Ex. 7 God encourages Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Ex. 7:1. God foretells the hardness of, Pharaoh’s heart, that he might multiply his wonders in Egypt, Ex. 7:3–4 to declare to the Egyptians that he only is the Lord, Ex. 7:5. Moses and Aaron obey God’s command, Ex. 7:6. Their age, Ex. 7:7.

To represent my person, to act like God, by requiring his obedience to thy commands, and by punishing his disobedience with such punishments as none but God can inflict, to which end thou shalt have my omnipotent assistance. i.e. Thy interpreter, or spokesman, as Ex.

Heb. And he will send or dismiss, to wit, at last, being forced to it. Success shall attend your endeavours.

An emphatical repetition, to show their courage in attempting to say and do such things to so great a monarch in his own dominions, and their fidelity in the execution of all God’s commands.

1491 The ages of Moses and Aaron here, as of Levi and Kohath Ex. 6:16, Ex. 6:18, and before them of Jacob and Joseph, are so exactly set down, that thence we may, understand the accomplishment of God’s prediction, Gen. 15:13, and the time of Israel’s being in Egypt.

Say unto Aaron, by whose hands this and other miracles were to be done, and not by Moses immediately; partly to take off the some suspicion that these miracles were wrought by magical artifice of Moses; and partly for the greater honour of Moses, that he might be what God had said, Ex.

Under the general title of wise men he seems to comprehend all who were most eminent in any sort of wisdom, either natural, or civil, or divine, who were all called to give their opinion and advice in these matters.

They became serpents; either, 1. In appearance. For the Scripture oft speaks of things otherwise than they are, because they seem to be so. And therefore as the devil appearing to Saul in the likeness of Samuel is called Samuel; so may these rods upon the same account be called serpents, because…

He, the Lord, to whom this act of hardening is frequently ascribed both in this book and elsewhere.

He is obstinate, and resolved in his way, so as neither my word nor my works can make any impression upon him.

He goeth out unto the water, i. e. the Nile, whither he went at that time, either for his recreation, or to pay his morning worship to that river, which the Egyptians had in great veneration, as Plutarch testifies.

Because thou saidst, Who is the Lord? and, I know not the Lord, Ex. 5:2, thou shalt know him experimentally, and to thy cost. Behold, I will smite, viz. by Aaron’s hand, who shall do it by my command and direction.

Therefore the Israelites were free from this plague, and those branches of Nilus which they used were uncorrupted, when all others were turned into blood. Shall lothe, or, shall weary themselves, in running hither and thither in hopes of finding water in some parts or branches of the river.

Not that he was to go to every pool to use this ceremony there, but he stretched his hand and rod over some of them in the name of all the rest, which he might signify either by his words, or by the various motions of his rod several ways.

It was not difficult for the devil to convey blood speedily and unperceivably, and that in a great quantity, which might suffice to infect with a bloody colour those small parcels of water which were left for them to show their art in. Quest.

He did not seriously consider it, nor the causes or cure of this plague, and was not much affected with it, because he saw this fact exceeded not the power of his magicians.

It is not much material to us, whether they lost their labour, and found only blood there, as Josephus affirms; or whether they succeeded and found water there, which seems more probable, because these come not within the compass of Moses’s commission, Ex. 7:17, Ex.

For seven days were fulfilled, ere all the waters of Egypt were perfectly free from this infection. Quest. How could the Egyptians subsist so long without water? Answ. 1. Philo tells us that many of them died of this plague. 2.