Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. The God of Pharao, that is 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, and so forth Worthington.
Verse 3. I shall harden, and so forth; 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. Bible.—Yet Pharao was less impious than Calvin, for he takes the sin to himself. Calmet. 9:27. Tirinus.
Verse 10. Took, or “threw down,” as the Hebrew and Septuagint read.
Verse 11. Magicians. Jannes and Mambres, or Jambres. 2 Timothy 3:8. Challoner.—The pagans represented Moses as the greatest of magicians. (Plin. xxx. 1. Justin xxxvi.—They also, and so forth 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.” Coun. of Orange. See Saint Augustine q. 21, de Trin. iii. 7.; Saint Thomas Aquinas ii. 2. q. 17. a 2.—The devil deceived the senses of the beholders; or brought real serpents, and so forth thither. Menochius.
Verse 12. Devoured. Thus the superiority remained with Aaron. The rod was then restored to its pristine form, verse 15. Bible.
Verse 17. My hand. The rod was in the hand of Moses, but he was God’s agent. Menochius.
Verse 18. 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,’ ” and so forth as verse 16, 18. See Calmet. 11:7. 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. Bible.
Verse 21. All the land, even in that of Gessen, which belonged to the Egyptians; while the Hebrews had good water. Menochius.
Verse 22. Like. They got a small quantity of water, either from the sea, from Gessen, (Wisd. 11:5,) or by digging wells, verse 24. Calmet.—This plague lasted a full week, verse 25. The water which they found in the mean time in the wells was mixed with blood, Philo. Saint Augustine in Ps. lxxvii. Wisdom 11:7, thou gavest human blood to the unjust.