God’s Word Translation
Exodus 7:9
9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your shepherd’s staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,’ and it will become a large snake.”
Exodus 7:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
- New International Version (NIV)“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ”
Context of Exodus 7:9
7Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they talked to Pharaoh. 8The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your shepherd’s staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,’ and it will become a large snake.” 10Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake. 11Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.
Read all of Exodus 7Exodus 7:9 word by word
כִּי֩ יְדַבֵּ֨ר אֲלֵכֶ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנ֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם מוֹפֵ֑ת וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֧ח אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֛ וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ לִפְנֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה יְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- shall speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto you, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Shewנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- a miracleמוֹפֵתmôphêth môphêth · wonderH4159
- unto Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- Takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- thy rodמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
- and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- it shall become a serpentתַּנִּיןtannîyn tannîym · serpent: snakeH8577
Cross-references for Exodus 7:9
- Isaiah 7:11“Ask the Lord your God for a sign. It can be anything you want.”
- Matthew 12:39He responded, “The people of an evil and unfaithful era look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah.
- John 2:18The Jews reacted by asking Jesus, “What miracle can you show us to justify what you’re doing?”
- John 6:30The people asked him, “What miracle are you going to perform so that we can see it and believe in you? What are you going to do?
- John 10:38But if I’m doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I’m doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”
- Exodus 7:10Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake.
- Exodus 4:2Then the Lord asked him, “What’s that in your hand?” He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”
- Exodus 9:23When Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the Lord made it hail on Egypt.
- Exodus 10:13Moses held his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord made a wind from the east blow over the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
- Psalms 74:12And yet, from long ago God has been my king, the one who has been victorious throughout the earth.
- Ezekiel 29:3Tell him, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I’m against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. You are like a monster crocodile lying in the Nile River. You say, “The Nile River is mine. I made it for myself.”
Commentaries on Exodus 7:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Show a miracle for you - A miracle, מופת mopheth, signifies an effect produced in nature which is opposed to its laws, or such as its powers are inadequate to produce. As Moses and Aaron professed to have a Divine mission, and to come to Pharaoh on the most extraordinary occasion, making a most singular and unprecedented demand, it was natural to suppose, if Pharaoh should even give them an audience, that he would require them to give him some proof by an…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Thy rod - Apparently the rod before described Exodus 4:2, which Moses on this occasion gives to Aaron as his representative. A serpent - A word different from that in Exodus 4:3. Here a more general term, תנין tannı̂yn is employed, which in other passages includes all sea or river monsters, and is more specially applied to the crocodile as a symbol of Egypt. It occurs in the Egyptian ritual, nearly in the same form, “Tanem,” as a synonym of the monster…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 What men dislike, because it opposes their pride and lusts, they will not be convinced of; but it is easy to cause them to believe things they wish to be true. God always sends with his word full proofs of its Divine authority; but when men are bent to disobey, and willing to object, he often permits a snare to be laid wherein they are entangled. The magicians were cheats, trying to copy the real miracles of Moses by secret sleights or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9serpent: The Hebrew word tannin is different from the word translated "snake" in 4:3. Tannin often refers to a sea monster. The Bible often describes Egypt as a powerless sea monster (Isaiah 30:7; Ezekiel 29:3). The image of a cobra’s head was on the pharaoh’s headdress.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, &c.--The king would naturally demand some evidence of their having been sent from God; and as he would expect the ministers of his own gods to do the same works, the contest, in the nature of the case, would be one of miracles. Notice has already been taken of the rod of Moses (Ex 4:2), but rods were carried also by all nobles and official persons in the court of Pharaoh. It was an Egyptian custom, and the rods were…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 7:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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