to bring upon Edom, as it is said, "As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be in anguish at the report of Tyre (Tsor)" (Isaiah 23:5). Rabbi Elazar said: Wherever Tsor is written in full (with a vav), Scripture speaks of the region of Tyre; but wherever Tsar is written defectively, without the vav, Scripture speaks of this wicked Roman kingdom, which oppresses (metzerah) Israel. In Egypt He brought upon them the plague of blood; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And I will set wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood and fire…and the moon into blood" (Joel 3:3-4). In Egypt He brought upon them frogs, whose voice was harsh; so too in Edom, as it is said, "A sound of uproar from the city…" (Isaiah 66:6). In Egypt He brought upon them lice; so too in Edom, [as it is said,] "And its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone" (Isaiah 34:9)—and "dust" means nothing but lice, as it is said, "And strike the dust of the earth, and it shall become lice…" (Exodus 8:12). In Egypt He brought upon them the swarm of wild beasts; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, [and the owl and the raven shall dwell in it]" (Isaiah 34:11). In Egypt He brought upon them pestilence; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And I will enter into judgment with him by pestilence" (Ezekiel 38:22). In Egypt He brought upon them boils; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And this shall be the plague…[their] flesh [shall rot]" (Zechariah 14:12). In Egypt He brought upon them hail; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And an overflowing rain, and great hailstones" (Ezekiel 38:22). In Egypt He brought upon them locusts; so too in Edom, as it is said, "Son of man…say to every winged bird…" (Ezekiel 39:17). In Egypt He brought darkness; so too in Edom, as it is said, "And He shall stretch over it the line of chaos…" (Isaiah 34:11). In Egypt He smote their firstborn; so too in Edom, as it is said, "There are the princes of the north…" (Ezekiel 32:30). Rabbi Meir says, "And the wild oxen shall come down with them…" (Isaiah 34:7). Just as in Egypt, after He had exacted punishment from their gods He afterward exacted punishment from them, so too in Edom, after He exacts punishment from their prince He shall afterward exact punishment from them, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass on that day that the Lord shall punish the host of the height on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (Isaiah 24:21).