Month: August 2025

Exodus 7

Exodus 7:1 And Yahveh said to Moses, “See, I have given you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

Exodus 7:2 You will tell all that I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to send the sons of Israel out of his land.

Exodus 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and although I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

Exodus 7:4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will give my hand to Egypt and bring my armies, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.

Exodus 7:5 The Egyptians will know that I am Yahveh, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and expel the sons of Israel from among them.”

Exodus 7:6 Moses and Aaron did this; they did just as Yahveh commanded them.

Exodus 7:7 And Moses was already eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:8 At that time Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,

Exodus 7:9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Give for yourselves a miracle,’ then you will say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a crocodile.'”[1]

Exodus 7:10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as Yahveh commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his slaves, and it became a crocodile.

Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh called the wise men and the ones who practice magic, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.

Exodus 7:12 Because each man threw down his staff, and they became crocodiles. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 7:13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was made strong, and he would not listen to them, as Yahveh had spoken.

Exodus 7:14 So Yahveh said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to send out the people.

Exodus 7:15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, notice, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him and take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake.

Exodus 7:16 And you will say to him, ‘Yahveh, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, and this is what he said, “Send away my people, so that they may serve me in the open country. But I noticed so far, you have not obeyed.”

Exodus 7:17 Now Yahveh says, “By this you will know that I am Yahveh: notice, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it will turn into blood.

Exodus 7:18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will get tired of drinking water from the Nile.”‘”

Exodus 7:19 And Yahveh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the water sources of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there will be blood all the way through the land of Egypt, even in containers made of wood and in containers made of stone.'”

Exodus 7:20 Moses and Aaron did what Yahveh commanded. While Pharaoh and his slaves looked on, he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.

Exodus 7:21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood all the way through the land of Egypt.

Exodus 7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So, Pharaoh’s heart remained strong, and he would not listen to them, as Yahveh had said.

Exodus 7:23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.

Exodus 7:24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the Nile.

Exodus 7:25 Seven full days passed after Yahveh had struck the Nile.

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[1] תַּנִּין = crocodile. Exodus 7:9, 10, 12. (HALOT #10234, B2b).

Exodus 7 quotes:

“Translations usually miss God’s improvisation and the highly symbolic significance of this text. (The NIV unfortunately has “snake.”) The word is not the same one used to refer to Moses’ staff becoming a snake (nakhash) in 4:3. Aaron’s staff became a “monstrous snake” (so Durham, from tannin) or perhaps a “crocodile” (the Egyptian crocodile god was Sobek). In other biblical texts the NIV translates this word as “monster of the deep” (Job 7:12) or as “monster” (Isa. 27:1), associated with Leviathan, the symbol of the chaos of the sea (see also Pss. 74:13; 148:7; Isa. 51:9; Jer. 51:34; Gen. 1:21). The word occurs in parallel verse with “cobra” in Deuteronomy 32:33 and Psalm 91:13. In Ezekiel it is a symbol of the pharaoh (Ezek. 29:3; 32:2). The point is that it was a large and terrifying reptile that was a symbol of Pharaoh’s power and the chaos he had brought upon the children of Israel. The emphasis stands in contrast to verse 15, where Moses’ staff “that was changed into a snake” once again uses the common word for snake (nakhash).”

Bruckner James K. Exodus. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster 2008. p. 75-76.

“… the contest is between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt—a power struggle to determine who is in control of human affairs. Of course, Yahweh will ultimately prevail, and perhaps 7:3—regardless of the problematic nature—is an important means by which the text declares Yahweh’s ultimate sovereignty over all life. Exodus 7:5 affirms this perspective. When the matter is finally settled, “the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh.” Pharaoh’s struggle is with the sovereign Lord of all creation.”

Newsome, James D. Exodus. 1st ed, Geneva Press, 1998. p. 29.

” After the obedience, the manifestation of the promise occurs. This is always the pattern.”

Dean, Jennifer Kennedy. Fueled by Faith : Living Vibrantly in the Power of Prayer. New Hope Publishers, 2005. p. 125.

Exodus 7 links:

Exodus- contest
getting Egypt’s attention
when miracles are insufficient
where we live

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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, March 12, 2021
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, March 14, 2023

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EXODUS in Jeff’s library

Exodus 5

Exodus 5:1 After that, Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahveh – the God of Israel – says, ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a feast to me in the open country.'”

Exodus 5:2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahveh, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahveh, and I will not also let Israel go.”

