1Moses is encouraged to go to Pharaoh. His and Aaron's age. 8Aaron casteth down his rod, which becometh a serpent. The magicians do the like; their rods are swallowed up by Aaron's: Pharaoh's heart is hardened. 14Another message from God to Pharaoh. 19The river is turned into blood.
1AND the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a 1god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy 2prophet.
1 See Exod. 4:16.
2 This is to say here: interpreter, or spokesman, in Exod. 4:16 it is said, he shall be to thee instead of a mouth.
2Thou shalt 3speak all that I command thee: and Aarona thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
3 Namely, to Aaron.
a Exod. 4:14.
3And I will 4harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4 See Exod. 4 on verse 21.
4But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may 5lay my 6hand 7upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great 8judgments.
5 Hebr. give.
6 That is, My plagues and punishments. See the like phrase, Exod. 9:3; Judges 2:15; 1 Sam. 12:15; Lam. 3:3.
7 Other, to Egypt, or upon the Egyptians.
8 That is, punishments. See Exod. 6:5.
5And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
6And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
79And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
9 Hebr. and Moses was a son of eighty year, and Aaron a son of eighty three year.
8¶And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, 10Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take 11thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
10 Hebr. give a wonder for you, that is, to show that you are sent to me from God.
11 Exod. 4:20 it is called the rod of God; and Exod. 4:2 A rod. Here and verse 12 it is called, Aaron’s rod, the same being now in Aaron’s hand.
10¶And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the 12sorcerers: now the 13magicians of Egypt, they also 14did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 That is, those who by the devil’s arts and slights used to bewitch men’s eyes, that they thought they saw that which indeed was not, and were counted wise men and highly esteemed by the Egyptians.
13 See Gen. 41:8; the most important ones of these Paul calls by their names, 2 Tim. 3:8, Jannes and Jambres.
14 Namely, in outward appearance, but not in true reality.
12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but 15Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
15 That is, the dragon or serpent which came to be out of Aaron's rod.
13And he 16hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; asb the LORD had said.
16 See Exod. 4:21.
b Exod. 7:3.
14¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is 17hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
17 So that it cannot raise itself up to obedience.
15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
16And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, 18saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
18 That is, to announce unto thee.
17Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, 19I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
19 It was Aaron who smote with the rod, as is expressed in verse 19, but God commanded the doing of it by Moses. See similar expression, Mat. 20:32, compared with Mark 10:49, and Mark 15:45 with Mat. 27:58.
18And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the 20Egyptians 21shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
20 Hereby it appears that not the Israelites, but the Egyptians only were in want of good water.
21 Namely, by the very wearisome pains with digging and seeking for good water all about the river, as verse 24. Other, it shall be troublesome for the Egyptians, or, difficult.
19¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their 22ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, 23both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
22 Or, moors, bogs, standing waters.
23 Hebr. in woods and in stones.
20And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and 24he lifted up the rod, and smotec the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; andd all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
24 Namely, Aaron.
c Exod. 17:5.
d Psalm 78:44; 105:29.
21And the fish that was in the river 25died; and the 26river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and 27there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
25 This plague was so much the greater, because the Egyptians and people dwelling in those parts fed much on fish, and traded and maintained themselves with them; see Num. 11:5; for they abstained from the flesh of various beasts out of superstition, Exod. 8:26.
26 This plague was also very great, for the Egyptians, who daily drank water, had no other but what they fetched out of the great river Nile, and the outlets thereof, while no rain fell in that country, as is to be gathered from Deut. 11:10, 11.
27 He wants to say that there was not only blood in the great river, but likewise in all other waters throughout the land.
22And the magicians of Egypt 28did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
28 See verse 11. The water, which they turned into blood, they got by digging about the river, verse 24, or, they fetched it out of the land of Goshen, or out of the houses of the Israelites, dwelling here and there intermingled with the Egyptians.
23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, 29neither did he set his heart to this also.
29 That is, he heeded it no further, and he took it not to heart at all. See the same manner of speech, Exod. 9:21; 1 Sam. 4:20; 2 Sam. 18:3; Prov. 22:17.
24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
2530And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
30 Hebr. and the week of days was fulfilled. This plague continued this long.