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"Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. "
- 7 : 11, American Standard Version, see link below.
We'll start Seven the way we started Six.
Remember: at the end of Chapter Six Moses is reminding GOD that he is a man of 'uncircumcised lips'... whatever that means.
We all see Moses as this very nearly Super Human figure. He appeared to the living Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9). Jude mentions that an Archangel had a disagreement with Satan over his body. He is the Lawgiver. The human deliverer of the Ten Commandments. He is the Man that God knew face to face.
But we just saw a VERY human side to Moses.
1
"way yomer" (and said) YHWH to Moses, "raah" (see / look) I have "nathan" (make (includes: 'ordain' / 'ascribe' / 'appoint') you as "'Elohim" (God) to Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, shall be your "nabi" (prophet).
2
You shall "dabar" (say / speak) all that I "tsavah" (command / charge / order) you, and Aaron, your brother, shall speak to Pharaoh, that he "shalach" (send) the Sons of Israel out of his land.
3
And I will "qashah" (harden / stiffen (this is a different form of the word that was used in 4 : 21)) "leb" (heart / mind) of Pharaoh, and "rabah" (increase / multiply) My "oth" (miracle / sign (includes idea of 'evidence')) and My "mopheth" (miracles / wonders (includes the idea of being obvious)) in land of Egypt.
4
not will "shama" (hear / listen) to you Pharaoh, that I may "nathan" (apply / cause / put) My "yad" (hand) on Egypt, and "yatsa" (bring forth / come out) "tsaba" (hosts / army / 'mass of people') my "am" (people / nation) the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by "shephet" (decisions / judgments) "gadol" (mighty / great / important).
5
And shall "yada" (know / understand / acknowledge) Egypt that I am YHWH, when I "natah" (extend / stretch out....) my hand "al" (on / against / over) Egypt and bring the sons of Israel from among them.
Another "I AM" statement. Remember back in chapter five when Pharaoh said he didn't know this God? The King of Egypt is about to meet Him.
It almost reads that GOD took Pharaoh's statement as an direct insult. At this time Egypt had nine (by some counts) major gods and goddesses, and hundreds... several hundred... a whole slew... (at least two thousand, kingdom wide, that we know of) of lesser deities of various sorts. Unlike the Greeks during the New Testament period who had an altar to "the unknown god" that Paul took advantage of (see Acts 17), Egypt named them, and then changed their names, and gave an old one a new job, and there were battles between various gods and so on. And that's not even counting the various humans; kings, priests, royal wives, etc, who became 'a god'! There's a link below that's a good place to start looking into their fascinating mythology.
As we go forward some of the Egyptian gods come into play in one way or another. We'll make an effort to highlight them as we go.
6 Summary:
Moses and Aaron did as they were told.
7 Summary:
Remember earlier we said we didn't know how old any of the primary actors were? Now we find out. Moses is eighty, and Aaron is eighty three when they are in front of the ruler of one of the most powerful nations on Earth at this time.
Synopsis:8 Summary:
The people descended from the Patriarch named Jacob / Israel at the end of Genesis now number well into the tens of thousands, many years, and several generations after the last of the Brothers died. They have gone from being guests of the Egyptian King to being slaves under hard labor.
As the action moves forward the Pharaoh comes off as probably a young man who is somewhat arrogant and short sighted and who doesn't realize exactly what sort of powder keg he is sitting on. Even if there wasn't Divine Intervention in the wind, the previous Pharaoh understood that there were more Hebrews in Lower Egypt than there were Egyptians, and if they rose up against their masters, he'd be out of a job (see Exodus 1 : 10). The current ruler doesn't think like that, and, instead, behaves like he rules the world (which, in his eyes, he does!).
So the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob picks Moses, who grew up in the Royal Household, and seems to know the king one way or another, and Aaron, who is/was a slave, both of whom are now old men, as spry as they may be, they are still senior citizens, to go talk to the king and say "let my people go". Even though Moses is perhaps the second most reluctant messenger in the Old Testament, having raised every objection he could think of. (the title of 'most reluctant' goes to Jonah of 'big fish' fame, see link below)
These two old men have already been to see the Elders of Israel, and had something of a mixed reception there. At first they were accepted and believed, and now, well, things seem to have soured a bit, leading Moses to wonder about changing jobs from shepherd to his current gig. Also they've already been to see the King once, and that went badly as well.
NOW, they're being told to go back to the throne room and put on a show. Which is where we pick up the story.
End Synopsis
9 Summary:
They are told that when they speak to Pharaoh they are to show a miracle. Not Moses, but Aaron, the spokesman, is to take his walking stick and throw it on the floor in front of Pharaoh and it will become a "tannin" (snake / serpent).
And just like that we have our first Egyptian god.
While the text does not specify what sort of snake it was, we can guess that it was venomous based on Moses's earlier reaction, and the symbolism in play in the coming scene.
