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Parsha[GN]
14: Va'era (continued)
“I appeared,” Exod. 6:2-9:35
b. God Commands Moses and Aaron (7:1-7) [Egypt • March 1463 BCE]
1 ADONAI said to Moshe, “Hinneh,[GN] I have made you like God[1a] to Pharaoh; and your brother Aharon shall be your prophet.[1b] 2 You are to speak all that I command you; and your brother Aharon must declare it to Pharaoh, so that he will let the Isra'elites go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,[3] and though I multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt, and by great acts of judgment I will bring the divisions out of my people, the Isra'elites, out of the land of Egypt. 5 The Egyptians will know that I am ADONAI when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Isra'elites out from among them.”
6 So Moshe and Aharon did just as ADONAI commanded them. 7 Moshe was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.
c. Aaron’s Staff (7:8-13)
(iv) 8 ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, 9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle!’ you are to say to Aharon, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.’”
[Egypt • 7 March 1463 BCE]
10 Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh and did just as ADONAI had commanded. Aharon threw his before and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers — the magicians of Egypt — and they did the same thing with their magic.[11] 12 Each of them threw down their staffs, and they became serpents; but Aharon’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, just as ADONAI had said.
4. The Ten Plagues (7:14-11:10)
a. The First Plague: Blood (7:14-25) [WHICH GODS?]
14 ADONAI said to Moshe, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the riverbank to meet him; take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16 Then say to him, ‘ADONAI the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, “Let my people go, that they may worship Me in the wilderness. Look, you haven’t listened until now.” 17 This is what ADONAI says: “By this you shall know that I am ADONAI. Watch! With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water in the Nile and it will turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will become foul, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink the water.”’” 19 ADONAI also told Moshe, “Tell Aharon, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt — over their rivers, their streams, their ponds, reservoirs — that they may become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in their wood and stone containers.’”
[Egypt • 8-15 March 1463 BCE]
20 Moshe and Aharon did just as ADONAI had commanded. In the presence of Pharaoh and his officials he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the river turned to blood. 21 The fish in the river died and the river smelled so rank that the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their magic, so Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he wouldn’t listen to them, just as ADONAI had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they couldn’t drink the river water.[24]
25 Seven days after ADONAI had struck the river, 8:1 (26) ADONAI said to Moshe,[26] “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Here is what ADONAI says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship Me. 8:2 (27) If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 8:3 (28) The Nile will swarm with frogs; they will go up into your palace, into your bedroom, and onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your officials and your people, even into your ovens and kneading bowls. 8:4 (29) The frogs will climb all over you, your people, and your officials.”’”
1a. Hebrew אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕlōhîm), literally “gods,” or “mighty ones,” is used as a designation for the God of Isra'el. It is also used to refer to the benéi Elohim, and to all residents of the unseen world, including dead humans. [MORE] [BACK]
1b. Hebrew נָבּיא (nabi, navi), spokesman, speaker, prophet, anyone who speaks for another. [BACK]
3. “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart …” God only hardened Pharaoh’s heart because Pharaoh had first hardened His own heart. It is not God’s intent for any to be lost (2Pet 3:9), but He will use the lost for His purposes. [BACK]
11. Magic is real, whether powered by demonic forces or by something else that we do not yet understand. Pharaoh’s magicians were not practicing some sort of slight-of-hand, they were performing real magic. [BACK]
24. Each of the plages that God sent against Egypt was an attack against the false “gods” of the Egyptians so that there could be no misunderstanding. Only the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is God; all other “gods” are not gods at all. See the list of false gods that God defeated HERE. [BACK]
26. Chapter and verse numbering in the Hebrew Tanakh (in parentheses) is sometimes slightly different from most English versions. [BACK]
Other commentaries on Exodus 7
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Pulpit Commentary
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
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ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
