Question
why does the Ibn Ezra (A classic Torah commentator) tell us that he experienced a similar kind of darkness as described in the plage- darkness. What lesson does this reinforce?
Answer
From the wording of the Ibn Ezra (and from the way he is quoted by the Ramban), it would seem that he is trying to place the phenomenon of this plague in some natural context: that such very thick fogs are known to exist (even if they don’t naturally occur over land) and are tangible can help us understand the event. G-d avoids unnecessarily “breaking” His laws of nature even while performing miracles.