Exodus 7:2

7:1-7 God glorifies himself. He makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them, and the Egyptians by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Moses, as the ambassador of Jehovah, speaking in his name, laid commands upon Pharaoh, denounced threatenings against him, and called for judgments upon him. Pharaoh, proud and great as he was, could not resist. Moses stood not in awe of Pharaoh, but made him tremble. This seems to be meant in the words, Thou shalt be a god unto Pharaoh. At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance.

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 of his land; this was the principal thing to be insisted upon; and all that was said or done to him was to bring about this end, the dismission of the children of Israel out of Egypt.

With this chapter begins the series of miracles performed in Egypt. They are progressive. The first miracle is performed to accredit the mission of the brothers; it is simply credential, and unaccompanied by any infliction. Then come signs which show that the powers of nature are subject to the will of Yahweh, each plague being attended with grave consequences to the Egyptians, yet not inflicting severe loss or suffering; then in rapid succession come ruinous and devastating plagues, murrain, boils, hail and lightning, locusts, darkness, and lastly, the death of the firstborn. Each of the inflictions has a demonstrable connection with Egyptian customs and phenomena; each is directly aimed at some Egyptian superstition; all are marvelous, not, for the most part, as reversing, but as developing forces inherent in nature, and directing them to a special end. The effects correspond with these characteristics; the first miracles are neglected; the following plagues first alarm, and then for a season, subdue, the king, who does not give way until his firstborn is struck. Even that blow leaves him capable of a last effort, which completes his ruin, and the deliverance of the Israelites. I have made thee a god - Or "appointed thee." See the margin reference. Moses will stand in this special relation to Pharaoh, that God will address him by a prophet, i. e. by one appointed to speak in His name.

CHAPTER 7 Ex 7:1-25. Second Interview with Pharaoh. 1. the Lord said unto Moses—He is here encouraged to wait again on the king—not, however, as formerly, in the attitude of a humble suppliant, but now armed with credentials as God's ambassador, and to make his demand in a tone and manner which no earthly monarch or court ever witnessed. I have made thee a god—"made," that is, set, appointed; "a god"; that is, he was to act in this business as God's representative, to act and speak in His name and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of nature. The Orientals familiarly say of a man who is eminently great or wise, "he is a god" among men. Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet—that is, "interpreter" or "spokesman." The one was to be the vicegerent of God, and the other must be considered the speaker throughout all the ensuing scenes, even though his name is not expressly mentioned.

Moses' last difficulty ( Exodus 6:12 , repeated in Exodus 6:30 ) was removed by God with the words: "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet" ( Exodus 7:1 ). According to Exodus 4:16 , Moses was to be a god to Aaron; and in harmony with that, Aaron is here called the prophet of Moses, as being the person who would announce to Pharaoh the revelations of Moses. At the same time Moses was also made a god to Pharaoh; i.e., he was promised divine authority and power over Pharaoh, so that henceforth there was no more necessity for him to be afraid of the king of Egypt, but the latter, notwithstanding all resistance, would eventually bow before him. Moses was a god to Aaron as the revealer of the divine will, and to Pharaoh as the executor of that will. - In Exodus 7:2-5 God repeats in a still more emphatic form His assurance, that notwithstanding the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, He would bring His people Israel out of Egypt. ושׁלּח ( Exodus 7:2 ) does not mean ut dimittat or mittat (Vulg. Ros.; "that he send," Eng. ver.); but ו is vav consec. perf., "and so he will send." On Exodus 7:3 cf. Exodus 4:21 .

[Reformed Biblical] Pharaoh. Exodus 7:2 Heb. And he will send or dismiss, to wit, at last, being forced to it. Success shall attend your endeavours. Exodus 7:3 Exodus 7:4 Exodus 7:5 Exodus 7:6 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. Exodus 7:7 ## 1491 The ages of Moses and Aaron here, as of Levi and Kohath Exo_6:16 , 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. Exodus 7:8 Exodus 7:9 ## 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, Exo_7:1, a god to Pharaoh , who not only could work wonders himself, but also give power to others to do so. ## Take thy rod: the same rod is called the rod of God , and of Moses , and of Aaron , here and Exo_7:12, because it was appointed, and as it were consecrated by God, and used both by Moses and Aaron in their great works. And this rod Moses ordinarily held in his hand, and delive red it to Aaron upon occasion for the execution of his commands. ## A serpent; Heb. a dragon , which is a great serpent . Others, a crocodile , to whose

[Reformed Biblical] 14:8. Exodu s 6:27 1491 No text from Poole on this verse. Exodu s 6:28 Exodus 6:29 Exodus 6:30 ## Exodus 7:1 EXODUS CHAPTER 7 ## God encourages Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Exo_7:1. God foretells the hardness of, Pharaoh’s heart, that he might multiply his wonders in Egypt, Exo_7:3 , 4 to declare to the Egyptians that he only is the Lord, Exo_7:5. Moses and Aaron obey God’s command, Exo_7:6. Their age, Exo_7:7. God commands them to show a miracle for the confirmation of their authority, Exo_7:8,9. Their rod turned into a serpent, Exo_7:10. The magicians do the same, Exo_7:11. Aaron’s rod devoureth theirs, Exo_7:12. Pharaoh is hardened, as the Lord had said, Exo_7:13; and refuseth to let the people go, Exo_7:14. God denounces judgments on the Egyptians, Exo_7:17,18. Commands Moses and Aaron to stretch out their hands oven the waters, Exo_7:19. The waters are turned into blood, Exo_7:20. The fish die, and the river stinks, Exo_7:21. The magicians do the same, whereby Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, Exo_7:22. The means they used against this plague, Exo_7:24. The continuance of it, Exo_ 7:25. To rep resent my pe rson, 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 Exo_4:16, to deliver thy commands to