Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 7:25
And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
Seven days – This marks the duration of the plague. The natural discoloration of the Nile water lasts generally much longer, about 20 days.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. And seven days were fulfilled] So we learn that this plague continued at least a whole week.
THE contention between Moses and Aaron and the magicians of Egypt has become famous throughout the world. Tradition in various countries has preserved not only the account, but also the names of the chief persons concerned in the opposition made by the Egyptians to these messengers of God. Though their names are not mentioned in the sacred text, yet tradition had preserved them in the Jewish records, from which St. Paul undoubtedly quotes 2Ti 3:8, where, speaking of the enemies of the Gospel, he compares them to Jannes and Jambres, who withstood Moses. That these names existed in the ancient Jewish records, their own writings show. In the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel on this place they are called Janis and Jambris; and in the Babylonian Talmud they are named Joanne and Mambre, and are represented as chiefs of the sorcerers of Egypt, and as having ridiculed Moses and Aaron for pretending to equal them in magical arts. And Rab. Tanchum, in his Commentary, names them Jonos and Jombrus. If we allow the readings of the ancient editions of Pliny to be correct, he refers, in Hist. Nat., l. xxx., c. 2, to the same persons, the names being a little changed: Est et alia magices factio, a Mose et Jamne et Jotape Judaeis pendens, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem; “There is also another faction of magicians which took its origin from the Jews, Moses, Jamnes, and Jotapes, many thousands of years after Zoroaster;” where he confounds Moses with the Egyptian magicians; for the heathens, having no just notion of the power of God, attributed all miracles to the influence of magic. Pliny also calls the Egyptian magicians Jews; but this is not the only mistake in his history; and as he adds, sed multis millibus annorum post Zoroastrem, he is supposed by some to refer to the Christians, and particularly the apostles, who wrought many miracles, and whom he considers to be a magical sect derived from Moses and the Jews, because they were Jews by nation, and quoted Moses and the prophets in proof of the truth of the doctrines of Christianity, and of the Divine mission of Christ.
Numenius, a Pythagorean philosopher, mentioned by Eusebius, names these magicians, Jamnes and Jambres, and mentions their opposition to Moses; and we have already seen that there was a tradition among the Asiatics that Pharaoh’s daughter had Moses instructed by the wise men Jannes and Jambres; see Abul Faraje, edit. Pococ., p. 26. Here then is a very remarkable fact, the principal circumstances of which, and the chief actors in them, have been preserved by a sort of universal tradition. See Ainsworth.
When all the circumstances of the preceding case are considered, it seems strange that God should enter into any contest with such persons as the Egyptian magicians; but a little reflection will show the absolute necessity of this. Mr. Psalmanazar, who wrote the Account of the Jews in the first volume of the Universal History, gives the following judicious reasons for this: “If it be asked,” says he, “why God did suffer the Egyptian magicians to borrow power from the devil to invalidate, if possible, those miracles which his servant wrought by his Divine power, the following reasons may be given for it:
1. It was necessary that these 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 the Egyptians would have been apter to have attributed all his miracles to his skill in magic, than to the Divine power.
“2. It was necessary, in order to confirm the faith of the wavering and desponding Israelites, by making them see the difference between Moses acting by the power of God, and the sorcerers by that of Satan.
“3. It was necessary, in order to preserve them afterwards from being seduced by any false miracles from the true worship of God.”
To these a fourth reason may be added: God permitted this in mercy to the Egyptians, that they might see that the gods in whom they trusted were utterly incapable of saving them; that they could not undo or counteract one of the plagues sent on them by the power of Jehovah; the whole of their influence extending only to some superficial imitations of the genuine miracles wrought by Moses in the name of the true God. By these means it is natural to conclude that many of the Egyptians, and perhaps several of the servants of Pharaoh, were cured of their idolatry; though the king himself hardened his heart against the evidences which God brought before his eyes. Thus God is known by his judgments: for in every operation of his hand his design is to enlighten the minds of men, to bring them from false dependences to trust in himself alone; that, being saved from error and sin, they may become wise, holy, and happy. When his judgments are abroad in the earth, the inhabitants learn righteousness. (See Clarke on Ex 4:21,)
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For seven days were fulfilled, ere all the waters of Egypt were perfectly free from this infection.
