Exodus 7:22

22 And the witches of [the] Egyptians did in like manner by their enchantments; and the heart of Pharaoh was made hard, and he heard not them, as the Lord commanded. (And the Egyptian witches did likewise with their enchantments; but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.)

Exodus 7:22 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 7:22

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments,
&c.] Who were either in company with Pharaoh and his nobles, or were immediately sent for to try their art, and confront Moses and Aaron with it; and who very probably got a little water in a vessel, and by some juggling trick imposing upon, and deceiving the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, made it look like blood; and the devil might help them to a sufficient quantity of blood, and discolour the water with it, and make it appear as if it was blood, and which was a poor business; had they turned the bloody river into water again, they would have equalled the miracle of Moses and Aaron, and done some service to their country; but to deceive the sight of people, or to spoil a small quantity of water that was good, by mixing it with blood, was but a mean and unworthy action. Should it be asked from whence they had this water, when all was turned into blood? it may be answered, either from Goshen, as the Targum of Jonathan, the waters of the Hebrews not being affected with this plague: though Aben Ezra thinks they were; or from the sea, as Theodoret; but both these places were too far distant to fetch water from, in the time that Pharaoh stayed here before his return home: rather therefore this water was had from some habitation of the Israelites in the city near at hand, where Pharaoh lived, or was dug for immediately by the magicians, as in ( Exodus 7:24 ) or it may be that all the waters were not immediately turned into blood, but successively and gradually, first the river, and then its streams so that there might be near at hand a pool of water, not yet turned into blood, and a vessel of water might be fetched from it, on which they exercised their juggling art:

and Pharaoh's heart was hardened:
by seeing his magicians do what was similar to what Moses and Aaron had done; and therefore concluded that it was not by the hand of God, but owing to a magic art they were masters of, as his magicians were:

neither did he hearken unto them;
to Moses and Aaron, and what they said to him, to let the people go:

as the Lord had said;
had before told he would not hearken to them, ( Exodus 7:4 ) .

Exodus 7:22 In-Context

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and Aaron raised the rod, and smote the water of the flood before Pharaoh and his servants, which water was turned into blood; (And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded; and Aaron raised up his staff, and struck the water of the River before Pharaoh and his servants, and the water was turned into blood;)

21 and [the] fishes, that were in the flood, died; and the flood was rotten, and [the] Egyptians might not drink the water of the flood; and blood was in all the land of Egypt. (and the fish, that were in the River, died; and the River was rotten, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the River; and blood was in all the land of Egypt.)

22 And the witches of [the] Egyptians did in like manner by their enchantments; and the heart of Pharaoh was made hard, and he heard not them, as the Lord commanded. (And the Egyptian witches did likewise with their enchantments; but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.)

23 And he turned away himself (And he turned himself away), and entered into his house, neither he took it to heart, yea, in this time.

24 Forsooth all [the] Egyptians digged water about the flood, to drink; for they might not drink of [the] water of the flood. (And then all the Egyptians dug about the River for water to drink, for they could not drink the water out of the River, that is, out of the Nile.)