INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 7
Moses and Aaron are ordered to go to Pharaoh, and require the
dismission of the people of Israel, but they are told before hand that
Pharaoh's heart would be hardened, and would refuse to let them go,
until the hand of the Lord was stretched out, and great judgments were
br... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES,.... In answer to his objection, taken
from his own meanness, and the majesty of Pharaoh, and from his want
of readiness and freedom of expression:
SEE; take notice of, observe what I am about to say:
I HAVE MADE THEE A GOD TO PHARAOH; not a god by nature, but made so;... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT SPEAK ALL THAT I COMMAND THEE,.... That is, to Aaron his
prophet, whatever the Lord made known to him in a private manner as
his will to be done:
AND AARON THY BROTHER SHALL SPEAK UNTO PHARAOH; whatsoever should be
told him by Moses, as from the Lord:
THAT HE SEND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH'S HEART,....
Exodus 4:21
AND MULTIPLY MY SIGNS AND MY WONDERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT; work one
miracle and wonderful sign after another, until they are all wrought
intended to be wrought; and which he had given Moses power to do, and
until the end should be answered and obt... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT PHARAOH SHALL NOT HEARKEN UNTO YOU,.... Regard not what they said,
nor answer the demand they made, or obey the command of God delivered
by them to him: this the Lord apprised them of, that they might not be
discouraged, and conclude their labour would be in vain, their
attempts fruitless, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,.... Jehovah, the one
only true and living God; this they should know by the judgments
executed upon them, and be obliged to acknowledge it:
WHEN I STRETCH FORTH MINE HAND UPON EGYPT: especially the last time,
to destroy the firstborn:
AND BRING OUT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES AND AARON DID AS THE LORD COMMANDED THEM,.... After this
they never showed any reluctance, or made any objection to any message
they were sent with, or any work they were ordered to do, but went
about it at once, and performed it with all readiness and
cheerfulness:
SO DID THEY; which is... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES WAS EIGHTY YEARS OLD,.... At this time, which is observed
partly to show how long Israel had been afflicted in Egypt; for their
great troubles and miseries began about the time of the birth of
Moses, or a little before, as appears from the above history; and
partly to show the patience and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON,.... After he had given
them their commission, and instructions to go to Pharaoh, and a little
before they went in to him:
SAYING, as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PHARAOH SHALL SPEAK UNTO YOU, SAYING, SHOW A MIRACLE FOR YOU,....
To prove that they came from God, the Jehovah they said they did, and
that they were his ambassadors, and came in his name, and made the
demand for him; which when he seriously reflected on things, he would
be ready to require, h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES AND AARON WENT IN UNTO PHARAOH,.... Into the palace of
Pharaoh boldly, and with intrepidity, clothed with such power and
authority, and assured of success;
AND THEY DID AS THE LORD HAD COMMANDED; they demanded in his name the
dismission of the children of Israel, and upon his requiring a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PHARAOH ALSO CALLED THE WISE MEN AND THE SORCERERS,.... The
cunning men and wizards, a sort of jugglers and deceivers, who
pretended to great knowledge of things, to discover secrets, tell
fortunes, and predict things to come, and by legerdemain tricks, and
casting a mist before people's eyes,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY CAST DOWN EVERY MAN HIS ROD, AND THEY BECAME SERPENTS,....
That is, they seemed to be so, as Josephus z expresses it, but not
really, in which he is followed by many; though some think that the
devil assisted in this affair, and in an instant, as soon as the rods
were cast down, removed the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART,.... Or, "notwithstanding the heart of
Pharaoh was hardened" a; though he saw the rods of his magicians
devoured by rod; or "therefore" b his heart was hardened, because he
saw that the rods of his magicians became serpents as well as Aaron's;
in which there was a dec... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, PHARAOH'S HEART IS HARDENED,.... Or
"heavy" c, dull and stupid, stiff and inflexible, cannot lift up his
heart, or find in his heart to obey the will of God:
HE REFUSETH TO LET THE PEOPLE GO; which was an instance and proof of
the hardness and heaviness of his heart, o... [ Continue Reading ]
GET THEE UNTO PHARAOH IN THE MORNING,.... The next morning, a time in
which the mind is most composed and sedate, and fit to attend to what
may be suggested:
LO, HE GOETH OUT UNTO THE WATER; the river Nile, either to take his
morning's walk, and to refresh himself at the waterside, as the
Jerusalem... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT SAY UNTO HIM,.... Upon meeting him:
THE LORD GOD OF THE HEBREWS HATH SENT ME UNTO THEE; still appearing in
the character of the ambassador of Jehovah, the God of the children of
Israel:
SAYING, LET MY PEOPLE GO, THAT THEY MAY SERVE ME IN THE WILDERNESS;
the demand is once more renew... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD, IN THIS THOU SHALT KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,....
By the following instance of his power and vengeance:
BEHOLD, I WILL SMITE WITH THE ROD THAT IS IN MY HAND; which though in
the hand of Moses, Exodus 7:18 yet he being his ambassador, and
representing him, is said to be in the han... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FISH THAT IS IN THE RIVER SHALL DIE,.... Their element being
changed, and they not able to live in any other but water:
AND THE RIVER SHALL STINK; with the blood, into which it should be
congealed, and with the putrefied bodies of fishes floating in it:
AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL LOATH TO DRI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... Pharaoh still being obstinate, and
refusing to let the people go:
SAY UNTO AARON, TAKE THY ROD, AND STRETCH OUT THINE HAND UPON THE
WATERS OF EGYPT; upon all of them in general, what were in the river
Nile, or derived from it, as follows:
UPON THEIR STREAMS; the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES AND AARON DID SO, AS THE LORD COMMANDED,.... Moses delivered
the rod to Aaron, who took it and went to the water side:
AND HE LIFT UP THE ROD, AND SMOTE THE WATERS THAT WERE IN THE RIVER;
or "in that river" i, the river Nile, on the brink of which Pharaoh
then stood:
IN THE SIGHT OF PHAR... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FISH THAT WAS IN THE RIVER DIED,.... Which was a full proof
that the conversion of it into blood was real; for had it been only in
appearance, or the water of the river had only the colour of blood,
and looked like it, but was not really so, it would not have affected
the fishes, they would... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT DID SO WITH THEIR ENCHANTMENTS,.... Who
were either in company with Pharaoh and his nobles, or were
immediately sent for to try their art, and confront Moses and Aaron
with it; and who very probably got a little water in a vessel, and by
some juggling trick imposing upon,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PHARAOH TURNED, AND WENT INTO HIS HOUSE,.... Turned away from
Moses and Aaron, and turned back from the river to which he came, and
went to his palace in the city; it being perhaps now about dinner
time, when all before related had passed:
NEITHER DID HE SET HIS HEART TO THIS ALSO: had no regar... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE EGYPTIANS DIGGED ROUND ABOUT THE RIVER,.... On each side
of it, in order to get clear water; and Aben Ezra thinks the Hebrews
also, who were affected with this, and the two following plagues, the
frogs and lice: but it is much more reasonable to conclude that they
were free from them all... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SEVEN DAYS WERE FULFILLED,.... Or there were full seven days, a
whole week:
AFTER THAT THE LORD HAD SMITTEN THE RIVER, and turned it into blood;
here the miracle is ascribed to him; Moses and Aaron, and the rod they
used, were only instruments, nothing short of almighty power could do
such a mi... [ Continue Reading ]