Quest. How could the Egyptians subsist so long without water?
Answ.
1. Philo tells us that many of them died of this plague.
2. As the plague might come on, so it might go off, by degrees; and so the water, though mixed with blood, might give them some relief.
3. The juices of herbs, and other liquors, which were untouched with this plague, might refresh them.
4. They might have some water, either from their pits, or by rain from heaven, as was said before; or from Goshen; for though it be said that the blood was in all their vessels, Exo 7:19, yet it is not said that all that should afterwards be put into them should be turned into blood.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And seven days were fulfilled,…. Or there were full seven days, a whole week:
after that the Lord had smitten the river, and turned it into blood; here the miracle is ascribed to him; Moses and Aaron, and the rod they used, were only instruments, nothing short of almighty power could do such a miracle; it seems this lasted seven days at least. It began, as Bishop Usher o computes it, on the eighteen day of the sixth month, or Adar, part of February and part of March, and ended the twenty fifth of the same. It is not said that Pharaoh requested to have it removed, though Philo p says he did; his stubborn heart not being humbled enough as yet to ask such a favour, and therefore perhaps it was taken off without asking for it, to make way for another.
o Annal. Vet. Test. p. 20. p Ut supra. (De Vita. Mosis, l. 1. p. 617.)
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(25) And seven days were fulfilled.These words seem to mark the duration of the first plague, which was the longer because Pharaoh made no submission at all in consequence of it. Obtaining sufficient water for his own purposes (see the comment on Exo. 7:23), he thought little of its continuance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Seven days A week passed while the Nile rolled blood through Egypt, but Pharaoh obstinately shut himself in his house and made no sign of submission .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 7:25. And seven days were fulfilled It seems to follow from these words, compared with the beginning of the next chapter, that, after this plague had continued one whole week, God removed it, in order to introduce another display of his power.
REFLECTIONS.God gives warning before he strikes. Vengeance is his strange work; but when admonition is vain, then he draws the glittering sword. The judgment is heavy: all the water turned into blood, their fish destroyed, their land thus threatened with dearth, and themselves to die with thirst. The waters of the Nile were the cause of Egypt’s fruitfulness, but now they are its plague; so easily can God turn our comforts into curses. They had stained its streams with the blood of Hebrew children, and now they shall in return have blood to drink. Thus God will repay in kind; and this done openly for their greater conviction. Truth never needs or seeks the covert. Learn hence, (1.) How ill we can do without the most common blessings: the want of water only would destroy us. (2.) That we must blame our sins as the cause of all our sufferings.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
Pause my soul over the perusal of this Chapter, and behold, in the history of the Egyptian monarch, the awful state of an hardened heart. And what were the calls of his magicians to counteract the sovereignty of God, but similar instances of the obduracy of the wicked in all ages, who aim to strengthen themselves against the Almighty, and run upon the thick bosses of his buckler!
Reader: do not overlook one sweet instruction in this Chapter. What will not the Lord do for his people? Rather than Israel shall be any longer oppressed, Egypt shall be destroyed, and the noblest of rivers turned into blood. Oh! may you and I be found among those who have the Lord for their portion, and then we shall have no cause to fear, though the earth be moved, and the hills carried into the midst of the sea. Dearest Jesus! undertake for me, for thou alone canst answer for me, O, Lord my God.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 7:25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
Ver. 25. And seven days were fulfilled. ] So long the plague continued; that they might be sensible of it; and not do as the dog, who getting out of the water, shakes his ears, and there is an end. Surely if these Egyptians had believed the prediction of this plague, they would have done as Pliny saith camels do – Implentur cameli, cum bibendi est occasio et in praeteritum et in futurum. They would have drunk for hereafter also. a
a Plin., lib. viii. cap. 18.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 8:9, Exo 8:10, Exo 10:23, 2Sa 24:13
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 7:25. Seven days were fulfilled Before the plague was removed.