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Exodus7:1–7

God Commands Moses and Aaron

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Exodus 7:1–7 — God Commands Moses and Aaron. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

1

The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

Yah·weh ’el- way·yō·mer mō·šeh rə·’êh nə·ṯat·tî·ḵā ’ĕ·lō·hîm lə·p̄ar·‘ōh ’ā·ḥî·ḵā wə·’a·hă·rōn yih·yeh nə·ḇî·’e·ḵā

Word by word12 · parsed
יְהוָה֙Yah·wehThe LORDH3068
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodNounpropermasculine singular
יְהוָה (H3068) — the covenant name, YHWH, that frames the whole unit (vv. 1, 5, 6). It is the LORD, not Moses, who appoints; the speech is sovereign commissioning.
אֶל־’el-. . .H413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·meransweredH559
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (H559, ’āmar) — "and said," wayyiqtol. Keil reads this verse as the removal of "Moses' last difficulty (Exodus 6:12, repeated in Exodus 6:30)"; the divine word answers the human objection directly.
מֹשֶׁ֔הmō·šehMosesH4872
√ Môsheh — Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverNounpropermasculine singular
רְאֵ֛הrə·’êhSeeH7200
√ râʼâh — to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)VerbQalImperativemasculine singular
רְאֵ֛ה (H7200, rā’âh) — "see / look," Qal imperative. The Pulpit Commentary: God "reminds him that he is in truth very much Pharaoh's superior. If Pharaoh has earthly, he has unearthly power." The imperative turns Moses' gaze from his weakness to his office.
נְתַתִּ֥יךָnə·ṯat·tî·ḵāI have madeH5414
√ nâthan — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etcVerbQalPerfectfirst person common singularsecond person masculine singular
נְתַתִּ֥יךָ (H5414, nāṯan) — "I have given/set you," Qal perfect with 2ms suffix. The verb of giving (root behind "give, put, make, appoint") here constitutes an office. The perfect tense is performative: the appointment is already accomplished in the speaking.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים’ĕ·lō·hîmyou like GodH430
√ ʼĕlôhîym — gods in the ordinary senseNounmasculine plural
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (H430, ’ĕlōhîm) — "god," formally plural, here used of Moses' standing before Pharaoh. The whole tradition guards it: Benson — "my representative in this affair, as magistrates are called gods, because they are God's vicegerents"; Keil — "a god to Pharaoh as the executor of that will," "a god to Aaron as the revealer of the divine will." Not deity, but delegated, God-backed authority to command and to judge.
לְפַרְעֹ֑הlə·p̄ar·‘ōhto PharaohH6547
√ Parʻôh — Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsPreposition-lNounpropermasculine singular
לְפַרְעֹ֑ה (H6547, Par‘ōh) — "to Pharaoh," the recurring antagonist of the unit (vv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7). The title, not a name; the office of Egypt's god-king set against the man God has just set up as ’ĕlōhîm.
אָחִ֖יךָ’ā·ḥî·ḵāand your brotherH251
√ ʼâch — a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))Nounmasculine singular constructsecond person masculine singular
וְאַהֲרֹ֥ןwə·’a·hă·rōnAaronH175
√ ʼAhărôwn — Aharon, the brother of MosesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
וְאַהֲרֹ֥ן (H175, ’Ahărôn) — "and Aaron," Moses' brother. The same pairing recurs in v. 2 and v. 6; the deliverance is entrusted to two, the actor and the speaker.
יִהְיֶ֥הyih·yehwill beH1961
√ hâyâh — to exist, iVerbQalImperfectthird person masculine singular
נְבִיאֶֽךָ׃nə·ḇî·’e·ḵāyour prophetH5030
√ nâbîyʼ — a prophet or (generally) inspired manNounmasculine singular constructsecond person masculine singular
נְבִיאֶֽךָ (H5030, nāḇî’) — "your prophet." Cambridge ties it to the prophetic office proper: Aaron is "like a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 1:9), to speak the words which his god puts into his mouth." The essential mark of a prophet, says Barnes, is that "he is the declarer of God's will and purpose" — exactly what Aaron is to Moses, and Moses to God.
2

You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

’at·tāh ṯə·ḏab·bêr ’êṯ kāl- ’ă·šer ’ă·ṣaw·we·kā ’ā·ḥî·ḵā wə·’a·hă·rōn yə·ḏab·bêr ’el- par·‘ōh bə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl wə·šil·laḥ ’eṯ- mê·’ar·ṣōw

