Textual Notes on Exodus 7:9-13

Verse 9: Pharaoh demands a מוֹפֵת “wonder, sign, portent” from Moses and Aaron, or as the Hebrew puts it more literally, “set for yourself a sign.” This demand for a sign is perhaps indicative of how the cults of the gods and their sorcerer priests justified their service to pharaoh and all of Egypt. It also calls to mind the ostentatious use of signs by the false prophets to lead away the elect which Christ warns his disciples about in the New Testament (Matt. 24:24). Therefore, to confirm the divine origin of Moses’ demands Pharoah required the customary miracle. God anticipated this and commanded Moses to respond by casting down the staff which would turn into some sort of creature. The noun תַּנִּין may be translated as “serpent, dragon, sea monster” depending on the context (BDB). It is interesting that the word is used in Ps. 74:13 “You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters” describing the passing of Israel through the Red Sea which is a strong Egyptian connection. This seems confirmed by Is. 27:1 and 51:9-10 where the monster is named ‘Rahab,’ a nickname for Egypt in Ps. 87:4 and Is. 30:7. Too keep us from making a quick jump to the ‘sea dragon’ translation is the fact that the above mentioned references highlight the piercing of the creature in the sea instead of its being devoured by a greater creature of its same type on dry land as in pharaoh’s court. The LXX translates the word as δράκων which could mean either dragon or snake depending on the context. According to BDAG the term is often synonymous in Greek literature with όφις which was technically considered a species under the larger genus δράκων. This might push us firmly toward the “snake” translation if decide to take the lead of the Greek translators if we didn’t also realize the hydra and dragon guarding the golden fleece were also called δράκων. The only place this term comes up in the New Testament is in Revelation 12:3 which refers not to a creature of the earth but the fallen angel, Satan. What if the תַּנִּין being cast are in fact angelic beings becoming manifest in visible form? Also note that the Hebrew יְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין can be translated as “became a snake” or “became unto a snake.” The prefix לְ adds a bit of mystery to the metamorphosis, I think.

Verse 10: Obeying the Lord’s Word, Aaron cast down his staff וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הו and it became a snake or “unto a snake” וַיְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין which is the same wording in the previous verse.

Verse 11: This verse contains technical terms that require careful attention. Pharoah calls to the “wise men” לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים from the familiar Hebrew root חָכָם indicative of wisdom and expertise in craft, skill, or artifice. BDB also indicates a possibility of men who are “shrewd, crafty, cunning” or “learned and shrewd.” They indicate that the last sense is preferred for our text. Next are the מְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים or those who practice sorcery through divination or astrology. The LXX puts an interesting spin on this term calling them φαρμακούς which might mean “poisoners” or crafters of various elixirs. The literal Hebrew root כשׁף probably means “to cut oneself” or indicates the cutting of various ingredients put into a magical concoction (BDB). The next word may be a catch all for the above two terms, as the syntax suggests, or indicates a third class of magic worker altogether. The חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י are “engravers” or “writers” suggestive of those who have access to written spells in occult books (BDB). In the LXX they render it as ἐπαοιδοὶ meaning enchanters or magicians who work by charms (LSJ). In any case the whole occult apparatus at pharaoh’s disposal was summoned to match Moses and Aaron’s miracle which would presumably put pharaoh’s claims on the Israelites on equal or greater footing than the claims of the two emissaries of YHWH. They used their לַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם "secret” or mysterious arts and, indeed, seemed to match the miracle.

Verse 12: Casting down their staffs מַטֵּ֔הוּ which in other contexts indicate rank or, in this case, magical power, they became, or “became unto” using the same expression used twice above, dragons or snakes. What’s strange is that the text doesn’t say that Aaron’s snake devoured the others, but his staff מַטֵּֽה their staffs אֶת־מַטֹּתָֽם! This could indicate a display not of genuine transmutation from one substance of another but rather a victory of appearances in Moses and Aaron’s favor. If the changes were genuine, then why insist on still calling the snakes ‘staffs?’ This would put the lie to the power of the Egyptian magicians with rhetorical flourish.

Verse 13: Signs and wonders never have the convincing power moderns assign to them. The senses can be fooled which is precisely, I think, the nature and aim of the occult arts. They try to convince their witnesses of the power of the spirit or god behind the marvel. What is that power compared to the Lord’s? Pharoah’s heart was hardened, not softened by the display. God be praised Jesus gives his blessing to not those who see and believe but to those who have not seen and believed because he desires to be grasped by faith in the Word alone (John 20:29).