Exodus 5:3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the open country that we may sacrifice to Yahveh our God, or else he will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

Exodus 5:4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.”

Exodus 5:5 And Pharaoh said, “Notice, the people of the land are now many, and you are making them rest from their burdens!”

Exodus 5:6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the slavedrivers of the people and their foremen,

Exodus 5:7 “You will no longer provide straw for the people to make bricks, as you have in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exodus 5:8 But you will impose on them the same number of bricks that they made in the past, you will not reduce it, because they are lazy. Therefore, they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’

Exodus 5:9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

Exodus 5:10 So the slavedrivers and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw.

Exodus 5:11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'”

Exodus 5:12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Exodus 5:13 The slavedrivers pressed them, and this is what they said, “Finish your work, your daily task each day, just as when there was straw.”

Exodus 5:14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s slavedrivers had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your prescribed task[1] of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”

Exodus 5:15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, and this is what they said “Why do you treat your slaves like this?

Exodus 5:16 No straw is given to your slaves, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And notice, your slaves are beaten; but your own people have failed.”[2]

Exodus 5:17 But he said, “You are lazy, you are lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahveh.’

Exodus 5:18 Go now and get to work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.”

Exodus 5:19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You will not reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.”

Exodus 5:20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood before them, as they came out from Pharaoh;

Exodus 5:21 and they said to them, “Yahveh look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and his slaves and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Exodus 5:22 Then Moses turned to Yahveh and said, “O LORD, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?

Exodus 5:23 Because since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not stripped your people at all.”

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[1]  חֹק = prescribed task. Exodus 5:14; 12:24; 15:25, 26; 18:16, 20; 29:28; 30:21.

[2] חָטָא = fail. Exodus 5:16; 9:27, 34; 10:16; 20:20; 23:33; 29:36; 32:30, 31, 33.0; 29:28; 30:21.

Exodus 5 quotes:

“Here Moses was, finally doing God’s will God’s way. And what happened? Everything went wrong! Pharaoh rejected his request and tightened the screws of oppression on the Hebrews. Even Moses’ people turned against him, faulting him for their increased labors.”

Swindoll, Charles R., and William D. Watkins. Moses, God’s Man for a Crisis Bible Study Guide from the Bible-Teaching Ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. Insight for Living ; Distributed by Word, Educational Products Division, 1985. p. 62.

“First, Moses went to the source of the enslavement he wanted to destroy—the Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1). We too must go the sources of the slavery we want to end. If our children are being oppressed by false philosophies in their schools, then we must go to the school boards with our complaints instead of talking behind their backs. If laws in our communities are inadequate or unfair, then let us go to the sources of these laws to seek changes.”

Staton, Knofel. Struggle for Freedom. New Life Books, 1977. p. 29.

“Exodus 5 sees the full engagement of the conflict concerning who was in control and who would be served. The Egyptian perspective was that the hierarchy of service went as follows: Pharaoh — other gods > Egyptians > other peoples including the Hebrews. The book of Exodus has another perspective: Yahweh — Moses, Aaron, and the Hebrews > Pharaoh. The conflict between these two political models will not be resolved until 12:31-33, when Pharaoh says, “Leave … Go, worship the LORD.” Here in Exodus 5, however, the pharaoh wins the first round. Moses is in the midst of the fray when God renews his call in Exodus 6. God does not leave him without guidance when Moses seeks the face of the Lord.”

Bruckner, James K. Exodus. Hendrickson Publishers ; Paternoster, 2008. p. 62.

Exodus 5 links:

behind the scenes
Exodus- pressure
resistance to the miracle

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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, March 11, 2021

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EXODUS in Jeff’s library

Exodus 4

Exodus 4:1 Then Moses answered, “But notice,[1] they will not believe me or listen to my voice, because they will say, ‘Yahveh did not appear to you.'”

Exodus 4:2 Yahveh said to him, “What is this in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”

Exodus 4:3 And he said, “Throw it to the ground.” So, he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake,[2] and Moses ran from it.

Exodus 4:4 But Yahveh said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail” – so he put out his hand and held it strongly,[3] and it became a staff in his hand-

Exodus 4:5 “that they may believe that Yahveh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Exodus 4:6 Again, Yahveh said to him, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” And he put his hand inside his shirt, and when he took it out, he noticed his hand was leprous like snow.