Word by word16 · parsed
אַתָּ֣ה’at·tāhYouH859
√ ʼattâh — thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youPronounsecond person masculine singular
אַתָּ֣ה (H859, ’attâh) — "you," emphatic. Gill: Moses is to speak "to Aaron his prophet, whatever the Lord made known to him." The pronoun fronts Moses as the source of the words Aaron will carry.
תְדַבֵּ֔רṯə·ḏab·bêrare to speakH1696
√ dâbar — perhaps properly, to arrangeVerbPielImperfectsecond person masculine singular
תְדַבֵּ֔ר (H1696, dāḇar Piel) — "shall speak." The same root recurs for Aaron (v. 2, yəḏabbêr) and at the unit's close (v. 7, bəḏabbərām, "when they spoke"); speaking is the thread running through the commission.
אֵ֖ת’êṯH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
כָּל־kāl-allH3605
√ kôl — properly, the wholeNounmasculine singular construct
אֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerthatH834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative
אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ’ă·ṣaw·we·kāI command youH6680
√ tsâvâh — (intensively) to constitute, enjoinVerbPielImperfectfirst person common singularsecond person masculine singular
אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ (H6680, ṣāwâh) — "I command you," Piel imperfect. The verb of binding command; its perfect form closes the unit (v. 6). The whole stretch is bracketed by charge and obedience.
אָחִ֙יךָ֙’ā·ḥî·ḵāand your brotherH251
√ ʼâch — a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))Nounmasculine singular constructsecond person masculine singular
וְאַהֲרֹ֤ןwə·’a·hă·rōnAaronH175
√ ʼAhărôwn — Aharon, the brother of MosesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
יְדַבֵּ֣רyə·ḏab·bêris to tellH1696
√ dâbar — perhaps properly, to arrangeVerbPielImperfectthird person masculine singular
יְדַבֵּ֣ר (H1696, dāḇar) — "shall speak," of Aaron. Gill: "whatsoever should be told him by Moses, as from the Lord." The same verb, a step down the chain.
אֶל־’el-H413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
פַּרְעֹ֔הpar·‘ōhPharaohH6547
√ Parʻôh — Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsNounpropermasculine singular
בְּנֵֽי־bə·nê-to let the IsraelitesH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural construct
בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (H1121 + H3478) — "the sons of Israel." The object of the whole demand; Gill: "this was the principal thing to be insisted upon... the dismission of the children of Israel out of Egypt."
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyiś·rā·’êl. . .H3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
וְשִׁלַּ֥חwə·šil·laḥgoH7971
√ shâlach — to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)Conjunctive wawVerbPielConjunctive perfectthird person masculine singular
וְשִׁלַּ֥ח (H7971, šālaḥ) — "and he will send out," Piel, vav-consecutive perfect. The grammatical crux Keil presses: not Aaron's purpose but God's promised result — Pharaoh forced, at last, to release them.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃mê·’ar·ṣōwout of his landH776
√ ʼerets — the earth (at large, or partitively a land)Preposition-mNounfeminine singular constructthird person masculine singular
מֵאַרְצֽוֹ (H776, ’ereṣ) — "out of his land." Pharaoh's land, named as his; the exodus will strip the land of the people he claims to own.
3

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

wa·’ă·nî ’aq·šeh ’eṯ- par·‘ōh lêḇ wə·hir·bê·ṯî ’eṯ- ’ō·ṯō·ṯay wə·’eṯ- mō·wp̄·ṯay bə·’e·reṣ miṣ·rā·yim

Word by word12 · parsed
וַאֲנִ֥יwa·’ă·nîBut IH589
√ ʼănîy — IConjunctive wawPronounfirst person common singular
וַאֲנִ֥י (H589, ’ănî) — "and I," emphatic pronoun. The fronted "I" claims the hardening as God's sovereign act. Cambridge: "And I (emph.) will harden."
אַקְשֶׁ֖ה’aq·šehwill hardenH7185
√ qâshâh — properly, to be dense, iVerbHifilImperfectfirst person common singular
אַקְשֶׁ֖ה (H7185, qāšâh) — "I will harden," Hifil. JFB's careful note governs the theology: the message is "the occasion, not the cause" of Pharaoh's obduracy. Cambridge: the verb is used "only here" of Pharaoh's heart. See also 4:21, to which Keil, Gill, and the Pulpit all refer.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
פַּרְעֹ֑הpar·‘ōhPharaoh’sH6547
√ Parʻôh — Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsNounpropermasculine singular
לֵ֣בlêḇheartH3820
√ lêb — the heartNounmasculine singular construct
לֵ֣ב (H3820, lēḇ) — "heart," the seat of will and resolve in Hebrew thought, not mere emotion. To harden the lēḇ is to fix the will against God.
וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֧יwə·hir·bê·ṯîand though I will multiplyH7235
√ râbâh — to increase (in whatever respect)Conjunctive wawVerbHifilConjunctive perfectfirst person common singular
וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֧י (H7235, rāḇâh Hifil) — "and I will multiply." The Pulpit Commentary: "The idea of a long series of miracles is here, for the first time, distinctly introduced." The plagues are promised as a mounting sequence.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
אֹתֹתַ֛י’ō·ṯō·ṯayMy signsH226
√ ʼôwth — a signal (literally or figuratively), as aflag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etcNouncommon plural constructfirst person common singular
אֹתֹתַ֛י (H226, ’ôṯ) — "my signs," credentials proving the mission. Ellicott distinguishes them from the wonders and the judgments of v. 4.
וְאֶת־wə·’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Conjunctive wawDirect object marker
מוֹפְתַ֖יmō·wp̄·ṯayand wondersH4159
√ môwphêth — a miracleNounmasculine plural constructfirst person common singular
מוֹפְתַ֖י (H4159, môp̄êṯ) — "my wonders / portents," a relatively rare term (35 vv). Barnes: "used only of portents performed to prove a divine interposition; they were the credentials of God's messengers." Paired with ’ôṯ, it forms the fixed Exodus formula "signs and wonders."
בְּאֶ֥רֶץbə·’e·reṣin the landH776
√ ʼerets — the earth (at large, or partitively a land)Preposition-bNounfeminine singular construct
מִצְרָֽיִם׃miṣ·rā·yimof EgyptH4714
√ Mitsrayim — Mitsrajim, iNounproperfeminine singular
מִצְרָֽיִם (H4714, Miṣrayim) — "Egypt," the arena. The land that worships many gods becomes the stage on which the one LORD multiplies His signs.
4

Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

par·‘ōh wə·lō- yiš·ma‘ ’ă·lê·ḵem wə·nā·ṯat·tî ’eṯ- yā·ḏî bə·miṣ·rā·yim gə·ḏō·lîm biš·p̄ā·ṭîm wə·hō·w·ṣê·ṯî ’eṯ- ṣiḇ·’ō·ṯay ’eṯ- ‘am·mî ḇə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl mê·’e·reṣ miṣ·ra·yim

Word by word19 · parsed
פַּרְעֹ֔הpar·‘ōhPharaohH6547
√ Parʻôh — Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsNounpropermasculine singular
וְלֹֽא־wə·lō-will notH3808
√ lôʼ — not (the simple or absConjunctive wawAdverbNegative particle
וְלֹֽא־יִשְׁמַ֤ע (H3808 + H8085, šāma‘) — "and will not listen." Gill: God forewarns them "that they might not be discouraged, and conclude their labour would be in vain." The refusal is foretold so the messengers are not broken by it.
יִשְׁמַ֤עyiš·ma‘listenH8085
√ shâmaʻ — to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etcVerbQalImperfectthird person masculine singular
אֲלֵכֶם֙’ă·lê·ḵemto youH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPrepositionsecond person masculine plural
וְנָתַתִּ֥יwə·nā·ṯat·tîThen I will layH5414
√ nâthan — to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etcConjunctive wawVerbQalConjunctive perfectfirst person common singular
וְנָתַתִּ֥י (H5414, nāṯan) — "and I will set/lay," the verb of giving again (cf. v. 1, v. 4 of 7:1). Ellicott: the clause is co-ordinate with Pharaoh's refusal, not consequent on it.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
יָדִ֖יyā·ḏîMy handH3027
√ yâd — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etcNounfeminine singular constructfirst person common singular
יָדִ֖י (H3027, yāḏ) — "my hand," the idiom of God's intervening power. Cambridge: "lay my hand ] severely, to inflict the great 'judgements'." The hand that sets Moses up is the hand laid on Egypt.
בְּמִצְרָ֑יִםbə·miṣ·rā·yimon EgyptH4714
√ Mitsrayim — Mitsrajim, iPreposition-bNounproperfeminine singular
גְּדֹלִֽים׃gə·ḏō·lîmand by mightyH1419
√ gâdôwl — great (in any sense)Adjectivemasculine plural
גְּדֹלִֽים (H1419, gāḏôl) — "great," qualifying the judgments. The greatness is the scale of the legal sentence about to fall.
בִּשְׁפָטִ֖יםbiš·p̄ā·ṭîmacts of judgmentH8201
√ shepheṭ — a sentence, iPreposition-bNounmasculine plural
בִּשְׁפָטִ֖ים (H8201, šep̄eṭ) — "with judgments," a rare legal noun (16 vv). It binds this verse to 6:6 and to the Passover declaration of 12:12 ("against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments"); the plagues are courtroom verdicts on Egypt and her gods.
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֨יwə·hō·w·ṣê·ṯîI will bringH3318
√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximConjunctive wawVerbHifilConjunctive perfectfirst person common singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
צִבְאֹתַ֜יṣiḇ·’ō·ṯaythe divisionsH6635
√ tsâbâʼ — a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially regNouncommon plural constructfirst person common singular
צִבְאֹתַ֜י (H6635, ṣāḇā’) — "my hosts/armies." Keil: Israel marched out "organized as an army... the hosts of Jehovah." The slaves are mustered as the LORD's troops.
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
עַמִּ֤י‘am·mîof My peopleH5971
√ ʻam — a people (as a congregated unit)Nounmasculine singular constructfirst person common singular
עַמִּ֤י (H5971, ‘am) — "my people." In apposition to "my hosts" (Ellicott): the army is the people; God's possession and God's force are one.
בְנֵֽי־ḇə·nê-the IsraelitesH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural construct
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙yiś·rā·’êl. . .H3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
מֵאֶ֣רֶץmê·’e·reṣout of the landH776
√ ʼerets — the earth (at large, or partitively a land)Preposition-mNounfeminine singular construct
מִצְרַ֔יִםmiṣ·ra·yimof EgyptH4714
√ Mitsrayim — Mitsrajim, iNounproperfeminine singular
5