A look at the serpent:
The most obvious choice is the Egyptian Cobra, often called an Asp, which is the symbol of Lower Egypt and is featured on the Pharaoh's headdress as a rearing cobra with a spread hood, called the Uraeus. That feature is the symbol of the goddess Wadjet who was the protector of Lower Egypt (the Northern region). During the period of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, you would see the snake paired with a vulture-god known as Nekhbet from the upstream region (South on the map), or with two cobras. While this cobra is the symbol of the king, it isn't a "king cobra" which is a different species not native to Africa but is found in Southeast Asia. But on the other side, the Egyptian variant is one of the deadliest snakes in Africa and is found all along the Nile and the Mediterranean coast.
Another possible candidate isn't a real reptile, but is instead a mythological symbol of chaos and destruction, Apophis / Apep. He was a giant snake (over fifty feet long) that lived in the Nile and was the adversary of Ra, one of the sun gods, who Pharaoh was supposed to represent.
We could also talk about Nehebkau who was a primordial serpent god that had functions in the afterlife with the judgment of the dead. But the point has been made...
This miraculous sign goes after More Than One of the local gods, as do the vast majority of the ones coming up. Where many writers take the easy way out and will even title their article "ten Egyptian plagues, ten Egyptian gods", it isn't that simple. It is never that simple. What is?
We'll make an attempt to hit the top two or three for each, but in some cases, there's too many involved for us to look at in depth in this format, and we'll mention that as we go. As usual, we'll supply some resource links which you may peruse at your leisure. See below.
end look
10 Summary:
Moses and Aaron go in, do as they were commanded, and the stick turns into a snake.
11 Summary:
Pharaoh calls in his "chakam" (wise / learned) 'men' and the "kashaph" ('practice sorcery' / 'use witchcraft') so the "chartom" (magicians / astrologers) of Egypt with "lahat" (flame, also 'magic') "ken" (likewise).
We have several terms here that are telling. You have the 'wise men' which would be the advisers and counselors of the king, then there are the sorcerers and magicians. It doesn't say that Pharaoh called in any of the priests from Heliopolis or anywhere else. Remember when Joseph came in and interpreted the Pharaoh's dream in Genesis 41, there was a priest handy who happened to have a daughter that needed a husband. This King evidently doesn't have a holy man in his court.
12
for "shalak" (throw down / etc) every man his "matteh" (staff / rod) and they became "tannin" (snake / serpent). But "bala" (swallowed / consumed) their staffs the staff of Aaron.
This information makes it much more likely that the snake that Aaron's rod became was an Egyptian cobra as they are one of the species of snakes that are known to eat other snakes, including other cobras as they are immune to the venom of their own species.
13
And "chazaq" (hardened / grew strong) "leb" (heart / mind) of Pharaoh and "lo" (not) did he "shama" (hear / listen) to them as said YHWH.
14
"way yomer" (and said) YHWH to Moses, "kabed" (hardened / severe) is "leb" (heart / mind) of Pharaoh - he "maen" (refuses) to let go the people.
15
Go to Pharaoh in the "boqer" (morning) when he goes to the "mayim" (water / pool) - and you shall stand to meet him by the "saphah" (edge / bank / shore) of the "yeor" (river / Nile) - and the "matteh" (staff / rod) which was turned into a snake you shall take in your hand.
16
And you shall say to him, YHWH 'Elohim of the "Ibri" (Hebrews) has sent me to you, "amar" (saying), let go My people that they may "abad" (serve / worship) Me in the "midbar" (wilderness / desert). "lo" (not) would you "shama" (listen / hear) until now.
17
So says YHWH, by this you will "yada" (know / understand) that I Am YHWH - "hinneh" (behold / lo / see) I will "nakah" (strike / smite (same word as before which includes 'intent to cause harm')) with the staff in my hand, the "mayim" (water) in the Nile "haphak" (change / transform) to "dam" (blood).
18 Paraphrase:
The fish in the river will die and stink, and Egypt will hate drinking the water.
Which is another major point here. The Nile is and was the primary source for most of the water for drinking, bathing, irrigation, brick production, fire fighting, and everything else water is used for in Egypt. There were some wells dug away from the river, but the groundwater they reached was usually part of the Nile aquifer. Also, the fish, including a very large species of perch (can reach six feet long and two hundred pounds), as well as the plentiful tilapia from the river, is a major source of protein for the people.
19 Summary:
The instructions are repeated, God tells Moses to tell Aaron to 'stretch out his hand with his staff over all the water in Egypt', and it will turn to blood. Even the water in a bucket.
20 Summary:
Moses and Aaron do as they were told. Aaron strikes the water with his staff and it all turns to blood while Pharaoh and his servants watch.
21 Summary
The fish in the river all die, and begin to stink, and the people can't drink the water.
A Bloody Tangent:
There's a tendency to focus on the fact that the Nile was Egypt's source of life, and now it is, literally, dead. And there is nothing wrong with going with the obvious.
The river was the physical presence of the god Hapi / Hapy. He was also the symbol of the fertility of the land due to the seasonal floods and the endless supply of fresh (although somewhat muddy) water.
But there was somebody else involved. And the symbolism there was very nearly as powerful, and the people out in the land would recognize it as well.
