The Skeptics Annotated Bible (62 page)

4 But
Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt
, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

(7.4)
“Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt.”

5
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD
, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

(7.5)
“And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.”
(Who else could be so cruel and unjust?)

6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

(7.9-12) God tells Moses and Aaron that when Pharaoh asks for a miracle just throw your rod down and it will become a serpent. So when the time comes, Aaron throws down his rod and it becomes a serpent. But the Egyptian magicians duplicate this trick, too. Luckily, for Aaron, his snake swallows theirs. (Whew!)

9
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.

(7.9)
“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.”

10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and
Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

(7.10)
“Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”

11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers:
now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

12
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods
.

(7.11-12a)
“Now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents;”
The magicians know the rod to serpent trick too! Score: Aaron 1, Magicians 1

(7.12b)
“But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”
But Aaron’s rod-snake swallowed theirs, so Aaron gets another point.
Score: Aaron 2, Magicians 1

(7.13-14) God hardens Pharaoh’s heart the 3rd time.

13
And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them
; as the LORD had said.

(7.13)
“And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them.”
95 Who hardened the Pharaoh’s heart?

14
And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

(7.14)
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.”
(Well, yeah! His heart was hardened by you.)

The First Plague
(7.15-24)
The river is turned into blood
After the rod to serpent trick, God tells Moses and Aaron to smite the river and turn it into blood. This is the first of the famous 10 plagues of Egypt. Unfortunately, the magicians know this trick too, and they do so with their enchantments. Shucks! Just how the river could be turned to blood by the Egyptian sorcerers after it had been turned to blood by Moses and Aaron is not explained.

15
Get thee unto Pharaoh
in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and
thou shalt stand by the river’s brink
against he come;
and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand
.

(7.15)
“Get thee unto Pharaoh … thou shalt stand by the river’s brink … and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.”

16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

17 Thus saith the LORD,
In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

(7.17)
“In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.”
(You’ll know that God is the Lord when he turns a river into blood.)

18
And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river
.

(7.18)
“And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.”

19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt
, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water,
that they may become blood
; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

20
And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded
; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

(7.19-20)
“Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt … that they may become blood … And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded.”

21
And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

(7.21)
“And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

22
And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments
: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

(7.22)
“And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments.”
The magicians know the rivers to blood trick too! Score. Aaron 3, Magicians 2

24 And all
the Egyptians
digged round about the river for water to drink; for they
could not drink of the water of the river.

(7.24)
“The Egyptians … could not drink of the water of the river.”
The Egyptians can’t drink from river whose water God (and the magicians) turned to blood.

25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

The Second Plague
(8.1-14)
Frogs!
Frogs covered the land. They were all over the beds and filled the ovens. But the Egyptian magicians did this trick too. (Did they wait until the frogs cleared out from the last performance before doing it again?) After the frog making contest was declared a draw, all the frogs died and “they gathered them together upon heaps; and the land stank.” I bet. But at least it was all for the greater glory of God.