And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

miṣ·ra·yim wə·yā·ḏə·‘ū kî- ’ă·nî Yah·weh bin·ṭō·ṯî ’eṯ- yā·ḏî ‘al- miṣ·rā·yim wə·hō·w·ṣê·ṯî ’eṯ- bə·nê- yiś·rā·’êl mit·tō·w·ḵām

Word by word15 · parsed
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙miṣ·ra·yimAnd the EgyptiansH4713
√ Mitsrîy — a Mitsrite, or inhabitant of MitsrajimNounproperfeminine singular
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (H4713, Miṣrî) — "the Egyptians," here the gentilic/collective. The nation that must come to know what its gods could not teach it.
וְיָדְע֤וּwə·yā·ḏə·‘ūwill knowH3045
√ yâdaʻ — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing)Conjunctive wawVerbQalConjunctive perfectthird person common plural
וְיָדְע֤וּ (H3045, yāḏa‘) — "and they shall know," Qal perfect, vav-consecutive. The verb of experiential knowledge. Cambridge ties the formula to Ezekiel's repeated "they shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 25; 28); the plagues are pedagogy.
כִּֽי־kî-thatH3588
√ kîy — (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below)Conjunction
אֲנִ֣י’ă·nîIH589
√ ʼănîy — IPronounfirst person common singular
אֲנִ֣י (H589, ’ănî) — "I," the pronoun of the self-identification formula "I am YHWH." Gill: "Jehovah, the one only true and living God; this they should know by the judgments executed upon them."
יְהוָ֔הYah·weham the LORDH3068
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodNounpropermasculine singular
יְהוָ֔ה (H3068) — the covenant name. Ellicott: knowing it means knowing "that I am the only really existing God." The deepest stated purpose of the exodus (cf. 6:7).
בִּנְטֹתִ֥יbin·ṭō·ṯîwhen I stretch outH5186
√ nâṭâh — to stretch or spread outPreposition-bVerbQalInfinitive constructfirst person common singular
בִּנְטֹתִ֥י (H5186, nāṭâh) — "when I stretch out," infinitive construct. The same root recurs through the plague narratives for the outstretched hand/rod; it is shared with the promise of 6:6 ("with an outstretched arm").
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
יָדִ֖יyā·ḏîMy handH3027
√ yâd — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etcNounfeminine singular constructfirst person common singular
יָדִ֖י (H3027, yāḏ) — "my hand," extended in judgment. The gesture by which Egypt will be made to know.
עַל־‘al-againstH5921
√ ʻal — above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsPreposition
מִצְרָ֑יִםmiṣ·rā·yimEgyptH4714
√ Mitsrayim — Mitsrajim, iNounproperfeminine singular
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֥יwə·hō·w·ṣê·ṯîand bringH3318
√ yâtsâʼ — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximConjunctive wawVerbHifilConjunctive perfectfirst person common singular
אֶת־’eṯ-H853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object marker
בְּנֵֽי־bə·nê-the IsraelitesH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine plural construct
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לyiś·rā·’êl. . .H3478
√ Yisrâʼêl — Jisrael, a symbolical name of JacobNounpropermasculine singular
מִתּוֹכָֽם׃mit·tō·w·ḵāmout from among themH8432
√ tâvek — a bisection, iPreposition-mNounmasculine singular constructthird person masculine plural
מִתּוֹכָֽם (H8432, tāweḵ) — "from among them," literally "from the midst of them." Israel is drawn out of the very heart of Egypt; the same noun colors Ezekiel's judgment oracles "in the midst" of the nations.
6

