Exodus 7:12
in Exodus 7Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
KJV
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
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This verse in Exodus 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAaron’s rod swallowed up their rods - As Egypt was remarkably addicted to magic, sorcery, etc., 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 Exo 2:10 (note), and 2Ti 3:8 (note).
This site's exposition
Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers
on Exodus 7:11-12
The magicians match the sign, the first of their three stages. They copy the staff, the blood at verse 22 and the frogs at 8:7. They fail at the gnats at 8:19, and at 9:11 they cannot stand before Moses for the boils.
This site's exposition
swallowed up the other staffs
The magicians match the first part of the sign, and then Aaron's staff swallows theirs, showing the LORD's power over Egypt's arts. Adam Clarke held that God permitted their skill so His superiority would be clear.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents,....
He chastises his disobedience by a plague, the first of the ten, turning the waters into blood; but Pharaoh hardens his heart against this correction,
Here is the first of the ten plagues, the turning of the water into blood, which was, 1. A dreadful plague, and very grievous. The very sight of such vast rolling streams of blood, pure blood no doubt, florid and high-colored, could not but strike a horror upon people: much more afflictive were the consequences of it.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
WE shall not attempt to discuss the question as to whether these magicians actually did turn their rods into serpents or not. It is probable that they, by dexterous sleight of hand, substituted living serpents for dry rods and so deceived the eyes of Pharaoh. On the other hand, it is possible that God was pleased to permit the devil to aid their enchantments, and so the old serpent produced a brood. But into that question, I say, I shall not enter. It is of no importance which opinion we may hold.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods--This was what they could not be prepared for, and the discomfiture appeared in the loss of their rods, which were probably real serpents.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
WE shall not attempt to discuss the question as to whether these magicians actually did turn their rods into serpents or not. It is probable that they, by dexterous sleight of hand, substituted living serpents for dry rods and so deceived the eyes of Pharaoh. On the other hand, it is possible that God was pleased to permit the devil to aid their enchantments, and so the old serpent produced a brood. But into that question, I say, I shall not enter. It is of no importance which opinion we may hold. Curious questions must this morning give way to important Truths of God. I call your attention to the fact that Aaron's rod proved its Heaven-given superiority and silenced all the boastings of Jannes and Jambres by readily swallowing up all their rods. This incident is an instructive emblem of the sure victory of the Divine handiwork over all the opposition of men. Whenever a Divine thing is cast into the heart, or thrown upon the earth, it swallows up everything else. And though the devil may fashion a counterfeit and produce swarms of opponents, as sure as ever God is in the work, it will swallow up all its foes. "Aaron's rod swallowed up all their rods." Without any preface, let me ask you, first of all, to observe this fact. When we have duly considered it, let us, in the second place, draw an inference from it. And then, in closing, let me endeavor to show some reasons why it is right that it should be so. I. Let us turn aside to see this great sight—the Divine triumphant over the diabolical—the spiritual subduing the natural—AARON'S ROD SWALLOWING ALL ITS RIVALS. 1. Let us take the case of the awakened sinner. That man was, a few days ago, as worldly, as carnal, as impassive as he well could be.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
This, the swallowing of the magicians’ rods by Aaron’s staff and their consequent disappearance, 58 The magicians’ rods disappeared permanently. was a second wonder.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
AND THEY ALSO, THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, DID IN LIKE MANNER ‘B’LAHATEIHEM’ (WITH THEIR SECRET ARTS). Our Rabbis have said. Sanhedrin 67b.
By itself. 62 God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh hardened it himself.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙ | vaiyashlikhu | and they threw down | H7993 → | 125 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each one | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מַטֵּ֔הוּ | matehu | staff his | H4294 → | 252 times |
| וַיִּהְי֖וּ | vaiyihyu | and they became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְתַנִּינִ֑ם | letaninim | <into> serpents | H8577 → | 28 times |
| וַיִּבְלַ֥ע | vaiyivla' | and it swallowed up | H1104 → | |
| מַטֵּֽה־ | mateh- | [the] staff of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֖ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַטֹּתָֽם׃ | matotam | staffs their | H4294 → | 252 times |
וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙and they threw down
vaiyashlikhuH7993 →125 times
אִ֣ישׁeach one
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מַטֵּ֔הוּstaff his
matehuH4294 →252 times
וַיִּהְי֖וּand they became
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
לְתַנִּינִ֑ם<into> serpents
letaninimH8577 →28 times
וַיִּבְלַ֥עand it swallowed up
vaiyivla'H1104 →
מַטֵּֽה־[the] staff of
mateh-H4294 →252 times
אַהֲרֹ֖ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַטֹּתָֽם׃staffs their
matotamH4294 →252 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 John 4:4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 1 John 5:4
because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
- Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
- 1 John 4:16
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
- Romans 8:31
Through
Exodus 9:11The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 3:8–9
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
- Isaiah 47:12–14
So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!
- Exodus 8:18–19
The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.
- 2 Timothy 3:8–9
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 521, The Power of Aaron's Rod; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon 521, The Power of Aaron's Rod; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 521: “The Power Of Aaron'S Rod” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.