There was a deity with a dual nature involved with this plague that isn't mentioned in most of the outlines of this part of Exodus. Shezmu is sometimes depicted with the head of a male lion, and is a known deity from the Old Kingdom which would be just before the possible time of Jacob and Joseph in Egypt.
Shezmu was the god of wine, blood, oils, and, oddly enough, perfume. In his benevolent aspect he oversaw production of the things the people used every day, but when his terrible side was active he worked as the god of slaughter and carnage, including the execution of criminals to get them to the underworld where he would continue to punish them for their misdeeds. He's also seen in the Pyramid Texts as bringing a cup of wine-water to the deceased Pharaoh which will help make him clean in the afterlife. A link to a translation of the text is below. And remember, the first known miracle by Christ was changing water into Wine... which Shezmu was all for we're sure.
Other gods involved with the Nile and the various parts of life that it was involved with include Sobek, other fertility and with his crocodile head- the power of the river, Wadj-wer, the god of the lagoons of the Nile delta to the north of the capital where the Hebrews were situated, and even Khnum, one of the creator gods who ruled the source of the Nile. And there were other minor deities associated with other parts of the river.
But we have covered enough for the first plague.
end tangent:
22 Summary, comment, summary, comment....
The text says the magicians did the same thing with their enchantments....
Now exactly what that means if all of the water in every pool and bucket was already turned to blood, we can only speculate. One thing is certain from the following passage the magicians didn't change the river, or even a bucket of blood, back into water. But whatever the court magician did made an impression on his boss.
.... and "chazaq" (hardened / strengthened) the "leb" (heart / mind) of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to what they said YHWH had said.
You have to wonder what this king was thinking. Here comes a renegade from his own 'extended' household, and a slave, and they tell him this wild story, then do a parlor trick, "ok, yeah, nice show. Sorry, no." But then they do THIS? A reasonable person would at least call a meeting of their advisors to reconsider their position. That's not what happens in the next verse.
23
And "panah" (to- turn/face/look) and went to his "bayith" (house / dwelling) and his "leb" (heart / mind) was not moved by this.
Everybody focuses on this sort of intentional action, the ignoring of the obvious, you have undeniable facts in front of you, and you turn away from them. But what we have in mind here isn't the actions of Pharaoh, but the words and deeds of the Sanhedrin when faced with Christ, we'll cite Mark 15 beginning about verse 53 as an example. They had heard the teachings and seen the miracles, and denied all of it, or worse, said He was acting with the power of Satan.
24 Summary:
Everybody in the country began digging wells for water because they could not drink what was in the Nile.
25
"way yim male" (and passed/completed) seven days "archar" (following / after) "nakah" (strike / smite (with intent to harm)) YHWH the river.
The text says that seven days have passed since the water changed. It doesn't say anything about it changing back.
Also. We've highlighted the word "nakah" several times, with the idea that it includes the idea of 'intent to cause harm'. --- --- --- --- --- you're welcome.
End Chapter 7
Selected Resources:
All links will open in a new tab/window, all were working as of original date of posting:
Interlinear English / Hebrew: Chapter 7 https://biblehub.com/interlinear/exodus/7.htm
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Exodus-Chapter-7/
American Standard Version https://biblehub.com/asv/exodus/7.htm
Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses:
"For all ancient people, the world was filled with mystery. Much of what they experienced in the world around them was unknowable and frightening. The ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses represented aspects of the Egyptians' natural and "supernatural" surroundings and helped them understand its many aspects."
https://discoveringegypt.com/ancient-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses/
Wadjet, cobra goddess of ancient Egypt. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wadjet
Apep (Apophis) https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/apep/
The Nile: The River that Sustained Egypt and Shaped Its Faith https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-nile-the-river-that-sustained-egypt-and-shaped-its-faith
Hapi: the god, and the river, Nile: https://www.cairotoptours.com/Egypt-Travel-Guide/Gods-of-Ancient-Egypt/the-nile-god-hapi
"Nile River fish..." and other critters. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/river-monsters-discover-the-largest-fish-in-the-nile-river/
The Egyptian god of: wine, blood, oils, and... Perfume! Shezmu https://deathscent.com/2022/11/24/shezmu/
Somebody will bring the deceased king an important drink!
Spell 601 (Pepi I s Spell 523):
"Shezmu will come to you with wine-water and Thighs-Forward with the cups of those at the fore of the Dual Shrines, and you will become clean with wine-water and become clean with the cups of those at the fore of the Dual Shrines (stanza 2)."
The Egyptian Book of the Dead https://archive.org/details/the-ancient-egyptian-pyramid-texts_202103/page/367/mode/2up?q=ShezmuAncient Egyptian gods and goddesses https://www.britishmuseum.org/learn/schools/ages-7-11/ancient-egypt/ancient-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses
-and-
Includes "the one person after whom a book of the Bible is named that you're not supposed to like":
Jonah.
https://centralparkchurchofchrist.org/minorprophets/minorindex.htm
NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.
http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org
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