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

mō·šeh wə·’a·hă·rōn way·ya·‘aś kên ‘ā·śū ka·’ă·šer Yah·weh ’ō·ṯām ṣiw·wāh

Word by word9 · parsed
מֹשֶׁ֖הmō·šehSo MosesH4872
√ Môsheh — Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverNounpropermasculine singular
מֹשֶׁ֖ה (H4872) — Moses, named first, with Aaron. The pair that received the charge now carries it out together.
וְאַהֲרֹ֑ןwə·’a·hă·rōnand AaronH175
√ ʼAhărôwn — Aharon, the brother of MosesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
וַיַּ֥עַשׂway·ya·‘aśdidH6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationConjunctive wawVerbQalConsecutive imperfectthird person masculine singular
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ (H6213, ‘āsâ) — "and he did," the first of the doubled verb of obedience. Cambridge marks the sentence-type as characteristic of the Priestly source (cf. Genesis 6:22; Exodus 12:28) — a formula of exact compliance.
כֵּ֥ןkênH3651
√ kên — properly, set uprightAdverb
עָשֽׂוּ׃‘ā·śūH6213
√ ʻâsâh — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationVerbQalPerfectthird person common plural
עָשֽׂוּ (H6213, ‘āsâ) — "they did," the second of the pair. The repetition is the point (Poole, Gill): obedience stated, then underscored.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רka·’ă·šerjust asH834
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPreposition-kPronounrelative
כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר (H834) — "just as," introducing the standard of obedience: not their own judgment but the LORD's command exactly.
יְהוָ֛הYah·wehthe LORDH3068
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodNounpropermasculine singular
יְהוָ֛ה (H3068) — the LORD, source of the command. The covenant name frames the obedience as covenant fidelity.
אֹתָ֖ם’ō·ṯāmH853
√ ʼêth — properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)Direct object markerthird person masculine plural
צִוָּ֧הṣiw·wāhhad commanded themH6680
√ tsâvâh — (intensively) to constitute, enjoinVerbPielPerfectthird person masculine singular
צִוָּ֧ה (H6680, ṣāwâh) — "had commanded," Piel perfect, closing the bracket opened by ’ăṣawweḵā in v. 2. Ellicott reads the obedience as lasting: from here "the reluctance and resistance of Moses... ceased."
7

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Hebrew — tap a word ↓

ū·mō·šeh šə·mō·nîm ben- šā·nāh wə·’a·hă·rōn ben- šā·lōš ū·šə·mō·nîm šā·nāh bə·ḏab·bə·rām ’el- par·‘ōh

Word by word12 · parsed
וּמֹשֶׁה֙ū·mō·šehMosesH4872
√ Môsheh — Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
וּמֹשֶׁה֙ (H4872) — "and Moses." Benson catches the irony: "Joseph, who was to be only a servant to Pharaoh, was preferred at thirty years old; but Moses, who was to be a god to Pharaoh, was not so dignified till he was eighty."
שְׁמֹנִ֣יםšə·mō·nîmwas eightyH8084
√ shᵉmônîym — eighty, also eightiethNumbercommon plural
שְׁמֹנִ֣ים (H8084, šəmōnîm) — "eighty." The age St. Stephen confirms (Acts 7:23, 30; cf. Deuteronomy 34:7, Moses 120 at death). The Pulpit Commentary notes Egyptian longevity made such vigor at eighty unremarkable.
בֶּן־ben-years oldH1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine singular construct
בֶּן־ (H1121, bēn) — "son of," the Hebrew idiom for age. The same construct that names "the sons of Israel" (vv. 4, 5); here a man is "son of" his years.
שָׁנָ֔הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
שָׁנָ֔ה (H8141, šānâ) — "year," singular after the numeral by Hebrew convention. Poole reads the precise ages as confirming "the accomplishment of God's prediction, Genesis 15:13" — the timing of Israel's sojourn.
וְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ןwə·’a·hă·rōnand AaronH175
√ ʼAhărôwn — Aharon, the brother of MosesConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
בֶּן־ben-. . .H1121
√ bên — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etcNounmasculine singular construct
שָׁלֹ֥שׁšā·lōšwas eighty-threeH7969
√ shâlôwsh — threeNumberfeminine singular
שָׁלֹ֥שׁ (H7969, šālôš) — "three," counted before the tens. Aaron's three extra years (Gill); JFB reads the advanced age as a pledge "that they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise."
וּשְׁמֹנִ֖יםū·šə·mō·nîm. . .H8084
√ shᵉmônîym — eighty, also eightiethConjunctive wawNumbercommon plural
שָׁנָ֑הšā·nāh. . .H8141
√ shâneh — a year (as a revolution of time)Nounfeminine singular
בְּדַבְּרָ֖םbə·ḏab·bə·rāmwhen they spokeH1696
√ dâbar — perhaps properly, to arrangePreposition-bVerbPielInfinitive constructthird person masculine plural
בְּדַבְּרָ֖ם (H1696, dāḇar) — "when they spoke," infinitive construct. The closing verb returns to the speaking commanded in v. 2; the unit ends poised at the threshold of Pharaoh's court.
אֶל־’el-toH413
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
פַּרְעֹֽה׃פpar·‘ōhPharaohH6547
√ Parʻôh — Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kingsNounpropermasculine singular
פַּרְעֹֽה (H6547, Par‘ōh) — "Pharaoh." The last word of the unit is the antagonist; everything the commission prepared now turns to face him.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The answer to "uncircumcised lips" — 1

