Éxodo 7:12

12 Pues echó cada uno su vara, las cuales se volvieron culebras: mas la vara de Aarón devoró las varas de ellos.

Éxodo 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.)

Éxodo 7:12 In-Context

10 Vinieron, pues, Moisés y Aarón á Faraón, é hicieron como Jehová lo había mandado: y echó Aarón su vara delante de Faraón y de sus siervos, y tornóse culebra.

11 Entonces llamó también Faraón sabios y encantadores; é hicieron también lo mismo los encantadores de Egipto con sus encantamientos;

12 Pues echó cada uno su vara, las cuales se volvieron culebras: mas la vara de Aarón devoró las varas de ellos.

13 Y el corazón de Faraón se endureció, y no los escuchó; como Jehová lo había dicho.

14 Entonces Jehová dijo á Moisés: El corazón de Faraón está agravado, que no quiere dejar ir al pueblo.