Exodus 7:12

12 und warfen ein jeder seinen Stab hin, und sie wurden zu Schlangen; aber Aarons Stab verschlang ihre Stäbe.

Exodus 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 7:12

For they cast down every man his rod, and they became
serpents
That is, they seemed to be so, as Josephus ^F26 expresses it, but not really, in which he is followed by many; though some think that the devil assisted in this affair, and in an instant, as soon as the rods were cast down, removed them and put real serpents in their room:

but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods;
that is, the serpent that Aaron's rod was turned into, swallowed up the rods of the magicians, which never were otherwise than rods only in appearance; or if real serpents were put in the room of them, these were devoured by his serpent called his rod, because it was before turned into a serpent, as Aben Ezra observes; though the Targums of Jonathan, Jarchi, and R. Jeshua, suppose this was done after the serpent became a rod again; which makes the miracle the greater and more wonderful, that a rod should devour other rods; and supposing them real serpents, this was what the magicians could not make their rods do, and in which they were outdone by Aaron.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Antiqu. ut supra. (l. 2. c. 13 sect. 3.)

Exodus 7:12 In-Context

10 Und Mose und Aaron gingen zu dem Pharao hinein und taten also, wie Jehova geboten hatte; und Aaron warf seinen Stab hin vor dem Pharao und vor seinen Knechten, und er wurde zur Schlange.

11 Da berief auch der Pharao die Weisen und die Zauberer; und auch sie, die Schriftgelehrten Ägyptens, taten also mit ihren Zauberkünsten

12 und warfen ein jeder seinen Stab hin, und sie wurden zu Schlangen; aber Aarons Stab verschlang ihre Stäbe.

13 Und das Herz des Pharao verhärtete sich, und er hörte nicht auf sie, so wie Jehova geredet hatte.

14 Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Das Herz des Pharao ist verstockt; er weigert sich, das Volk ziehen zu lassen.