This unit is God's reply to a man who has just twice refused the call. Keil names the seam precisely: "Moses' last difficulty (Exodus 6:12, repeated in Exodus 6:30) was removed by God with the words: 'See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh.'" Moses had pled his "uncircumcised lips"; God answers not by mending his mouth but by remaking his office. Ellicott reads the force of it: "Thou art not called on to speak, but to act. In action thou wilt be to Pharaoh as a god — powerful, wonder-working, irresistible; it is Aaron who will have to speak." The Hebrew is starker than the English: the verb is nāṯan (H5414), "I have given/set you" — Barnes: "Or 'appointed thee'" — and the noun is the bare ’ĕlōhîm (H430), with no "like." The whole tradition rushes to guard the word from blasphemy: Benson — "my representative... as magistrates are called gods, because they are God's vicegerents"; Keil's elegant double — Moses is "a god to Aaron as the revealer of the divine will, and to Pharaoh as the executor of that will." The opening imperative rə’êh, "Look!" (Gill: "take notice... observe"), turns the trembling prophet's eyes off his weakness and onto his commission.

ii. The script and the hardening — 2–3

Verse 2 fixes the chain of speech with an emphatic pronoun — Cambridge: "Thou (emph.) shalt speak" — Moses to Aaron, Aaron to Pharaoh (the LXX and Vulgate add "to him," so the Pulpit Commentary). And it ends with a grammatical promise easy to miss in English: Keil insists the closing verb is no purpose clause but a vav-consecutive perfect — "and so he will send," Poole's "at last, being forced to it." Then verse 3 sounds the hardest note in the passage, and the Hebrew owns it with a fronted, emphatic "I" (Cambridge: "And I (emph.) will harden"). The historic voices handle it with care rather than bravado: JFB — "the divine message would be the occasion, not the cause of the king's impenitent obduracy"; the Pulpit — Pharaoh "was allowed to set his will against God's, in order that there might be a great display of Almighty power." Cambridge notes the verb qāšâh (H7185) is "used only here of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart" — Scripture varies its hardening-language deliberately. Set alongside the hardening is its purpose: the multiplied "signs and wonders" (Ellicott's careful distinction — ’ôṯ, credentials; môp̄êṯ, portents), which the Pulpit calls "a long series of miracles... for the first time, distinctly introduced."

iii. The hand, the hosts, the knowing — 4–5

The same verb that set Moses now sets God's hand on Egypt — Ellicott corrects the BSB's causal "then": "the two clauses are co-ordinate." Pharaoh will not listen, and the hand will fall. What it brings out is named with a military word: ṣəḇā’ôṯ (H6635), "my hosts" — Keil, beautifully, Israel "organized as an army according to the tribes... to fight the battles of Jehovah," with "my armies, my people" in apposition (Ellicott: "the second exegetical of the first"). The means is two rare words, šəp̄āṭîm gəḏōlîm, "great judgments" (the noun šep̄eṭ, H8201, occurs in only 16 verses; Geneva: God "promises again to punish most severely the oppression of his Church"). And the goal is the recognition formula: Egypt "shall know that I am YHWH." Ellicott unfolds it — "that I answer to my name — that I am the only really existing God, their so-called gods being 'vapour, smoke, nothingness.'" Cambridge hears Ezekiel's refrain behind it (Ezekiel 25; 28). The plagues are not raw power; they are pedagogy aimed at a name.

iv. Obedience, and the weight of years — 6–7

The unit closes with the seal of obedience and a chronological footnote that carries more than dates. Verse 6 doubles the verb of doing — wayya‘aś... ‘āśū, "and he did... so they did" — which Poole calls "an emphatical repetition, to show their courage... and their fidelity," and Gill "not a superfluous and redundant expression, but very emphatic." The verb ṣiwwāh ("as the LORD commanded") closes the bracket opened by ’ăṣawweḵā ("all that I command you") in v. 2: charge and compliance, sealed. Ellicott reads it as a turning point — from here "the reluctance and resistance of Moses... ceased" — and he himself draws the line to Hebrews 3:5, Moses "faithful as a servant in all his house." Matthew Henry catches the same arc from the inside: "At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance." Then verse 7 sets the ages: eighty and eighty-three. Benson finds the irony — "Joseph, who was to be only a servant to Pharaoh, was preferred at thirty; but Moses, who was to be a god to Pharaoh, was not so dignified till he was eighty" — and JFB the apologetic: the advanced age was "a pledge that they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise." The closing verb, bəḏabbərām ("when they spoke"), returns to the speaking commanded in v. 2; the unit ends with the brothers at the threshold of Pharaoh's court.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

Held against the rule that Scripture alone is the final authority, three things in this unit ask to be tested rather than trusted on this tool's say-so. First, authority here is delegated, never autonomous. Moses is set as ’ĕlōhîm to Pharaoh, yet the historic voices are unanimous and right to gloss it down — "vicegerent," "representative," "executor of God's will." Even at its most exalted, the language stops short of deity: the man is a god only as the bearer of God's word and hand. The lesson cuts against every claim of authority that does not derive itself from, and submit itself to, the One who speaks. Second, the goal of the whole campaign is knowledge of a name. Twice the unit states its purpose not as Israel's comfort but as the world's recognition: "that the Egyptians shall know that I am YHWH" (v. 5; cf. v. 3's signs). Judgment is revelation; the plagues are an argument addressed to a name. Third, the hardening is held, not solved. Verse 3 says plainly "I will harden," and the older commentators neither flinch from it nor flatten it — JFB's "occasion, not the cause" is one reading among several the Church has held. This tool will not pretend the tension is resolved; it commends the verse to be read whole, sovereignty and responsibility both standing, and weighed against the rest of Scripture.

