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JANUARY 29
Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty- God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, say-
three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh. ing, “Let My people go, that they may serve
8 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now
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saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, say- you would not hear! Thus says the LORD: “By
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ing, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you this you shall know that I am the LORD.
shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it Behold, I will strike the waters which are in
before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” the river with the rod that is in my hand, and
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10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish
they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And that are in the river shall die, the river shall
Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink
before his servants, and it became a serpent. the water of the river.” ’ ”
11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and 19 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to
the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your
also did in like manner with their enchant- hand over the waters of Egypt, over their
ments. For every man threw down his rod, streams, over their rivers, over their ponds,
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and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod and over all their pools of water, that they may
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swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s become blood. And there shall be blood
heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buck-
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the LORD had said. ets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” And Mo-
ses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD com-
manded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the
waters that were in the river, in the sight of
Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And
7:11 magicians. Magic and sorcery played a all the waters that were in the river were
major role in the pantheistic religion of Egypt. 21
Its ancient documents record the activities of turned to blood. The fish that were in the
the magicians, one of the most prominent river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians
being the charming of serpents. These men could not drink the water of the river. So there
were also styled “wise men” and “sorcerers,” was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
i.e., the learned men of the day and the reli- 22 Then the magicians of Egypt did so with
gious, as well (the word for sorcery being their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew
derived from a word meaning “to offer hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD
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prayers”). Two of these men were named had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into
Jannes and Jambres (see 2 Tim. 3:8). Any his house. Neither was his heart moved by
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supernatural power came from Satan (see this. So all the Egyptians dug all around the
2 Cor. 11:13–15). enchantments. By means of river for water to drink, because they could not
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their “secret arts”or “witchcraft,”the wise men, drink the water of the river. And seven days
sorcerers, and magicians demonstrated their passed after the LORD had struck the river.
abilities to perform a similar feat. Whether by And the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go to
optical illusion, sleight of hand, or learned 8 Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the
physical manipulation of a snake,all sufficient- LORD: “Let My people go, that they may serve
ly skillful enough to totally fool Pharaoh and Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I
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his servants, or by evil supernaturalism, the will smite all your territory with frogs. So the
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evaluation given in the inspired record is sim- river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which
ply “they also did in like manner.”However,the
turning of rods into snakes and later turning shall go up and come into your house, into
water into blood (7:22) and calling forth frogs your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of
(8:7) were not the same as trying to create lice your servants, on your people, into your
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from inanimate dust (8:18–19). At that point, ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the
the magicians had no option but to confess frogs shall come up on you, on your people,
their failure. and on all your servants.” ’ ”
5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to
Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod
14 So the LORD said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s over the streams, over the rivers, and over the
heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land
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15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes of Egypt.’ ” So Aaron stretched out his hand
out to the water, and you shall stand by the over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came
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river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which up and covered the land of Egypt. And the
was turned to a serpent you shall take in your magicians did so with their enchantments,
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hand. And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
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