Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 7:12
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
12. swallowed up their rods ] and so gave proof of Aaron’s superiority to the magicians.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 12. Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.] As Egypt was remarkably addicted to magic, sorcery, c., it was necessary that God should permit Pharaoh’s wise men to act to the utmost of their skill in order to imitate the work of God, that his superiority might be clearly seen, and his powerful working incontestably ascertained and this was fully done when Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. We have already seen that the names of two of the chief of these magicians were Jannes and Jambres; See Clarke on Ex 2:10, and 2Ti 3:8. Many traditions and fables concerning these may be seen in the eastern writers.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They became serpents; either,
1. In appearance. For the Scripture oft speaks of things otherwise than they are, because they seem to be so. And therefore as the devil appearing to Saul in the likeness of Samuel is called Samuel; so may these rods upon the same account be called serpents, because through diabolical illusion they seemed to be so. Or,
2. Really, in manner expressed, Exo 7:11.
Aarons rod swallowed up their rods; by which it was evident, either that Aarons rod was turned into a real serpent, because it had the real properties and effects of a serpent, viz. to devour; or, at least, that the God of Israel was infinitely more powerful than the Egyptian idols or devils.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. but Aaron’s rod swallowed uptheir rodsThis was what they could not be prepared for, andthe discomfiture appeared in the loss of their rods, which wereprobably real serpents.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents,…. That is, they seemed to be so, as Josephus z 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.
z Antiqu. ut supra. (l. 2. c. 13 sect. 3.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
12. For they cast down every man. The number of the magicians is not expressed; and although Paul names two, Jannes and Jambres, (86) (2Ti 3:8,) it is probable that they were not the only ones, but the chief, and, as it were, the ringleaders. But I will not dispute this questionable point. The admonition of Paul is more to the purpose, that “as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses,” so also there should always be false teachers, who would oppose Christ’s true ministers, and indeed should “wax worse and worse.” (Verse 13.) It is an awful fact that the reins were so given to these magicians, that they contended with Moses in almost an equal contest. But the ingratitude of the world is worthy of bearing the same punishment of blindness. God elsewhere testifies that when He permits false prophets to work miracles to deceive, it is to prove men’s hearts. (Deu 13:3.) And truly, unless our own hypocrisy were like a veil to take away the distinction between black and white, Satan would avail nothing by such arts and deceptions; but we ourselves, as if devoted to destruction, willingly cast ourselves into his nets; but especially against the reprobate, who obstinately seek for occasions of error, God casts this last thunderbolt, namely, He gives efficacy to the delusion, and so deprives them of their senses at the same time, that they do not guard themselves from manifest destruction. Many indeed would excuse Pharaoh, because, being deceived by his magicians, he did not disentangle himself from the error which he could not escape; for what could he do when he saw the contest equally maintained? But it must be thoroughly understood that none are so hurried away except those whom God would resist; especially the spirit of confusion and mental blindness seizes on those who have been obstinate in their wickedness. Nor must the mark of distinction be overlooked, that the rod of Moses swallowed up the rods of the magicians. How then was it that Pharaoh did not perceive Moses to be victorious? how was it that he rather turned aside to his own impostors? how was it, in fine, that he did not acknowledge God’s servant who had been superior in the contest, except that the wicked maliciously close their eyes against the manifested power of God? Whosoever will aim at the right mark shall certainly never be destitute of God as his guide. Therefore blame is justly thrown upon Pharaoh, because through the hardness of his heart he would not attend. Too frivolous is that cavil which the Papists advance, that the serpent is called the rod of Moses, as the bread transubstantiated into the body of Christ retains the name of bread; (87) for they unskillfully confound two altogether different things; because, in the mystery of the Lord’s Supper, the analogy between the sign and the thing signified always remains; in this miracle the case is entirely otherwise. Again, because the change was only temporary, Moses properly called that a rod to which its previous form was presently to be restored. Besides, in comparing the true serpent with the fictitious ones, he was unwilling to make a difference in names. But, to pass all this over, the Papists will prevail nothing, until they have shewn that the bread is transubstantiated into the body. (88) Nay, what they foolishly wrest against us, we may retort upon them, namely, that the bread is called the body of Christ although it remains bread, just as the serpent which then appeared is called the rod.
(86) C. has Mambres, the reading of the Vulgate.
(87) “This is a metonymy,” says Corn. a Lapide in loco, “for things are often called by the name of what they were, or of that into which they are changed. So Philo, St. Augustine, etc. For a similar or better reason, (however Calvin may here rail,) the flesh of Christ in the holy Sacrament is called bread, (1Co 11:26, and Joh 6:31😉 for the Jews call all sorts of food, and even flesh, by the name of bread, especially since in the Eucharist the accidents of bread and wine remain, and are seen; thus, judging as men by their eyesight and senses, they rightly call it bread, because they see and touch the species of bread.”
The subject is somewhat more fully discussed by C. himself — Institutes, Book 4., ch. 17. 15. — C. Soc. Transl. , Vol. 3, pp. 402, 403.