Moses is a god only in this sense — that he carries the word and the hand of the only God; the bearer is never the source.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

"Signs and wonders" in the land of Egypt → the covenant-memory of the nation structural / thematic — confirmed

The fixed Hebrew pair of v. 3 — ’ōṯōṯ (H226, "signs") and môp̄ṯîm (H4159, "wonders/portents") — becomes the standing formula by which Israel forever names what God did in Egypt. The Verifier finds the pair recurring together: Deuteronomy 6:22 ("the LORD sent signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt, against Pharaoh") shares môwphêth, ’ôwth, and Par‘ôh with this verse; Nehemiah 9:10 shares the same three, and Psalm 105:27 repeats môwphêth + ’ôwth — all in the Egypt-setting. Môp̄êṯ is a moderately rare noun (35 verses), which lends the pattern weight, but neither it nor ’ôṯ (77 vv) is rare enough, and no text cites another, to call this a quotation. The Verifier itself tiers each pair as structural / thematic, and so this badge does: a recurring fixed formula, not a verbal citation. Barnes' note on "wonders" — "the credentials of God's messengers" — is the thread's own theme: the plagues were arguments God's people would recite for a thousand years.

Exodus 7:3 · Deuteronomy 6:22 · Nehemiah 9:10 · Psalm 105:27

basis: Verifier-tiered structural: shared lexemes H4159 môwphêth (moderately rare, 35 vv) + H226 ʼôwth (77 vv), with Deut 6:22 and Neh 9:10 adding H6547 Parʻôh — the recurring fixed 'signs and wonders against Egypt' formula. The rare-ish môwphêth strengthens the pattern but is not rare enough, and nothing cites another text, to claim a verbal quotation; downgraded from verbal to structural

"Great judgments" on Egypt → 6:6, the Passover, the wilderness verdict structural / thematic — confirmed

The two words that close v. 4 — šəp̄āṭîm gəḏōlîm, "great judgments" — are anchored on the genuinely rare noun šep̄eṭ (H8201), which the Verifier reports in only 16 verses of the whole Hebrew Bible. The same word and the same promise stand in Exodus 6:6 (the LORD will redeem "with great judgments"; shared šep̄eṭ + gāḏôl + Miṣrayim + yāṣā’), in Exodus 12:12 ("against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments"; shared šep̄eṭ + Miṣrayim), and in Numbers 33:4, the retrospect on the exodus (shared šep̄eṭ). The rarity of šep̄eṭ makes this the strongest verbal vein in the unit — yet no one text quotes another, and the Verifier's own computed tier for each pair is structural / thematic, so this badge under-claims with it: a rare term recurring across the one cluster of deliverance texts (a 'great judgments on Egypt' formula), recorded as a strong structural link rather than a quotation. Geneva's gloss is the thread's heart: God "promises again to punish most severely the oppression of his Church." The plagues are courtroom sentences.

Exodus 7:4 · Exodus 6:6 · Exodus 12:12 · Numbers 33:4

basis: Verifier-tiered structural, but unusually strong: shared rare lexeme H8201 shepheṭ (only 16 vv, 'judgments') — Ex 6:6 also shares H1419 gâdôwl + H4714 Mitsrayim + H3318 yâtsâʼ; Ex 12:12 shares H4714 Mitsrayim; Num 33:4 shares shepheṭ alone. The 'great judgments on Egypt' formula recurs across the deliverance texts. No text cites another, so downgraded from verbal to structural; the rarity of shepheṭ is what makes the pattern more than coincidence

"That you may know I am YHWH" → Ezekiel's recognition formula structural / thematic — confirmed

Verse 5's purpose-clause — Egypt "shall know that I am YHWH" — is the recognition formula that runs from the exodus into the prophets. Cambridge points the thread itself: "similarly Ezekiel 25:7; 25:11; 28:24." The Verifier confirms the overlap with Ezekiel 28:22 and 25:11, but the shared lexemes are the high-frequency words of the formula — ’ănî (H589), yāḏa‘ (H3045), kîy (H3588), and (for 28:22) tāweḵ (H8432, "midst," the same word as v. 5's "from among them"). Because the link rests on common formula-words and a shared theological pattern rather than on any rare term, it is recorded as structural/thematic, not verbal: the same divine self-disclosure formula, deployed against Egypt here and against the nations in Ezekiel, with no claim of quotation.

