Exodus

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NASB	Exodus 7:10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
AMPLIFIED 2015	Exodus 7:10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the LORD had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

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Bible Question: How was it that Pharaoh's Egyptian magicians were able to perform the same "wonders" as Aaron's staff? (Exodus 7:10)

thanks,
beth

Bible Answer: Greetings beth!

Here's a good quote:

"7:11 magicians. Magic and sorcery played a major role in the pantheistic religion of Egypt. Its ancient documents record the activities of the magicians, one of the most prominent being the charming of serpents. These men were also styled "wise men" and "sorcerers," i.e., the learned men of the day and the religious as well (the word for sorcery being derived from a word meaning "to offer prayers"). Two of these men were named Jannes and Jambres (cf. 2 Tim. 3:8). Any supernatural power came from Satan (cf. 2 Cor. 11:13-15). enchantments. By means of their "secret arts" or "witchcraft," the wise men, sorcerers, and magicians demonstrated their abilities to perform a similar feat. Whether by optical illusion, sleight of hand, or learned physical manipulation of a snake, all sufficiently skillful enough to totally fool Pharaoh and his servants, or by evil supernaturalism, the evaluation given in the inspired record is simply "they also did in like manner." However, the turning of rods into snakes, and later turning water into blood (7:22) and calling forth frogs (8:7), were not the same as trying to create lice from inanimate dust (8:18-19). At that point, the magicians had no option but to confess their failure.

7:12 Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. The loss of the magicians' rods in this fashion gave evidence of the superiority of God's power when Aaron's rod gulped down theirs.

(...)

7:22 the magicians...did so with their enchantments. How ludicrous and revealing that the magicians resorted to copycat methodology instead of reversing the plague. What they did, bringing just more blood, did serve, however, to bolster Pharaoh's stubbornness."

"The Ten Plagues on Egypt
**************************************

The Plague / Egyptian Deity / The Effect
1. Blood (7:20) / Hapi / Pharaoh hardened (7:22)
2. Frogs (8:6) / Heqt / Pharaoh begs relief, promises freedom (8:8), but is hardened (8:15)
3. Lice (8:17) / Hathor, Nut / Pharaoh hardened (8:19)
4. Flies (8:24) / Shu, Isis / Pharaoh bargains (8:28), but is hardened (8:32)
5. Livestock diseased (9:6) / Apis / Pharaoh hardened (9:7)
6. Boils (9:10) / Sekhmet / Pharaoh hardened (9:12)
7. Hail (9:23) / Geb / Pharaoh begs relief (9:27), promises freedom (9:28), but is hardened (9:35)
8. Locusts (10:13) / Serapis / Pharaoh bargains (10:11), begs relief (10:17), but is hardened (10:20)
9. Darkness (10:22) / Ra / Pharaoh bargains (10:24), but is hardened (10:27)
10. Death of firstborn (12:29) / / Pharaoh and Egyptians beg Israel to leave Egypt (12:31-33)"

Taken from the MacArthur Study Bible (pgs. 102-103, 1997, Word Publishing)

Egypt was not able to deny the direct involvement of the God of Israel in their rescue from bondage, and God triumphed over each Egyptian deity, one by one, through the supernatural nature of each miraculous plague.

Blessings to you,

Nolan

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Questions and/or Subjects for Ex 7:10

Author

How did magicians perform "wonders"? (?)

beth7

Scripture ... Exo 7:11,22; 8:7, 18 ... ...

Searcher56

Greetings beth! Here's a good quote:...

Makarios

How did they do it? (?)

beth7

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Exodus