Exodus 7:22

THE MESSAGE

But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as God had said. He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water. Seven days went by after God had struck the Nile.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The magicians of Mitzrayim did in like manner with their enchantments; and Par`oh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And the magicians of Egypt did likewise with their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

New Century Version
Using their tricks, the magicians of Egypt did the same thing. So the king was stubborn and refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

New English Translation
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts, and so Pharaoh's heart remained hard, and he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron—just as the Lord had predicted.

Amplified Bible
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts and enchantments; so Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

New American Standard Bible
But the soothsayer priests of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Phraoh was hardened: so that he did not hearken vnto them, as the Lord had sayde.

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Contemporary English Version
But the Egyptian magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing. The king did just as the Lord had said—he stubbornly refused to listen.

Complete Jewish Bible
But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh was made hardhearted and didn't listen to them, as Adonai had said would happen.

Darby Translation
And the scribes of Egypt did so with their sorceries; and Pharaoh's heart was stubborn, neither did he hearken to them, as Jehovah had said.

Easy-to-Read Version
The magicians used their magic to do the same thing. So Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. This happened just as the Lord said.

English Standard Version
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

George Lamsa Translation
And the magicians of Egypt did the same by their enchantments; but Pharaohs heart was hardened and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Good News Translation
Then the king's magicians did the same thing by means of their magic, and the king was as stubborn as ever. Just as the Lord had said, the king refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.

Christian Standard Bible®
But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Literal Translation
And the magicians of Egypt did so by their secret arts. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as Jehovah had said.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Sorcerers also of Egipte, dyd likewyse with their Sorceries. But Pharaos hert was hardened, & he herkened not vnto the, like as the LORDE had sayde.

American Standard Version
And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.

Bible in Basic English
And the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same with their secret arts: but Pharaoh's heart was made hard, and he would not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the enchaunters of Egypt dyd lykewyse with their sorceries, and he heardened Pharaos heart, neyther did he hearken vnto them, as the Lorde had sayde.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.

King James Version (1611)
And the Magicians of Egypt did so, with their enchantments: and Pharaohs heart was hardened, neither did he hearken vnto them, as the Lord had said.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the charmers also of the Egyptians did so with their sorceries; and the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, even as the Lord said.

English Revised Version
And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.

Berean Standard Bible
But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the witchis of Egipcians diden in lijk maner by her enchauntementis; and the herte of Farao was maad hard, and he herde not hem, as the Lord comaundide.

Young's Literal Translation
And the scribes of Egypt do so with their flashings, and the heart of Pharaoh is strong, and he hath not hearkened unto them, as Jehovah hath spoken,

Update Bible Version
And the sacred scholars of Egypt did in like manner with their magic: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken to them; as the LORD had said.

World English Bible
The magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.

New King James Version
Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

New Living Translation
But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh's heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.

New Life Bible
But the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same thing using their secret ways. And Pharaoh's heart was hard. He did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

New Revised Standard
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the sacred scribes of Egypt did in like manner with their secret arts, - so the heart of Pharaoh waxed bold and he hearkened not unto them, as spake Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the magicians of the Egyptians with their enchantments did in like manner; and Pharao’s heart was hardened, neither did he hear them, as the Lord had commanded.

Revised Standard Version
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ God said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake and say to him, ‘ God , the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. This is how you'll know that I am God . I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'" ¹⁹ God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans." ²⁰Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt. ²²But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as God had said. He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water. Seven days went by after God had struck the Nile.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

magicians: Exodus 7:11, Exodus 8:7, Exodus 8:8, Jeremiah 27:18, 2 Timothy 3:8

and Pharaoh's: Exodus 7:13

as the: Exodus 7:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:8 - the magicians of Egypt Exodus 11:7 - a difference Deuteronomy 13:2 - General Proverbs 28:14 - but Daniel 1:20 - the magicians Acts 8:9 - used Acts 19:19 - used 2 Thessalonians 2:9 - and signs Revelation 13:13 - he doeth

Cross-References

Genesis 6:17
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments,.... Who were either in company with Pharaoh and his nobles, or were immediately sent for to try their art, and confront Moses and Aaron with it; and who very probably got a little water in a vessel, and by some juggling trick imposing upon, and deceiving the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, made it look like blood; and the devil might help them to a sufficient quantity of blood, and discolour the water with it, and make it appear as if it was blood, and which was a poor business; had they turned the bloody river into water again, they would have equalled the miracle of Moses and Aaron, and done some service to their country; but to deceive the sight of people, or to spoil a small quantity of water that was good, by mixing it with blood, was but a mean and unworthy action. Should it be asked from whence they had this water, when all was turned into blood? it may be answered, either from Goshen, as the Targum of Jonathan, the waters of the Hebrews not being affected with this plague: though Aben Ezra thinks they were; or from the sea, as Theodoret; but both these places were too far distant to fetch water from, in the time that Pharaoh stayed here before his return home: rather therefore this water was had from some habitation of the Israelites in the city near at hand, where Pharaoh lived, or was dug for immediately by the magicians, as in Exodus 7:24 or it may be that all the waters were not immediately turned into blood, but successively and gradually, first the river, and then its streams, c. so that there might be near at hand a pool of water, not yet turned into blood, and a vessel of water might be fetched from it, on which they exercised their juggling art:

and Pharaoh's heart was hardened: by seeing his magicians do what was similar to what Moses and Aaron had done and therefore concluded that it was not by the hand of God, but owing to a magic art they were masters of, as his magicians were:

neither did he hearken unto them; to Moses and Aaron, and what they said to him, to let the people go:

as the Lord had said; had before told he would not hearken to them, Exodus 7:4.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 7:22. And the magicians - did so — But if all the water in Egypt was turned into blood by Moses, where did the magicians get the water which they changed into blood? This question is answered in Exodus 7:24. The Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, and it seems that the water obtained by this means was not bloody like that in the river: on this water therefore the magicians might operate. Again, though a general commission was given to Moses, not only to turn the waters of the river (Nile) into blood, but also those of their streams, rivers, ponds, and pools; yet it seems pretty clear from Exodus 7:20 that he did not proceed thus far, at least in the first instance; for it is there stated that only the waters of the river were turned into blood. Afterwards the plague doubtless became general. At the commencement therefore of this plague, the magicians might obtain other water to imitate the miracle; and it would not be difficult for them, by juggling tricks or the assistance of a familiar spirit, (for we must not abandon the possibility of this use,) to give it a bloody appearance, a fetid smell, and a bad taste. On either of these grounds there is no contradiction in the Mosaic account, though some have been very studious to find one.

The plague of the bloody waters may be considered as a display of retributive justice against the Egyptians, for the murderous decree which enacted that all the male children of the Israelites should be drowned in that river, the waters of which, so necessary to their support and life, were now rendered not only insalubrious but deadly, by being turned into blood. As it is well known that the Nile was a chief object of Egyptian idolatry, (Exodus 7:15,) and that annually they sacrificed a girl, or as others say, both a boy and a girl, to this river, in gratitude for the benefits received from it, (Universal Hist., vol. i., p. 178, fol. edit.,) God might have designed this plague as a punishment for such cruelty: and the contempt poured upon this object of their adoration, by turning its waters into blood, and rendering them fetid and corrupt, must have had a direct tendency to correct their idolatrous notions, and lead them to acknowledge the power and authority of the true God.