1 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 See, H7200 I have made H5414 thee a god H430 to Pharaoh: H6547 and Aaron H175 thy brother H251 shall be thy prophet. H5030
2 Thou shalt speak H1696 all that I command H6680 thee: and Aaron H175 thy brother H251 shall speak H1696 unto Pharaoh, H6547 that he send H7971 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 out of his land. H776
3 And I will harden H7185 Pharaoh's H6547 heart, H3820 and multiply H7235 my signs H226 and my wonders H4159 in the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
4 But Pharaoh H6547 shall not hearken H8085 unto you, that I may lay H5414 my hand H3027 upon Egypt, H4714 and bring forth H3318 mine armies, H6635 and my people H5971 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 by great H1419 judgments. H8201
5 And the Egyptians H4714 shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I stretch forth H5186 mine hand H3027 upon Egypt, H4714 and bring out H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from among H8432 them.
6 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 them, so did H6213 they.
7 And Moses H4872 was fourscore H8084 years H8141 old, H1121 and Aaron H175 fourscore H8084 and three H7969 years H8141 old, H1121 when they spake H1696 unto Pharaoh. H6547
8 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Moses H4872 and unto Aaron, H175 saying, H559
9 When Pharaoh H6547 shall speak H1696 unto you, saying, H559 Shew H5414 a miracle H4159 for you: then thou shalt say H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 thy rod, H4294 and cast H7993 it before H6440 Pharaoh, H6547 and it shall become a serpent. H8577
10 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 went in H935 unto Pharaoh, H6547 and they did H6213 so as the LORD H3068 had commanded: H6680 and Aaron H175 cast down H7993 his rod H4294 before H6440 Pharaoh, H6547 and before H6440 his servants, H5650 and it became a serpent. H8577
11 Then Pharaoh H6547 also called H7121 the wise men H2450 and the sorcerers: H3784 now the magicians H2748 of Egypt, H4714 they also did H6213 in like manner H3651 with their enchantments. H3858
12 For they cast down H7993 every man H376 his rod, H4294 and they became serpents: H8577 but Aaron's H175 rod H4294 swallowed up H1104 their rods. H4294
13 And he hardened H2388 Pharaoh's H6547 heart, H3820 that he hearkened H8085 not unto them; as the LORD H3068 had said. H1696
14 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Pharaoh's H6547 heart H3820 is hardened, H3515 he refuseth H3985 to let the people H5971 go. H7971
15 Get H3212 thee unto Pharaoh H6547 in the morning; H1242 lo, he goeth out H3318 unto the water; H4325 and thou shalt stand H5324 by the river's H2975 brink H8193 against he come; H7125 and the rod H4294 which was turned H2015 to a serpent H5175 shalt thou take H3947 in thine hand. H3027
16 And thou shalt say H559 unto him, The LORD H3068 God H430 of the Hebrews H5680 hath sent H7971 me unto thee, saying, H559 Let my people H5971 go, H7971 that they may serve H5647 me in the wilderness: H4057 and, behold, hitherto H3541 thou wouldest not hear. H8085
17 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 In this thou shalt know H3045 that I am the LORD: H3068 behold, I will smite H5221 with the rod H4294 that is in mine hand H3027 upon the waters H4325 which are in the river, H2975 and they shall be turned H2015 to blood. H1818
18 And the fish H1710 that is in the river H2975 shall die, H4191 and the river H2975 shall stink; H887 and the Egyptians H4714 shall lothe H3811 to drink H8354 of the water H4325 of the river. H2975
19 And the LORD H3068 spake H559 unto Moses, H4872 Say H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 thy rod, H4294 and stretch out H5186 thine hand H3027 upon the waters H4325 of Egypt, H4714 upon their streams, H5104 upon their rivers, H2975 and upon their ponds, H98 and upon all their pools H4723 of water, H4325 that they may become blood; H1818 and that there may be blood H1818 throughout all the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 both in vessels of wood, H6086 and in vessels of stone. H68
20 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 did H6213 so, as the LORD H3068 commanded; H6680 and he lifted up H7311 the rod, H4294 and smote H5221 the waters H4325 that were in the river, H2975 in the sight H5869 of Pharaoh, H6547 and in the sight H5869 of his servants; H5650 and all the waters H4325 that were in the river H2975 were turned H2015 to blood. H1818
21 And the fish H1710 that was in the river H2975 died; H4191 and the river H2975 stank, H887 and the Egyptians H4714 could H3201 not drink H8354 of the water H4325 of the river; H2975 and there was blood H1818 throughout all the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
22 And the magicians H2748 of Egypt H4714 did H6213 so with their enchantments: H3909 and Pharaoh's H6547 heart H3820 was hardened, H2388 neither did he hearken H8085 unto them; as the LORD H3068 had said. H1696
23 And Pharaoh H6547 turned H6437 and went H935 into his house, H1004 neither did he set H7896 his heart H3820 to this H2063 also.
