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 brought down upon, Egypt,…

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; he…

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 out…

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart (See Gill on Ex. 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…

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 they…

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 the…

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 not a…

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…

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.

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,…

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…

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,…

For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents That is, they seemed to be so, as Josephus [[24]] 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…

And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart Or, “notwithstanding the heart of Pharaoh was hardened” [[0]]; though he saw the rods of his magicians devoured by rod; or “therefore” [[1]] 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…

And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, &c.] Or “heavy” [[2]], 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…

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…

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 renewed,…

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, yet he being his ambassador, and representing him, is said to be in the hand of the Lord;…

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 drink of…

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 seven…

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” [[8]], the river Nile, on the brink of which Pharaoh then stood: in the sight of…

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 have…

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, &c.] 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…

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 regard to…

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.

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…