Exodus7

The LORD empowers Moses as a "god" to Pharaoh, with Aaron as his prophet, and declares His intent to harden Pharaoh's heart to multiply signs and wonders. Moses and Aaron demonstrate God's power by turning Aaron's rod into a serpent, which then swallows the serpents created by Pharaoh's magicians. Despite this, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, leading to the first plague where all the waters of Egypt are turned to blood, killing fish and making the river undrinkable.

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Moses Given Divine Authority Over Pharaoh

The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

The Sign of the Rod

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

“When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.

Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

The First Plague: Water Turns to Blood

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.

Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not listened until now.

This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.

The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”

And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”

Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.

The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.

So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.

And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

Study Notes for Exodus 7

Verse 1

God elevates Moses' status in relation to Pharaoh, making him the supreme authority figure (a 'god') while Aaron acts as Moses' inspired spokesman ('prophet'). This structure mirrors the typical divine-human relationship in the ancient world.

Verse 3

The hardening of Pharaoh's heart is essential to the divine strategy. God uses Pharaoh’s defiance to multiply the signs, ensuring the display of YHWH’s power is total and undeniable to both Israel and Egypt.

Verse 4

God refers to Israel as 'mine armies' (or 'hosts'). This militaristic language emphasizes that the Exodus is not a negotiation for release, but a divine invasion and organized retrieval of God's property.

Verse 5

The ultimate goal of the plagues is theological: the Egyptians (and the Israelites) must learn that YHWH is the sovereign God, superior to all Egyptian deities and Pharaoh himself.

Verse 7

Moses and Aaron were elderly (80 and 83), indicating that God calls and equips leaders based on His timing and purpose, not necessarily on human standards of typical age or strength.

Verse 11

The Egyptian 'magicians' (likely ritual priests or sorcerers) were experts in occult arts. Their ability to replicate the sign initially strengthens Pharaoh's resolve, suggesting that Moses' power is merely equal to Egyptian magic.

Verse 12

Aaron's rod swallowing the rods of the magicians demonstrates the decisive victory of YHWH's power over all rival supernatural claims. Although the Egyptians could imitate the form, they could not withstand the force.

Verse 13

This is the first time the text states that Pharaoh 'hardened his heart' (the action is attributed to him). While God determined the outcome (v. 3), Pharaoh willingly chose resistance, illustrating the convergence of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Verse 14

Pharaoh’s refusal to heed the sign of the rod initiates the cycle of judgment. The plagues are not random acts of destruction but targeted, escalating judgments.

Verse 15

Pharaoh often visited the Nile early, likely for ritualistic bathing or to pay homage to the river god Hapi. God commands Moses to confront him there, striking at the heart of Egyptian religion and life source.

Verse 17

The plague serves as a direct theological challenge. By turning the Nile (a god in Egyptian belief) into blood, YHWH proves His absolute authority over nature and the gods of Egypt.

Verse 19

The command targets all water sources, including streams, canals, and stored water. This ensures the plague is comprehensive, making life unbearable and demonstrating the total scope of YHWH’s control.

Verse 22

The magicians’ ability to replicate the plague on a small scale allowed Pharaoh to rationalize the event as a natural phenomenon or a simple magical contest. This provided him the necessary pretext to maintain his hardened refusal.

Verse 25

The duration of seven days indicates the severity and persistence of the judgment. The cycle of the plagues often involved a period of suffering followed by an opportunity for Pharaoh to relent before the next judgment arrived.

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Exodus7

Moses Given Divine Authority Over Pharaoh

The Sign of the Rod

The First Plague: Water Turns to Blood

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