Exodus 7:5 · Ezekiel 28:22 · Ezekiel 25:11 · Exodus 14:4

basis: shared formula-words only — H589 ʼănîy (803 vv), H3045 yâdaʻ (874 vv), H3588 kîy (3910 vv), and with Ezek 28:22 also H8432 tâvek (390 vv); all common, so the link is the shared 'know that I am YHWH' recognition pattern, not a rare verbal quotation

Aaron as Moses' "prophet" → the prophet raised up from among the brothers structural / thematic — confirmed

God appoints Aaron Moses' nāḇî’ (H5030) — his mouthpiece — exactly as a true prophet is God's. Cambridge already draws the line: Aaron is "like a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 1:9), to speak the words which his god puts into his mouth." The Verifier confirms the structural overlap with Deuteronomy 18:18 (the promise of a prophet "from among their brothers"): shared nāḇî’ (H5030, "prophet"), ’āḥ (H251, "brother"), and nāṯan (H5414, "give/put [words in his mouth]"). These are the building-blocks of the prophetic-office definition — a man set as spokesman, given another's words, raised from among brothers. The shared terms are not rare, so the tier is structural: a shared pattern of the prophetic office, named by Cambridge, not a quotation.

Exodus 7:1 · Deuteronomy 18:18 · Jeremiah 1:9 · Exodus 4:16

basis: shared lexemes with Deut 18:18 — H5030 nâbîyʼ (288 vv, 'prophet'), H251 ʼâch (571 vv, 'brother'), H5414 nâthan (1817 vv, 'give/put'); Jer 1:9 shares only H5414 nâthan. The prophet-as-spokesman-from-among-brothers pattern, cross-referenced by Cambridge itself. Common terms, so structural not verbal. Exodus 4:16 is included as the unit's own internal parallel ('he shall be your spokesman... you shall be as God to him') named by the commentators, not a Verifier lexeme match — a context cross-ref, weigh accordingly

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

Moses faithful as a servant → Christ faithful as a Son widely-held

Ellicott, commenting on this very unit's obedience (v. 6), reaches forward himself: from here Moses "gained the praise of being 'faithful as a servant in all his house' (Hebrews 3:5)." The New Testament takes the obedience sealed in Exodus 7:6 and sets it in deliberate contrast: "Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant... but Christ as a Son" (Hebrews 3:5–6). The Moses who is set as ’ĕlōhîm to Pharaoh — delegated, derivative authority — points by both likeness and lack to the One whose authority is His own as Son. The link is named by Ellicott and stated by Hebrews; it is the historic, widely-held reading.

Exodus 7:1 · Exodus 7:6 · Hebrews 3:5–6

A god to Pharaoh, a prophet to declare him → Christ the Word who is God and makes God known novel

The unit holds two offices in tension: Moses set as ’ĕlōhîm, and Aaron his nāḇî’ who declares Moses' mind (Ellicott: "the declarer of thy mind, which is the primary sense of 'prophet'"). The deepest fulfillment of both is the One who is at once God and God's own declarer: "the Word was God" (John 1:1), and "the only-begotten Son... has made him known" (John 1:18). Where Moses is a god only by delegation and needs a prophet to speak for him, Christ is God in His own being and is Himself the Prophet who needs no other mouth — "no one has ever seen God; the only God... he has made him known." This is a typological reading of the divided offices, offered to be weighed against the text: ancient in its instinct, but pressed here past what the older commentators explicitly say, so it is flagged as the more novel of the two.

Exodus 7:1 · John 1:1 · John 1:18 · Hebrews 1:1–2

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Keil & Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1860s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

The base text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). The named voices are quoted verbatim from public-domain commentaries on Exodus 7 (BibleHub), attributed in place: Charles Ellicott, Joseph Benson, Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, the Geneva Study Bible, the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, the Pulpit Commentary, Matthew Poole, and Keil & Delitzsch.

Note on scope: this unit is in Exodus, not Joshua, so the mandatory Joshua 1:5 → Hebrews 13:5 flag does not apply here. No NT quotation is claimed within the unit's threads, so none required flagging on provenance grounds.

Honesty sweep: all four Hebrew↔Hebrew threads are tiered structural / thematic — confirmed, matching the Verifier's own computed tier for every pair. An earlier draft claimed two of them — "signs and wonders" and "great judgments" — as verbal / quotation on the strength of their rare-ish lexemes (môp̄êṯ, 35 vv; šep̄eṭ, 16 vv). Those have been deliberately downgraded to structural: a rare shared term recurring across a cluster of related texts strengthens a structural link, but no one text quotes another and the Verifier tiers them structural, so "quotation" would over-claim. The "know I am YHWH" thread rests only on common formula-words and is plainly structural. In the Aaron-as-prophet thread, Exodus 4:16 is the unit's own internal parallel named by the commentators, not a Verifier lexeme match, and is flagged as such in the basis.

All cross-reference bases are taken from the Verifier's computed shared Strong's lexemes (run with verifier.py pair); frequencies are the Verifier's. The transliterations, literal renderings, divergence notes, word-notes, grand commentary, and the Christ readings are this tool's own synthesis (⚙) — fallible, and to be checked against a lexicon (BDB/HALOT) and the text itself. "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)