Ehrman Errs #41 – What Livestock?

← Back to Posts

Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.

Today’s alleged contradiction:

#41 – What Livestock?

As we are getting close to the end of our journey through the contradictions in the Bible, one thing pops out! It seems that keeping track of livestock was as challenging for the ancient authors as it might have been for Pharaoh! In Exodus 9:5, during the fifth plague, a pestilence is said to kill “all of the livestock of the Egyptians.”Yet, just a few days later, in Exodus 9:21-22, the seventh plague of hail threatens to destroy “all the livestock in the fields.” The obvious question arises: what livestock? If the fifth plague wiped them all out, where did the animals for the seventh plague come from?

How Does Ehrman Err?

At first glance, it does seem contradictory that Exodus 9:6 says “all the livestock of the Egyptians died” (from the plague), and yet Exodus 9:19–21 mentions Egyptian livestock being threatened again by the plague of hail. But when we read these verses carefully, in their literary and historical context, it becomes clear that there is no contradiction. 

1. The Context of the Fifth Plague — “All the Livestock”

Exodus 9:3–6 (ESV)
“Behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks… And the LORD did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.”

The key phrase is “that are in the field.”
The plague specifically targeted animals out in the fields — not those kept in shelters, stables, or barns, nor those belonging to the Israelites. As Precept Austin notes, “the earlier plague killed all the animals in the fields, but not those in shelters. They could also have purchased livestock from the Israelites” (Exodus 9 Commentary, PreceptAustin.org).

So when Scripture says “all,” it often means “all kinds” or “a large number,” without implying absolute universality. This is a common Hebrew idiom. For instance, Genesis 7:19 says “all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered” by the flood — meaning, all the land visible to the author’s world. The language emphasizes total devastation in scope, not mathematical absolutism.

2. The Context of the Seventh Plague — The Hail

Exodus 9:18–21 (ESV)
“Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall… Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”

By this time, livestock were again present. How? There are three reasonable, textually faithful explanations:

  1. Some animals survived the earlier plague because they were not in the field (Exodus 9:3). 
  2. Time had passed between the fifth and seventh plagues — enough time for livestock to be replenished (purchased or bred). Scripture doesn’t specify the timing (GotQuestions.org, How could there be livestock in Exodus 9:20 when all of Egypt’s livestock had been destroyed by the plague in Exodus 9:6?). 
  3. The term “livestock” (miqneh) can include different animals — cattle, sheep, goats, horses, etc. “All” in verse 6 could have meant “all the kinds mentioned earlier,” not every single beast in Egypt.

Thus, the “livestock” in the seventh plague could have included those that survived sheltered earlier or new herds obtained later. Even Pharaoh’s own horses survived for his chariots at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:9, PreceptAustin.org notes: “There is no contradiction; the horses kept in stables were spared”). 

3. God’s Sovereignty and the Theological Point

Each plague was a targeted judgment against specific Egyptian gods. Egypt worshiped cattle (especially Apis, the bull god), so God’s plague on livestock was a direct challenge (Exodus 12:12). But even this devastation was limited — showing both His power and mercy. Pharaoh’s hard heart brought further judgment, but God graciously warned him before each new plague (Romans 9:17–18).

God is not inconsistent; Pharaoh is. His refusal to repent brought escalating judgment (Exodus 9:34–35).

4. Summarizing the Response

To restate clearly:

  • The livestock “in the field” were destroyed in Exodus 9:6 — not every animal in Egypt.
  • Some animals were spared in shelters or later replenished.
  • Therefore, by the seventh plague, livestock again existed — consistent with the text.
  • The supposed contradiction dissolves when the passages are read in their full ancient context and Hebrew idiom.

5. Scripture Supporting God’s Faithful Consistency

  • Numbers 23:19 – “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.”
  • Psalm 119:160 – “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
  • John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

In Love and Truth

Bart Ehrman reads the Bible as if it should conform to modern expectations of precision and immediate continuity. But Scripture is an ancient narrative rooted in Hebrew expression and theology, not a modern-day scientific log. When those linguistic and cultural features are understood, we find no contradiction — only clarity.

For deeper study, you can reference:

In conclusion, the plague narratives reveal not inconsistency, but the measured progression of God’s judgment and mercy — a call for every heart, ancient or modern, to heed His Word rather than harden against it.