The big picture
Exodus 7 opens in verse 1 with “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 13 with “And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.”, and closes in verse 25 with “And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Pharaoh, river, Aaron, Egypt. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 25Exodus 7:1-7
1–7: The LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and…
Exodus 7:1–7 opens with “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother…” and reaches “And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by Aaron, Egypt, Pharaoh.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 7:1-7
King James Version1And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
2Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
3And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4But 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.
5And 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.
6And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
7And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:8-14
8–14: The LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Exodus 7:8–14 opens with “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,” and reaches “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by Pharaoh, Aaron, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,” Naming Aaron and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 7:8-14
King James Version8And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9When 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.
10And 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.
11Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
13And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
14And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
Exodus 7:15-21
15–21: Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water…
Exodus 7:15–21 opens with “Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by…” and reaches “And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by river, blood, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink…” Naming Get and Pharaoh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they…” Naming Hebrews keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 7:15-21
King James Version15Get 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.
16And 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.
17Thus 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.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20And 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.
21And 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.
Exodus 7:22-25
22–25: The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s…
Exodus 7:22–25 opens with “And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened…” and reaches “And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by river, drink, heart.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken…” Naming Egypt and Pharaoh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Exodus 7:22-25
King James Version22And 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.
23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 7:1 begins with “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 7:11 forms a natural hinge: “Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”
The final note
Exodus 7:25 leaves the reader with “And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Pharaoh, river, Aaron, Egypt, Moses help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What links this event with creation?
Waters overwhelm the inhabited world, reversing the separations that made life possible.
What details show continuity rather than total abandonment?
The named household and preserved kinds of living creatures survive within the ark.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.