Exodus 7:10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

◄ Exodus 7:10 ►

New International Version
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.

New Living Translation
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!

English Standard Version
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Berean Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

New American Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and so they did, just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a serpent.

NASB 1995
So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

NASB 1977
So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as Yahweh had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Amplified Bible
So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the LORD had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Christian Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

American Standard Version
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as Jehovah had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Contemporary English Version
Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the LORD had commanded--Aaron threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake.

Good News Translation
So Moses and Aaron went to the king and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick down in front of the king and his officers, and it turned into a snake.

International Standard Version
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

Majority Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

NET Bible
When Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, they did so, just as the LORD had commanded them--Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake.

New Heart English Bible
Moses and Aaron went in to 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses and Aaron went in to 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.

World English Bible
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Moses goes in—Aaron also—to Pharaoh, and they do so as YHWH has commanded; and Aaron casts his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it becomes a dragon.

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses goeth in -- Aaron also -- unto Pharaoh, and they do so as Jehovah hath commanded; and Aaron casteth his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it becometh a monster.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses will go, and Aaron, to Pharaoh, and they will do thus as Jehovah commanded: and Aaron will cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it will be into a dragon.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharao, and did as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the rod before Pharao, and his servants, and it was turned into a serpent.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and they did just as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the staff in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and it was turned into a snake.

New American Bible
Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a serpent.

New Revised Standard Version
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and they did as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and before his noblemen, and it became a serpent.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe and Aaron came to Pharaoh and did in this way just as LORD JEHOVAH commanded them, and Aaron cast his staff before Pharaoh and before his Nobles, and it became a dragonsea serpent.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses and Aaron went in before Pharao, and before his servants, and they did so, as the Lord commanded them; and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharao, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Aaron's Staff Becomes a Serpent
…9“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.” 10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Exodus 4:3-4
“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. / “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

Exodus 4:30
and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,

Exodus 8:17
This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

Exodus 9:10
So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.

Exodus 10:13
So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

Exodus 12:11
This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.

Numbers 20:11
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

Deuteronomy 34:10-12
Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face— / no prophet who did all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent Moses to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his officials and all his land, / and no prophet who performed all the mighty acts of power and awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

1 Kings 17:24
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”

2 Kings 4:29-31
So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.” / And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. / Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

Psalm 78:43
when He performed His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

Psalm 105:27-28
They performed His miraculous signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. / He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they defied His words.

Isaiah 8:18
Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

Jeremiah 32:20-21
You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day. / You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.

Matthew 12:39-40
Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Treasury of Scripture

And Moses and Aaron went in to 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.

as the Lord

Exodus 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.

it became

Exodus 4:3
And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

Amos 9:3
And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

Mark 16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

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Exodus 7

1. Moses and Aaron are encouraged to go again to Pharaoh
8. Aaron's rod is turned into a serpent
11. The sorcerers do the like; but their rods are swallowed up by Aaron's
13. Pharaoh's heart is hardened
14. God's message to Pharaoh
19. The river is turned into blood; and the consequent distress of the Egyptians

Berean Study Bible

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh
This phrase marks the beginning of a pivotal confrontation between God's chosen leaders and the ruler of Egypt. The Hebrew root for "went" (יָבֹא) implies a purposeful action, indicating obedience to God's command. Moses and Aaron, representing God's authority, approach Pharaoh, who symbolizes earthly power and resistance to divine will. Historically, Pharaohs were seen as gods in their own right, making this encounter not just a political confrontation but a spiritual one. This sets the stage for a series of divine acts that will demonstrate God's supremacy over all earthly powers.

and did just as the LORD had commanded
The phrase underscores the importance of obedience to God's instructions. The Hebrew word for "commanded" (צִוָּה) conveys a sense of authoritative direction. Moses and Aaron's compliance is crucial, as it reflects their faith and trust in God's plan. This obedience is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing that God's plans are fulfilled through the faithful actions of His servants. It serves as an inspirational reminder for believers to adhere to God's will, trusting in His wisdom and timing.

Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials
The act of throwing down the staff is rich in symbolic meaning. In ancient cultures, a staff often represented authority and power. The Hebrew word for "staff" (מַטֶּה) can also mean "tribe" or "branch," symbolizing leadership and governance. By casting it before Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron is demonstrating that God's authority supersedes that of the Egyptian rulers. This act is a precursor to the miracles that will follow, serving as a tangible sign of God's power and presence.

and it became a serpent
The transformation of the staff into a serpent is a miraculous sign intended to convey God's power over creation. The Hebrew word for "serpent" (תַּנִּין) can also mean "dragon" or "sea monster," creatures often associated with chaos and evil in ancient Near Eastern mythology. By turning the staff into a serpent, God is symbolically asserting His dominion over chaos and evil, foreshadowing the plagues that will demonstrate His control over nature and the false gods of Egypt. This miracle serves as a testament to God's ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, encouraging believers to trust in His transformative power in their own lives.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 10-13. - THE FIRST SIGN, AND ITS FAILURE TO CONVINCE. Obeying the command given them (vers. 2, 9), Moses and Aaron went to the court a second time, and entering into the royal presence, probably repeated their demand - as from God - that the king would let the Children of Israel go (Exodus 6:11), when Pharaoh objected that they had no authority to speak to him in God's name, and required an evidence of their authority, either in the actual words of verse 9 ("Shew a miracle for you"), or in some equivalent ones. Aaron hereupon cast down on the ground the rod which Moses had brought from Midian, and it became a serpent (ver. 10). Possibly Pharaoh may have been prepared for this. He may have been told that this was one among the signs which had been done in the sight of the elders and people of Israel when the two brothers first came back from Midian (Exodus 4:30). If he knew of it, no doubt the "magicians" knew of it, and had prepared themselves. Pharaoh summoned them, as was natural, to his presence, and consulted them with respect to the portent, whereupon they too cast down the rods which they were carrying in their hands, and they "became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods" (ver. 12). (For the explanation of those facts, see the comment below). Pharaoh was to some extent impressed by the miracle, but not so as to yield. His heart remained hard, and he refused to let the people go. Verse 10. - Aaron cast down his rod. The rod is called indifferently "Aaron's rod" and "Moses' rod," because, though properly the rod of Moses (Exodus 4:2), yet ordinarily it was placed in the hands of Aaron (vers. 19, 20; Exodus 8:5, 17, etc.) It became a serpent. The word for "serpent" is not the same as was used before (Exodus 4:3); but it is not clear that a different species is meant. More probably it is regarded by the writer as a synonym.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

So Moses
מֹשֶׁ֤ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

and Aaron
וְאַהֲרֹן֙ (wə·’a·hă·rōn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

went
וַיָּבֹ֨א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Pharaoh
פַּרְעֹ֔ה (par·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

and did
וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ‪‬ (way·ya·‘a·śū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

just as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had commanded.
צִוָּ֣ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

Aaron
אַהֲרֹ֜ן (’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

threw
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ (way·yaš·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away

his staff {down}
מַטֵּ֗הוּ (maṭ·ṭê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

before
לִפְנֵ֥י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

Pharaoh
פַרְעֹ֛ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

and his officials,
עֲבָדָ֖יו (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

and it became
וַיְהִ֥י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a serpent.
לְתַנִּֽין׃ (lə·ṯan·nîn)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8577: A marine, land monster, sea-serpent, jackal

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OT Law: Exodus 7:10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh (Exo. Ex)