24 And all the Egyptians H4714 digged H2658 round about H5439 the river H2975 for water H4325 to drink; H8354 for they could H3201 not drink H8354 of the water H4325 of the river. H2975
25 And seven H7651 days H3117 were fulfilled, H4390 after H310 that the LORD H3068 had smitten H5221 the river. H2975
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 7
Commentary on Exodus 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Ex 7:1-25. Second Interview with Pharaoh.
1. the Lord said unto Moses—He is here encouraged to wait again on the king—not, however, as formerly, in the attitude of a humble suppliant, but now armed with credentials as God's ambassador, and to make his demand in a tone and manner which no earthly monarch or court ever witnessed.
I have made thee a god—"made," that is, set, appointed; "a god"; that is, he was to act in this business as God's representative, to act and speak in His name and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of nature. The Orientals familiarly say of a man who is eminently great or wise, "he is a god" among men.
Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet—that is, "interpreter" or "spokesman." The one was to be the vicegerent of God, and the other must be considered the speaker throughout all the ensuing scenes, even though his name is not expressly mentioned.
3. I will harden Pharaoh's heart—This would be the result. But the divine message would be the occasion, not the cause of the king's impenitent obduracy.
4, 5. I may lay mine hand upon Egypt, &c.—The succession of terrible judgments with which the country was about to be scourged would fully demonstrate the supremacy of Israel's God.
7. Moses was fourscore years old—This advanced age was a pledge that they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise, and that under its attendant infirmities they could not have carried through the work on which they were entering had they not been supported by a divine hand.
9. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, &c.—The king would naturally demand some evidence of their having been sent from God; and as he would expect the ministers of his own gods to do the same works, the contest, in the nature of the case, would be one of miracles. Notice has already been taken of the rod of Moses (Ex 4:2), but rods were carried also by all nobles and official persons in the court of Pharaoh. It was an Egyptian custom, and the rods were symbols of authority or rank. Hence God commanded His servants to use a rod.
10. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, &c.—It is to be presumed that Pharaoh had demanded a proof of their divine mission.
11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, &c.—His object in calling them was to ascertain whether this doing of Aaron's was really a work of divine power or merely a feat of magical art. The magicians of Egypt in modern times have been long celebrated adepts in charming serpents, and particularly by pressing the nape of the neck, they throw them into a kind of catalepsy, which renders them stiff and immovable—thus seeming to change them into a rod. They conceal the serpent about their persons, and by acts of legerdemain produce it from their dress, stiff and straight as a rod. Just the same trick was played off by their ancient predecessors, the most renowned of whom, Jannes and Jambres (2Ti 3:8), were called in on this occasion. They had time after the summons to make suitable preparations—and so it appears they succeeded by their "enchantments" in practising an illusion on the senses.
12. but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods—This was what they could not be prepared for, and the discomfiture appeared in the loss of their rods, which were probably real serpents.
14. Pharaoh's heart is hardened—Whatever might have been his first impressions, they were soon dispelled; and when he found his magicians making similar attempts, he concluded that Aaron's affair was a magical deception, the secret of which was not known to his wise men.
15. Get thee unto Pharaoh—Now began those appalling miracles of judgment by which the God of Israel, through His ambassadors, proved His sole and unchallengeable supremacy over all the gods of Egypt, and which were the natural phenomena of Egypt, at an unusual season, and in a miraculous degree of intensity. The court of Egypt, whether held at Rameses, or Memphis, or Tanis in the field of Zoan (Ps 78:12), was the scene of those extraordinary transactions, and Moses must have resided during that terrible period in the immediate neighborhood.
in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water—for the purpose of ablutions or devotions perhaps; for the Nile was an object of superstitious reverence, the patron deity of the country. It might be that Moses had been denied admission into the palace; but be that as it may, the river was to be the subject of the first plague, and therefore, he was ordered to repair to its banks with the miracle-working rod, now to be raised, not in demonstration, but in judgment, if the refractory spirit of the king should still refuse consent to Israel's departure for their sacred rites.
17-21. Aaron lifted up the rod and smote the waters, &c.—Whether the water was changed into real blood, or only the appearance of it (and Omnipotence could effect the one as easily as the other), this was a severe calamity. How great must have been the disappointment and disgust throughout the land when the river became of a blood red color, of which they had a national abhorrence; their favorite beverage became a nauseous draught, and the fish, which formed so large an article of food, were destroyed. [See on Nu 11:5.] The immense scale on which the plague was inflicted is seen by its extending to "the streams," or branches of the Nile—to the "rivers," the canals, the "ponds" and "pools," that which is left after an overflow, the reservoirs, and the many domestic vessels in which the Nile water was kept to filter. And accordingly the sufferings of the people from thirst must have been severe. Nothing could more humble the pride of Egypt than this dishonor brought on their national god.
22. And the magicians … did so with their enchantments, &c.—Little or no pure water could be procured, and therefore their imitation must have been on a small scale—the only drinkable water available being dug among the sands. It must have been on a sample or specimen of water dyed red with some coloring matter. But it was sufficient to serve as a pretext or command for the king to turn unmoved and go to his house.