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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Exodus 7:9

"Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.' When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dragon;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Serpents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Enchantments;   Exodus;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Snake;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Magic;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dragon;   Whale;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Aaron's Rod;   Dragon;   Exodus, Book of;   Plagues;   Rod, Staff;   Serpent;   Whale;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dragon;   Moses;   Serpent;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Serpent;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Plagues of egypt;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Dragon;   Jan'nes;   Plagues, the Ten,;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Architecture;   Bel and the Dragon (2);   Dragon;   Exodus, the Book of;   Jackal;   Miracle;   Rod;   Serpent;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aaron;   Dragon;   Serpent;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"When Par`oh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle!' then you shall tell Aharon, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Par`oh, that it become a serpent.'"
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Do a wonder for yourselves,' you will say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.'"
New Century Version
"Moses, when the king asks you to do a miracle, tell Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will become a snake."
New English Translation
"When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Do a miracle,' and you say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' it will become a snake."
Amplified Bible
"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Work a miracle [to prove your authority],' then you say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may become a serpent.'"
New American Standard Bible
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may turn into a serpent.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
If Pharaoh speake vnto you, saying, Shewe a miracle for you, then thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shalbe turned into a serpent.
Legacy Standard Bible
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miraculous wonder,' then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
"When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,' tell Aharon to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it can become a snake."
Darby Translation
When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Do a miracle for yourselves,—then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy staff and cast [it] before Pharaoh—it will become a serpent.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Pharaoh will ask you to prove your power. He will ask you to do a miracle. Tell Aaron to throw his walking stick on the ground. While Pharaoh is watching, the stick will become a snake."
English Standard Version
"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.'"
George Lamsa Translation
If Pharaoh should say to you, Show me a sign; then you shall say to Aaron, Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
Good News Translation
"If the king demands that you prove yourselves by performing a miracle, tell Aaron to take his walking stick and throw it down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake."
Christian Standard Bible®
“When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’”
Literal Translation
When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, Give a miracle for yourselves, you shall say to Aaron, Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh; and let it become a snake.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan Pharao sayeth vnto you: Shew youre wonders, then shalt thou saye vnto Aaron: Take thy staff, and cast it before Pharao, & it shal turne to a serpent.
American Standard Version
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.
Bible in Basic English
If Pharaoh says to you, Let me see a wonder: then say to Aaron, Take your rod and put it down on the earth before Pharaoh so that it may become a snake.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If Pharao speake vnto you, saying, shewe a miracle for you: thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharao, that it may be a serpent.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'
King James Version (1611)
When Pharaoh shall speake vnto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now if Pharao should speak to you, saying, Give us a sign or a wonder, then shalt thou say to thy brother Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it upon the ground before Pharao, and before his servants, and it shall become a serpent.
English Revised Version
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a wonder for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.
Berean Standard Bible
"When Pharaoh tells you, 'Perform a miracle,' you are to say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a serpent."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne Farao schal seie to you, Schewe ye signes to vs, thou schalt seie to Aaron, Take thi yerde, and caste forth it before Farao, and be it turned into a serpent.
Young's Literal Translation
`When Pharaoh speaketh unto you, saying, Give for yourselves a wonder; then thou hast said unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast before Pharaoh -- it becometh a monster.'
Update Bible Version
When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Show a wonder for yourselves; then you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it becomes a serpent.
Webster's Bible Translation
When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast [it] before Pharaoh, [and] it shall become a serpent.
World English Bible
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle!' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'"
New King James Version
"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."'
New Life Bible
"When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by doing a powerful work,' then you say to Aaron, ‘Take your special stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh so that it will become a snake.'"
New Revised Standard
"When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a wonder,' then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you saying, Shew for yourselves a wonder, then shalt thou say unto Aaron, Take thy staff, and cast it down before Pharaoh let it become a sea-serpent.
Douay-Rheims Bible
When Pharao shall say to you, Shew signs; thou shalt say to Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharao, and it shall be turned into a serpent.
Revised Standard Version
"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'"

Contextual Overview

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.' When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.'" 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! 11 Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. 12 They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Pharaoh's heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Show: Isaiah 7:11, Matthew 12:39, John 2:18, John 6:30, John 10:38

Take: Exodus 7:10-12, Exodus 4:2, Exodus 4:17, Exodus 4:20, Exodus 9:23, Exodus 10:13

a serpent: Psalms 74:12, Psalms 74:13, Ezekiel 29:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:16 - lift Numbers 16:28 - Hereby

Cross-References

Genesis 2:19
So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.
Genesis 7:6
Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth.
Genesis 7:9
They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.
Genesis 7:11
When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.
Genesis 7:12
The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:16
A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.
Isaiah 65:25
The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord , have spoken!"
Jeremiah 8:7
Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord 's laws.
Galatians 3:28
There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11
In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, show a miracle for you,.... To prove that they came from God, the Jehovah they said they did, and that they were his ambassadors, and came in his name, and made the demand for him; which when he seriously reflected on things, he would be ready to require, hoping they would not be able to show any, and then he should have somewhat against them, and treat them as impostors:

then thou shalt say unto Aaron, take thy rod; the same that Moses had in his hand at Horeb, and brought with him to Egypt; this he had delivered into the hand of Aaron, who was to be his agent, and with this rod do signs and wonders as he did, and on account of them it is sometimes called the rod of God:

and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent; as it became one before at Horeb, when Moses by the order of God cast it on the ground, and afterwards became a rod again, as it now was, Exodus 4:2 Hence Mercury, the messenger of the gods with the Heathens, is represented as having a "caduceus", a rod or wand twisted about with snakes p.

p Vid. Chartar. de Imag. Deorum, p. 136. imag. 48.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thy 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 serpent which represents the principle of antagonism to light and life.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 7:9. Show 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 extraordinary sign that their pretensions to such a Divine mission were well founded and incontestable. For it appears to have ever been the sense of mankind, that he who has a Divine mission to effect some extraordinary purpose can give a supernatural proof that he has got this extraordinary commission.

Take thy rod — This rod, whether a common staff, an ensign of office, or a shepherd's crook, was now consecrated for the purpose of working miracles; and is indifferently called the rod of God, the rod of Moses, and the rod of Aaron. God gave it the miraculous power, and Moses and Aaron used it indifferently.


 
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