Exodus 4:7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your shirt.” So, he put his hand back inside his shirt, and when he took it out, he noticed it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

Exodus 4:8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

Exodus 4:9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you will take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you will take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

Exodus 4:10 But Moses said to Yahveh, “Oh, my Lord, I am not articulate, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your slave,[4] but I am heavy of speech and of tongue.”

Exodus 4:11 Then Yahveh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, Yahveh?

Exodus 4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you will speak.”

Exodus 4:13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Exodus 4:14 Then the anger of Yahveh was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Notice, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

Exodus 4:15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.

Exodus 4:16 He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth, and you will be as God to him.

Exodus 4:17 And take into your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.”

Exodus 4:18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and asked him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”

Exodus 4:19 And Yahveh had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your throat are dead.”

Exodus 4:20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

Exodus 4:21 And Yahveh said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see to all the miracles before Pharaoh that I have put in your power. But I will make his heart strong, so that he will not let the people go.

Exodus 4:22 Then you will say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what Yahveh says, Israel is my firstborn son,

Exodus 4:23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, notice, I will kill your firstborn son.'”

Exodus 4:24 At a lodging place on the way Yahveh met him and sought to put him to death.

Exodus 4:25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”

Exodus 4:26 So he let him alone. It was at that time that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

Exodus 4:27 Yahveh had told Aaron, “Go into the open country to meet Moses.” So, he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

Exodus 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahveh with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.

Exodus 4:29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.

Exodus 4:30 Aaron spoke all the words that Yahveh had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.

Exodus 4:31 And the people believed; and when they heard that Yahveh had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

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[1] הֵן = notice. Exodus 4:1; 5:5; 6:12, 30; 8:26.

[2] נָחָשׁ = snake. Exodus 4:3; 7:15.

[3]חָזַק = be strong, strongly. Exodus 4:4, 21; 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:2, 12, 35; 10:20, 27; 11:10; 12:33; 14:4, 8, 17; 19:19.

[4] עֶבֶד = slave. Exodus 4:10; 5:15, 16, 21; 7:10, 20; 8:3, 4, 9, 11, 21, 24, 29, 31; 9:14, 20, 21, 30, 34; 10:1, 6, 7; 11:3, 8; 12:30, 44; 13:3, 14; 14:5, 31; 20:2, 10, 17; 21:2, 5, 7, 20, 26, 27, 32; 32:13.

Exodus 4 quotes:

“What has God put in your hand? It might be a gift or a talent or a resource that you don’t think very much of. Moses didn’t walk around admiring the rod he carried in his hand. But God used it for great glory. You may think God has to put something new or different in your hand before He can use you. But right now, God has put something in your hand that He can use. You have some gift, some interest, some ability that marks your life. God wants to ask you the same question He asked Moses: “What is that in your hand?” The answer may reveal how God wants to use you today.”

Guzik, David. Free and Clear. Enduring Word Media, 2004. p. 25.

“In Exodus 4:16 God tells Moses that when Aaron speaks for him he shall be to Aaron as God. This is a remarkable assertion. It reveals in part the process of divine revelation. God will be with the mouth of Moses so that Moses will speak God’s Word; Aaron will hear the Word from Moses and speak it to the Israelites and Egyptians. Aaron can only speak what Moses says, and only Aaron will speak what Moses says. As the mouthpiece of -Moses, Aaron is acting as if Moses were God to him. Revelation is God speaking through the mouth of one man to another.”

Ramm, Bernard L. God’s Way out : Finding the Road to Personal Freedom through Exodus. Regal Books, 1987. p. 35.

“Although it is impossible to know exactly what Moses was thinking here, it seems likely there were at least two dynamics at work here. First, his words in Exodus 4:13 may have been a last ditch plea based on Moses’ sense of his insufficiency for the task set before him. But I think there is something else going on here. Moses’ words also display fear, stubbornness, recalcitrance, lack of faithfulness, and his self-centeredness. After all of God’s promises, Moses is still focusing on himself and his insufficiencies. God was not pleased. In Exodus 4:14 we learn that “the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.” In the verses that follow, God graciously offers Aaron to serve as Moses” mouthpiece, once again displaying to Moses that God’s ‘power is sufficient. But while God was gracious to Moses,”

Selvaggio, Anthony T. From Bondage to Liberty : The Gospel according to Moses. P&R Publishing, 2014. p. 65.

Exodus 4 links:

changing for the sake of the mission
Exodus- reluctance
sharing his passion
what I cannot do

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Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, March 8, 2019
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Thursday, July 13, 2017
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Wednesday, July 12, 2017

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EXODUS in Jeff’s library