(88) This clause is inverted in the Fr. , “Que le corps est transubstantie au pain.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
12. They cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents Crocodiles, as above . Moses wrought a miracle which they could easily imitate, for all the apparent transformations with which our modern jugglers have made us familiar, and even more wonderful ones than these, have been practised in Egypt and the East from an unknown antiquity . The author describes the transaction just as it appeared to those who saw it, as we would describe similar apparent transformations wrought by a juggler today, but his language cannot fairly be pressed to prove that these magicians possessed any supernatural power . The most famous magicians have always professed to deceive, and declared that their most striking exploits were mere illusions; and how much more than deception there is in magic and sorcery, and whether all their wonders are literally “lying wonders,” must be held as still open questions; but it is certain that Satan has ever used such dark arts and powers to resist the truth. See the Introduction to the History of the Plagues, 2.
But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods This was prophetic of the religion that was soon to swallow up all the boasted wisdom of Egypt, and the true miracle was thus also distinguished from the “lying wonder.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 7:12. For they cast down every man his rod The ancient magicians were a species of profane conjurors, who, claiming Divine assistance, used frequently to contend with each other, in proof of the power of those deities whose assistance they claimed. That they were aided by the craft and subtlety of those diabolic beings, whom they idolized and worshipped, there can be no question, from the history of idolatry. But one would have thought, that the evident superiority of Moses and Aaron, discovered by their rod, (that is, the serpent, into which the rod was turned,) swallowing up the rods, i.e. the serpents of the magicians, would have convinced them, that the power by which these Israelites acted, was really divine. This was an evident prognostic of the event of the ensuing contest, wherein Jehovah vanquished and destroyed all the gods of Egypt in reality, as he did here in symbols. It has been remarked, that a serpent, in the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, denoted the Supreme Deity; see Euseb. Praep. Evang. lib. 1: &c. Some have supposed, and Josephus among the rest, that what the magicians produced, were only the appearances of serpents: but the text knows no such distinction. Nothing can be plainer, than that real serpents were produced by the magicians. “If it be asked,” say the Authors of the Universal History, “why God suffered the magicians to act thus, by a power borrowed from the devil, in order, if possible, to invalidate those miracles which his servant wrought by his Divine power; the following reasons may be given for it: First, It was necessary that those magicians should be suffered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses, in order to clear him from the imputation of magic or sorcery: for, as the notion of such an extraordinary art was very rife, (and with good reason,) not only among the Egyptians, but all other nations; if they had not entered into this strenuous competition with him, and been at length overcome by him, both the Hebrews and Egyptians would have been apter to attribute all his miracles to his skill in magic, than to the Divine Power. Secondly, It was necessary, in order to confirm the faith of the wavering and desponding Israelites, by making them know the difference between Moses’s acting by the power of GOD, and the sorcerers by that of Satan. And, lastly, in order to preserve them afterwards from being seduced, by any false miracles, from the true worship of God.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Exo 4:21 ; Zec 7:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
Ver. 12. And they became serpents. ] Not really such, but in appearance only. The devil’s miracles are mere impostures, phantasms, delusions. And this was the first plague that God inflicted upon Pharaoh.
Swallowed up their rods.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.
rod. Figure of speech Ampliatio (App-6). The rod still called a rod, though it had become a serpent.
swallowed up: and thus inflicted the first blow on the gods of Egypt. See note on Exo 7:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Aaron’s rod
(Cf) Exo 4:2 As Moses’ rod was the rod of power, the rod of the King Deu 33:4; Deu 33:5 so Aaron’s was the rod of life, the rod of the Priest. As here the serpents, symbols of Satan, who had the power of death; Rev 12:9; Heb 2:14 are swallowed up, so in resurrection death will be “swallowed up in victory”; 1Co 15:54; Num 17:8.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
but Aaron’s: Exo 8:18, Exo 8:19, Exo 9:11, Act 8:9-13, Act 13:8-11, Act 19:19, Act 19:20, 1Jo 4:4
Reciprocal: Psa 105:26 – Aaron Pro 23:32 – At Dan 1:20 – the magicians Act 16:16 – possessed 2Ti 3:9 – their Rev 13:13 – he doeth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 7:12. They became serpents The authors of the Universal History cast considerable light on this subject: If it be asked, say they, why God suffered the magicians to act thus, by a power borrowed from the devil, in order to invalidate, if possible, those miracles which his servant wrought by his divine power, the following reasons may be given for it: First, It was necessary that those magicians should be suffered to exert the utmost of their power against Moses, in order to clear him from the imputation of magic or sorcery; for as the notion of such an extraordinary art was very rife, not only among the Egyptians, but all other nations, if they had not entered into this strenuous competition with him, and been at length overcome by him, both the Hebrews and Egyptians would have been more apt to attribute all his miracles to his skill in magic, than to the divine power. Secondly, It was necessary in order to confirm the faith of the wavering and desponding Israelites, by making them see the difference between Mosess acting by the power of God, and the sorcerers by that of Satan. And, lastly, In order to preserve them afterward from being seduced by any false miracles, from the true worship of God.