“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”
The God of Pharao, viz., to be his Judge; and to exercise a divine power, as God’s instrument, over him and people. (Challoner) — Artapanus says, Moses was afterwards adored by the Egyptians. — Prophet, or interpreter. Thou shalt reveal my orders to him. (Calmet) — Moses participated in the divine nature, as judge, priest, prophet, &c. (Worthington)
“And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.”
I shall harden, &c.; not by being the efficient cause of his hardness of heart, but by permitting it; and by withdrawing grace from him, in punishment of his malice; which alone was the proper cause of his being hardened. (Challoner) — He took occasion even from the miracles to become more obdurate. (Haydock) — Yet Pharao was less impious than Calvin, for he takes the sin to himself, chap. ix. 27. (Tirinus)
“And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”
Took, or “threw down,” as the Hebrew and Septuagint read.
“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”
Magicians. Jannes and Mambres, or Jambres, 2 Timothy iii. 8. (Challoner) — The pagans represented Moses as the greatest of magicians. (Pliny, Natural History xxx. 1; Justin xxxvi.) — They also, &c. Hebrew has three terms: “wise men, diviners, and magicians;” but the two last seem to be of the same import. “The enchanters did the like by their secret practices,” either by words or by actions. Some say these operations were real; others affirm they were only apparent, and mere delusions. (Calmet) — “Whoever believes that any thing can be made, or any creature changed or transmuted into another species or appearance, except by the Creator himself, is undoubtedly an infidel, and worse than a pagan.” (Council of Orange.) See St. Augustine, q. 21, de Trin. iii. 7; St. Thomas Aquinas, 2, 2, 9, 17, a 2. — The devil deceived the senses of the beholders; or brought real serpents, &c., thither. (Menochius)
“For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.”
Devoured. Thus the superiority remained with Aaron. The rod was then restored to its pristine form, ver. 15. (Haydock)
“Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.”
My hand. The rod was in the hand of Moses, but he was God’s agent. (Menochius)
“And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.”
River. The Samaritan copy repeats here the very words of God to Pharao, as the other speeches are also twice put at length. “Moses and Aaron went to meet Pharao, and said to him, ‘The Lord,'” &c., as ver. 16, 18. See chap. xi. 7. (Calmet) — This is very agreeable to the style of Homer; and Kennicott believes that the repetitions have been omitted in the Hebrew for brevity’s sake, (Diss. 1 Chron. p. 383,) and that before the Greek version had been made. (Haydock)
“And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”
All the land, even in that of Gessen, which belonged to the Egyptians; while the Hebrews had good water. (Menochius)
“And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.”
Like. They got a small quantity of water, either from the sea, from Gessen, (Wisdom xi. 5,) or by digging wells, ver. 24. (Calmet) — This plague lasted a full week, ver. 25. The water which they found in the mean time in the wells was mixed with blood. (Philo; St. Augustine, in Psalm lxxvii.) Wisdom xi. 7, thou gavest human blood to the unjust.