Exodus 7:1-25

Cross-references For Better Understanding a Related Topics b Additional Materials c

Summary

• Moses and Aaron, representing God, tell Pharaoh to let Israel journey into the wilderness.

• They back their claim that God has sent them with miraculous signs or judgments (which the Egyptian magicians also do, at least in part).

Details and Comments

What Will Happen

• Moses will be like God and Aaron will be the speaker.

• Pharaoh will refuse to do so. (God will harden his heart.)

• God will preform signs and wonders against Egypt, and will bring his people out of Egypt.

The First Two Miraculous Signs

• Aaron's rod turned into a snake. Somewhat imitated by the magicians; Pharaoh's heart is hardened.

• Water turned into blood. Imitated by the magicians; Pharaoh's heart is unchanged.

Scripture

Exodus 7:1-25 – Miraculous signs that affected creation / environment - to warn the people that Moses' message was from God.

• See: Miraculous Events and Ecological Problems

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Exo 7:1 Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. Exo 7:2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. Exo 7:3 I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. Exo 7:5 The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." Exo 7:6 Moses and Aaron did so. As Yahweh commanded them, so they did.	How things would work: Moses will be like God to Pharaoh, with Aaron as the speaker. God will harden Pharaoh's heart, and God will perform signs/wonders in judgment (through Moses and Aaron). God will bring his people out of Egypt. Role of a Prophet God would harden Pharaoh's heart (v. 3) / Pharaoh would refuse to listen to Moses and Aaron (v. 4). Both God's sovereignty and "human responsibility" are mentioned. (Both aspects work together.) Sovereignty and Responsibility
Exo 7:7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Exo 7:8 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, Exo 7:9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle!' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.' " Exo 7:10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Exo 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. Exo 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. Exo 7:13 Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.	The rod turned into a snake, etc. The magicians could also do it, though their rods (snakes) were eaten by Aaron's. Demonic Signs and Wonders Pharaoh's heart hardened.

Scripture Passage

Comments and Links

Exo 7:14 Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. Exo 7:15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. Exo 7:16 You shall tell him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and behold, until now you haven't listened. Exo 7:17 Thus says Yahweh, "In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. Exo 7:18 The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river." ' " Exo 7:19 Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.' " Exo 7:20 Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. Exo 7:21 The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn't drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. Exo 7:22 The magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken. Exo 7:23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. Exo 7:24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn't drink of the water of the river. Exo 7:25 Seven days were fulfilled, after Yahweh had struck the river.

Water (Nile River, pools, streams, etc.) turned to blood; water undrinkable; all the fish died. The magicians were able to imitate this. Demonic Signs and Wonders This sign has no effect on Pharaoh.

Scripture Passages (Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.) Genesis  •  Exodus  •  Leviticus  •  Numbers  •  Deuteronomy  •  Joshua  •  Judges  •  Ruth  •  1 Samuel  •  2 Samuel  •  1 Kings  •  2 Kings  •  1 Chronicles  •  2 Chronicles  •  Ezra  •  Nehemiah  •  Esther  •  Job  •  Psalms  •  Proverbs  •  Ecclesiastes  •  Song of Solomon  •  Isaiah  •  Jeremiah  •  Lamentations  •  Ezekiel  •  Daniel  •  Hosea  •  Joel  •  Amos  •  Obadiah  •  Jonah  •  Micah  •  Nahum  •  Habakkuk  •  Zephaniah  •  Haggai  •  Zechariah  •  Malachi Matthew  •  Mark  •  Luke  •  John  •  Acts  •  Romans  •  1 Corinthians  •  2 Corinthians  •  Galatians  •  Ephesians  •  Philippians  •  Colossians  •  1 Thessalonians  •  2 Thessalonians  •  1 Timothy  •  2 Timothy  •  Titus  •  Philemon  •  Hebrews  •  James  •  1 Peter  •  2 Peter  •  1 John  •  2 John  •  3 John  •  Jude  •  Revelation

—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.