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
And the magicians H2748 did H6213 so with their enchantments H3909 to bring forth H3318 lice, H3654 but they could H3201 not: so there were lice H3654 upon man, H120 and upon beast. H929 Then the magicians H2748 said H559 unto Pharaoh, H6547 This is the finger H676 of God: H430 and Pharaoh's H6547 heart H3820 was hardened, H2388 and he hearkened H8085 not unto them; as the LORD H3068 had said. H1696
But G1161 there was a certain G5100 man, G435 called G3686 Simon, G4613 which beforetime G4391 in G1722 the same city G4172 used sorcery, G3096 and G2532 bewitched G1839 the people G1484 of Samaria, G4540 giving out G3004 that himself G1438 was G1511 some G5100 great one: G3173 To whom G3739 they all G3956 gave heed, G4337 from G575 the least G3398 to G2193 the greatest, G3173 saying, G3004 This man G3778 is G2076 the great G3173 power G1411 of God. G2316 And G1161 to him G846 they had regard, G4337 because G1223 that of long G2425 time G5550 he had bewitched G1839 them G846 with sorceries. G3095 But G1161 when G3753 they believed G4100 Philip G5376 preaching G2097 the things concerning G4012 the kingdom G932 of God, G2316 and G2532 the name G3686 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 they were baptized, G907 both G5037 men G435 and G2532 women. G1135 Then G1161 Simon G4613 himself G846 believed G4100 also: G2532 and G2532 when he was baptized, G907 he continued G2258 G4342 with Philip, G5376 and G5037 wondered, G1839 beholding G2334 the miracles G1411 and G2532 signs G4592 G3173 which were done. G1096 G1096
But G1161 Elymas G1681 the sorcerer G3097 (for G1063 so G3779 is his G846 name G3686 by interpretation G3177 ) withstood G436 them, G846 seeking G2212 to turn away G1294 the deputy G446 from G575 the faith. G4102 Then G1161 Saul, G4569 (who G3588 also G2532 is called Paul,) G3972 filled with G4130 the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 G2532 set his eyes G816 on G1519 him, G846 And said, G2036 O G5599 full G4134 of all G3956 subtilty G1388 and G2532 all G3956 mischief, G4468 thou child G5207 of the devil, G1228 thou enemy G2190 of all G3956 righteousness, G1343 wilt thou G3973 not G3756 cease G3973 to pervert G1294 the right G2117 ways G3598 of the Lord? G2962 And G2532 now, G3568 behold, G2400 the hand G5495 of the Lord G2962 is upon G1909 thee, G4571 and G2532 thou shalt be G2071 blind, G5185 not G3361 seeing G991 the sun G2246 for G891 a season. G2540 And G1161 immediately G3916 there fell G1968 on G1909 him G846 a mist G887 and G2532 a darkness; G4655 and G2532 he went about G4013 seeking G2212 some to lead him by the hand. G5497
Many G2425 of them also G1161 which used G4238 curious arts G4021 brought G4851 their books G976 together, G4851 and burned them G2618 before G1799 all G3956 men: and G2532 they counted G4860 the price G5092 of them, G846 and G2532 found G2147 it fifty G4002 thousand G3461 pieces of silver. G694 So G3779 mightily G2596 G2904 grew G837 the word G3056 of God G2962 and G2532 prevailed. G2480
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.