EXO 7

Exodus 7:3

WEB

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

BSB

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

KJV

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–7

Exodus 7:1–7

Here, I. God encourages Moses to go to Pharaoh, and at last silences all his discouragements. 1. He clothes him with great power and authority (Exo 7:1): I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; that is, my representative in this affair, as magistrates are called gods, because they are God's viceregents. He was authorized to speak and act in God's name and stead, and, under the divine direction, was endued with a divine power to do that which is above the ordinary power of nature, and invested with a divine authority to demand obedience from a sovereign prince and punish disobedience. Moses was a god, but he was only a made god, not essentially one by nature; he was no god but by commission. He was a god, but he was a god only to Pharaoh; the living and true God is a God to all the world. It is an instance of God's condescension, and an evidence that his thoughts towards us are thoughts of peace, that when he treats with men he treats by men, whose terror shall not make us afraid. 2. He again nominates him an assistant, his brother Aaron, who was not a man of uncircumcised lips, but a notable spokesman: "He shall be thy prophet," that is, "he shall speak from thee to Pharaoh, as prophets do from God to the children of men. Thou shalt, as a god, inflict and remove the plagues, and Aaron, as a prophet, shall denounce them, and threaten Pharaoh with them." 3. He tells him the worst of it, that Pharaoh would not hearken to him, and yet the work should be done at last, Israel should be delivered and God therein would be glorified, Exo 7:4, Exo 7:5. The Egyptians, who would not know the Lord, should be made to know him. Note, It is, and ought to be, satisfaction enough to God's messengers that, whatever contradiction and opposition may be given them, thus far they shall gain their point, that God will be glorified in the success of their embassy, and all his chosen Israel will be saved, and then they have no reason to say that they have laboured in vain. See here, (1.) How God glorifies himself; he makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them (Exo 6:3), and the Egyptians are made to know it by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Thus God's name is exalted both in those that are saved and in those that perish. (2.) What method he takes to do this: he humbles the proud, and exalts the poor, Luk 1:51, Luk 1:52. If God stretch out his hand to sinners in vain, he will at last stretch out his hand upon them; and who can bear the weight of it?

II. Moses and Aaron apply themselves to their work without further objection: They did as the Lord commanded them, Exo 7:6. Their obedience, all things considered, was well worthy to be celebrated, as it is by the Psalmist (Psa 105:28), They rebelled not against his word, namely, Moses and Aaron, whom he mentions, v. 26. Thus Jonah, though at first he was very averse, at length went to Nineveh. Notice is taken of the age of Moses and Aaron when they undertook this glorious service. Aaron the elder (and yet the inferior in office) was eighty-three, Moses was eighty; both of them men of great gravity and experience, whose age was venerable, and whose years might teach wisdom, v. 7. Joseph, who was to be only a servant to Pharaoh, was preferred at thirty years old; but Moses, who was to be a god to Pharaoh, was not so dignified until he was eighty years old. It was fit that he should long wait for such an honour, and be long in preparing for such a service.

Cross-references: Exod 7:1 · Exod 7:4 · Exod 7:5 · Exod 6:3 · Luke 1:51 · Luke 1:52 · Exod 7:6 · Ps 105:28

Hebrew interlinear

H589

אֲנִיʼănîy/an-ee'/

p — I

Derivation: contracted from 595;

I

KJV: I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, × which, × who.

אֲנִי

pron — I

אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I

H7185

קָשָׁהqâshâh/kaw-shaw'/

v — be dense, severe

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications)

KJV: be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)).

קָשָׁה

vb — be hard

[קָשָׁה] vb. be hard, severe, fierce

Qal

1. be hard, difficult

2. be hard, severe

Niph. hardly bestead, hard pressed

Pi. she made hard in her bearing (had severe labour)

Hiph.

1. make difficult, difficulty

2. make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king

3.

a. make hard, stiff, stubborn, fig. of obstinacy

b. shew stubbornness

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H3820

לֵבlêb/labe/

n-m — heart, feelings, will, intellect, centre

Derivation: a form of 3824;

the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything

KJV: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.

לֵב

n.m — inner man

לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart

I. seldom of things in the midst of the sea

II. elsewhere of men

1. the inner man in contrast with the outer

2. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

3. specific reference to mind

4. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will

5. spec. ref. to conscience

6. [various]

7. for the man himself

8. as seat of appetites

9. as seat of emotions and passions

10. seat of courage

לֵב קָמָי

Leb Qamay

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

H6547

פַּרְעֹהParʻôh/par-o'/

n-m — Paroh

Derivation: of Egyptian derivation;

Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings

KJV: Pharaoh.

פַּרְעֹה

n.m — Pharaoh

פַּרְעֹה 275 n.m. Pharaoh, title of Egyptian kings

H7235

רָבָהrâbâh/raw-baw'/

v — increase

Derivation: a primitive root;

to increase (in whatever respect)

KJV: (bring in) abundance (× -antly), archer (by mistake for 7232), be in authority, bring up, × continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, × -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), × process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.

רָבָה

vb — be much

[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great

Qal 59

1. become many, numerous

2.

a. be great

b. grow great (Aramaism)

Pi. 4 make large, increase

Hiph. 162

1. make much or many

2. make great, obj. pers.

רָבָה

vb — shoot

[רָבָה] vb. shoot;—only Qal Gn 21:20

H226

אוֹתʼôwth/oth/

n-f — signal, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence

Derivation: probably from 225 (in the sense of appearing);

a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.

KJV: mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.

אוֹת

n.m — sign

אוֹת n.m. 79 Ex 4:8 (f. Jos 24:17) sign

1. sign, pledge, token

2. signs, omens promised by prophets as pledges of certain predicted events

3. sign, symbol of prophets

4. signs, miracles, as pledges or attestations of divine presence & interposition

5. signs, memorials

6. sign, pledge of covenant

7. ensigns, standards

8. signs, tokens of changes of weather & times

H4159

מוֹפֵתmôwphêth/mo-faith'/

n-m — miracle, token, omen

Derivation: or מֹפֵת; from 3302 in the sense of conspicuousness;

a miracle; by implication, a token or omen

KJV: miracle, sign, wonder(-ed at).

מוֹפֵת

n.m — wonder

מוֹפֵת n.m. wonder, sign, portent

1. wonder, as special display of God’s power

2. sign or token of future event

H776

אֶרֶץʼerets/eh'-rets/

n-f — earth, land

Derivation: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm;

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

KJV: × common, country, earth, field, ground, land, × natins, way, + wilderness, world.

אֶ֫רֶץ

n. f — earth

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

1.

a. earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

b. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

c. earth = inhabitants of earth

2. land =

a. country, territory

b. district, region

c. trial territory

d. piece of ground

e. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

f. = inhabitants of land

g. used even of Shᵉʼôl

3.

a. ground, surface of ground

b. soil, as productive

4. אֶרֶץ in phrases

a. people of the land

b. in measurements of distance

c. the country of the plain, level or plain country

d. land of the living

e. end(s) of the earth

5. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

H4714

מִצְרַיִםMitsrayim/mits-rah'-yim/

n-pr — Mitsrajim

Derivation: dual of 4693;

Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt

KJV: Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.

מִצְרַ֫יִם

n.pr.terr — Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

1.

a. of land, Egypt

b. combinations

2. of people:

a. in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

b. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

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