Exodus 7

Chap. VII. Ver. 1—25. Moses again opposes Pharaoh; the river turned into blood.—In a former chapter, (ch. iv. 16.) Moses had been appointed as a god to Aaron, and ‘here to Pharaoh; “and Aaron (it is now added) shall be thy prophet.” The meaning is, the divine will was to be delivered through the medium of Aaron, who was not himself inspired, but only merely to deliver the divine messages from the mouth of Moses. God speaks to Moses, Moses to Aaron, and Aaron to Pharaoh. This, there- But it is added, (Ver. 3.) “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart;” and this sentiment is many times repeated in the following chapters, and the reason given is always the same—that Pharaoh and the Egyptians “may know that I am Jehovah.”

But how can this expression of hardening the human heart be applied to God? Certainly not, in the sense of infusing any evil principle; for God neither “tempteth” nor inclineth any man to evil. _ 1, Solomon tells us, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” ((Ecclesiastes 8:11).) This was the case with Pharaoh; for ‘‘when he saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, as the Lord had said.” ((Exodus 7:15).) See the goodness of God,” in deferring and reversing the judgments denounced against him, instead of softening his heart, and “leading him to repentance,” as it ought to have done. hardened it, till it became “fully set,”

resolved, and determined to do evil. Thus, the same fire which will soften some substances, will harden others. 2. It must be acknowledged, there is another sense in which God is said to harden the hearts of men, who, like Pharaoh, abuse his mercies. Thus it is said of those nations which gave themselves up wholly to idolatry, that ‘God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts,” &c. (Rom. 1. 24, &c.) And of those ‘‘that receive not the truth, (but reject it,) that God sends them [a] delusion, that they should believe a lie.” ((2 Thessalonians 2:11).) That is, men are given up to the natural consequences of their own depravity. ((Romans 9:2).) Thus, Augustin says, “* God does not harden men by infusing malice (or any evil principle) into them; but by not imparting mercy to them.”

He might have added, that his mercy is never withdrawn, until it has been abused and despised. So it is observed by Scott, (on (Exodus 4:21).) “God never communicates hardness, but when provoked by atrocious crimes, he gives a person up to his own heart’s lusts; he per- Moses and Aaron, however, did as the Lord commanded them; and when introduced to Pharaoh, Aaron cast down his rod, and it became a serpent, as had been foretold. Pharaoh was probably surprised at this, but as he had doubtless seen many surprising things done by his magicians, he called for them, ‘the wise men and the sorcerers,’ who did in like manner with (or by) their enchantments. ‘‘For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods—his serpent, their serpents.”

This is the first sign or miracle that Moses wrought “before Pharaoh and his servants,” the design of which seems prophetic of the issue. Moses passed no judgment on the performances of the magicians, but only showed that he acted by a superior power. We shall also pass no judgment, till we see how far the magicians can go with their enchantments; and where they are obliged to say, “This is the finger of God,” we shall pause to offer some remarks. By the second miracle, which was the first of the ten plagues of Egypt, the water of the river, (Nile,) which was remarkable for its sweetness, was turned into blood, so that it was not drinkable, and all the fish therein died. Here also we are told

the magicians “did so with their enchantments:” but what did they? The Nile, &c. had been already changed; and, therefore, if they turned water into blood, it must have been in small quantities, which one would think not difficult, when there was so much at hand. But even this is not said; and the fact applies; (as afterwards, in the miracle of the lice;) and Pharaoh, whether from disgust or carelessness, “turned” upon his heel, and went to his own house, without waiting to see the issue. We shall, therefore, only observe here, that Pharaoh might read his sin in his punishment. He had stained the Nile with the blood of the Hebrew infants, and now one that had escaped his cruel vigilance, is the instrument of turning all the stream to blood.

“Thou art righteous, O Lord! Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy!” ((Revelation 16:6).)

Notes on the verses

Chap. VII. Ver. 1. A god to Pharaoh.—Our Lord tells us, that they were called gods to whom the word of God came. ((John 10:35).) That is, who received a divine commission, as kings, judges, &c. Ver. 9. Show a miracle for you.—Or, ‘“Give a sign” or wonder, (so rendered ver. 3.) to support your pretensions. Ver. 10. It became serpent.—It is remarkable, that when at Horeb, Moses threw down his rod, it became a nachish, the usual term for a serpent: but when Aaron threw down his rod, it became a tannin; a dragon, or large serpent. Is this to be accounted for on the supposition that Aaron’s rod was larger than that of Moses? The Editor of Calmet understands the latter of a water-serpent, or rather, ‘*a lengthened fresh-water reptile;”

the former suited to an inland situation, the latter to the banks of a river. Ver. 11. And Pharaoh called the wise men.—‘Wise men,” chamimim, men of learning. “Sorcerers,” cashephim, diviners, men who find out secrets, discover lost goods, &c. “Magicians,” charetumey, astrologers, and decipherers of hieroglyphics and mystical writings. ‘They did in like manner by their enchantments,” /ahazim, flame and smoke, used under pretence of invoking demons, and at the same time well calculated to aid deception. St. Paul has preserved the names of two of these magicians, (probably their leaders,) viz. **Jannes and Jambres,” who withstood Moses.—(2 Timothy 3:8). Ver. 13. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart.—Rather, “*Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,”

as in ver. 22; the Hebrew is the same in both places. See Presid. Edwards’ Notes on the Bible, vol. ix. new edition. Ver. 14. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened.—A different word is here used, cabed, meaning heavy, stupid, insensible. Ver. 15. Lo, he goeth out unto the water.—That is, to bathe, and probably make religious ablutions. Ver. 18. Shall loathe to drink.—(‘‘The water of Egypt,” says the Abbe Mascrier, ‘is so delicious, that one would not wish the heat to be less, or to be delivered from the sensation of thirst. The Turks find it so exquisite, that they excite themselves to drink of it by eating salt.” ‘A person,” adds Harmer, “who never before heard of the deliciousness of the Nile water, and of the large quantities which on that account are drunk of it, will, I am sure, find an energy in those words of Moses to Pharaoh,—The Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river, which he never did before.]—Bagster.

Ver. 20. Turned into blood.—It is certain this expression is sometimes used figuratively, for a change in appearance only, as in (Joel 2:31). ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,” where certainly no transformation is intended. It has therefore been supposed, that the change was only in colour. It also has been asserted by many credible travellers, as Maundrell, Pococke, and Maillet, that the waters of the Nile, at their height, have often a red appearance, (from a sediment of red earth,) and a purgative quality; and this has been by some alleged, to prove that this effect was not miraculous. But, in answer, it may be remarked, 1. This was before the harvest, ((Exodus 9:31).) three or four months before the usual time for the rising of the Nile. 2. That though the water at these seasons becomes purgative and unpleasant, we hear nothing of its killing the fishes, and causing the river to stink, a phenomenon, which was always expected with great anxiety instead of dread.