Focused Passage

Exodus 7:8-13

The LORD Begins to Answer Pharaoh: Signs, Hardening, and the Nile Turned to Blood

The LORD defines Moses’ and Aaron’s roles, foretells Pharaoh’s hardened resistance, authenticates His messengers with the staff sign, and begins judgment by turning the Nile to blood.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.

12 Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

13 Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֥ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . וְאֶֽל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and Aaron אַהֲרֹ֖ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 9

Original words

When כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction Pharaoh פַּרְעֹה֙ H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular tells you יְדַבֵּ֨ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . אֲלֵכֶ֤ם H413 Preposition | second person masculine plural לֵאמֹ֔ר לֵאמֹ֔ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Perform תְּנ֥וּ H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural a miracle מוֹפֵ֑ת H4159 Noun - masculine singular you are to say וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular . . . אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition to Aaron אַהֲרֹ֗ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular Take קַ֧ח H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker your staff מַטְּךָ֛ H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and throw it down וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular before לִפְנֵֽי־ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct Pharaoh פַרְעֹ֖ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular [and] it {will} become יְהִ֥י H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular a serpent לְתַנִּֽין׃ H8577 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Hebrew tannin; here and in verse 10, in contrast to Moses’ staff, which became a nachash in Exodus 4:3 and was noted again in Exodus 7:15
Verse 10

Original words

So Moses מֹשֶׁ֤ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular and Aaron וְאַהֲרֹן֙ H175 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular went וַיָּבֹ֨א H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Pharaoh פַּרְעֹ֔ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular and did וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . כֵ֔ן H3651 Adverb just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had commanded צִוָּ֣ה H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Aaron אַהֲרֹ֜ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker threw וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his staff {down} מַטֵּ֗הוּ H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular before לִפְנֵ֥י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct Pharaoh פַרְעֹ֛ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . וְלִפְנֵ֥י H6440 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct and his officials עֲבָדָ֖יו H5650 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and it became וַיְהִ֥י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular a serpent לְתַנִּֽין׃ H8577 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

But Pharaoh פַּרְעֹ֔ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular גַּם־ גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction called וַיִּקְרָא֙ H7121 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the wise men לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים H2450 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine plural and sorcerers וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים H3784 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural and magicians חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י H2748 Noun - masculine plural construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֛יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular and they הֵ֜ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural also גַם־ H1571 Conjunction did וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural the same things כֵּֽן׃ H3651 Adverb by their magic arts בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם H3814 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 12

Original words

Each אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular one threw down וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural his staff מַטֵּ֔הוּ H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and it became וַיִּהְי֖וּ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural a serpent לְתַנִּינִ֑ם H8577 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural But Aaron’s אַהֲרֹ֖ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker staff מַטֵּֽה־ H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct swallowed up וַיִּבְלַ֥ע H1104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular [the other] staffs מַטֹּתָֽם׃ H4294 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 13

Original words

Still, Pharaoh’s פַּרְעֹ֔ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular heart לֵ֣ב H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct was hardened וַיֶּחֱזַק֙ H2388 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and he would not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle listen שָׁמַ֖ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to them אֲלֵהֶ֑ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural just as כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָֽה׃פ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had said דִּבֶּ֥ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Or stiffened or strengthened; also in verse 22

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.