Exodus 7:22 · Bible study
Exodus 7:22 Commentary: Magicians and Pharaoh's Hard Heart
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how Egypt's magicians imitated the plague of blood, the source of their water, and the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in Exodus 7:22.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Egypt’s magicians imitated the blood plague on a small scale, giving Pharaoh an excuse to harden his heart, just as God had foretold.
- Key words: ‘Magicians’ (chartumim, occult priests); ‘enchantments’ (lat, secret arts); ‘hardened’ (cha.zaq, to be strong or firm).
- Main debate: Where did the magicians obtain water to turn into blood? Options: dug wells (Ex 7:24), pools unaffected, or water from Goshen.
- Theological theme: God’s power versus human/occult imitation; the progressive hardening of a heart that refuses to yield.
- Best use: Teaching about counterfeit faith, discernment, and the danger of using partial evidence to reject God’s full claim.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los encantadores de Egipto hicieron lo mismo con sus encantamientos: y el corazón de Faraón se endureció, y no los escuchó; como Jehová lo había dicho.
E os encantadores do Egito fizeram o mesmo com seus encantamentos: e o coração de Faraó se endureceu, e não os escutou; como o SENHOR o havia dito.
Mais les magiciens d’ Égypte en firent autant par leurs enchantements. Le cœur de Pharaon s’ endurcit, et il n’ écouta point Moïse et Aaron, selon ce que l’ Éternel avait dit.
Und die ägyptischen Zauberer taten auch also mit ihrem Beschwören. Also ward das Herz Pharaos verstockt, und er hörte sie nicht, wie denn der HERR geredet hatte.
Doch de Egyptische tovenaars deden ook alzo met hun bezweringen; zodat Farao's hart verstokte, en hij hoorde naar hen niet, gelijk als de HEERE gesproken had.
E i magi d’Egitto fecero lo stesso con le loro arti occulte; e il cuore di Faraone s’indurò ed egli non diè ascolto a Mosè e ad Aaronne, come l’Eterno avea detto.
I uczynili także czarownicy Egipscy czarami swemi; i zatwardziało serce Faraonowe, i nie usłuchał ich, jako był powiedział Pan.
И волхвы Египетские чарами своими сделали то же. И ожесточилось сердце фараона, и не послушал их, как и говорил Господь.
埃及 行法術的，也用邪術 照樣 而行。法老 心 裡剛硬，不肯 聽摩西、亞倫，正如耶和華 所 說的。
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.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 7:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the magicians of Egypt did produce what appeared to be a transformation of water into blood, but on a far smaller scale than Moses and Aaron. Calvin, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown each observe that the magicians likely used water not yet struck by the plague, either from wells dug near the Nile (Exodus 7:24), from pools that had not yet been affected, or from the land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived. Clarke notes that the plague may not have been immediately universal; verse 20 records only the river being turned to blood, leaving other waters available. The imitation did not reverse the plague, it spoilt good water rather than restoring the river. That was enough for Pharaoh. Seeing his own magicians produce a similar effect, he concluded Moses and Aaron were no different from them, and his heart hardened. The root for ‘hardened’ here is cha.zaq, to be strong, firm, or resolute. Used in a negative sense, it describes a will set against God. The consensus: this verse portrays a pattern of human resistance that God had already said would happen (Exodus 7:4).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Limited scope of plague: Only the Nile is struck in v20; wells and pools remained untouched (Ex 7:24).
- Water from Goshen: The Targum of Jonathan suggests the Hebrews' water was not affected, providing clean water to the magicians.
- Sleight of hand / demonic illusion: Calvin, Gill: the magicians used trickery or demonic power to make a small sample look like blood.
- God temporarily provided water: Calvin: God allowed pure water to appear for a while so that the magicians' imitation could serve His purposes.
What is clear: The magicians produced a visible change that Pharaoh accepted as equivalent to Moses' miracle, and he used it to justify hardening his heart.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Source of water for imitation | The magicians did change some water into blood, but not the water Moses had already struck. | Calvin and some suggest God temporarily left pure water available for a purpose; Clarke and Gill argue the plague was not immediately universal and that magicians used water from wells or Goshen. |
| Nature of the imitation | The magicians performed something visible that looked like blood. | Wesley and Henry treat it as a mere trick; Calvin allows that Satan may have deceived the eyes. Gill suggests demonic assistance to discolour water with actual blood. |
| Cause of Pharaoh's hardening | Pharaoh refused to listen after the magicians' display. | Some see this as God's judicial hardening (consistent with Ex 7:3); others emphasise Pharaoh's own choice to disbelieve, using the magicians as an excuse. |
| Imitation in subsequent plagues | The magicians imitated only the first two plagues (blood, frogs; Ex 8:7). | Why they stopped: their inability to replicate later plagues (lice) is seen by most as a demonstration that they had reached their limit; a minority suggest God actively restrained them. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The first plague, water turned to blood, struck at the heart of Egyptian religious life. The Nile was not only the source of Egypt’s fertility but also a deity, the god Hapi was worshipped as the giver of life. Annual sacrifices were offered to the river. By turning the Nile to blood, Yahweh declared His power over Egypt’s gods.
Pharaoh, regarded as a divine figure himself, would have seen this as a direct challenge to his authority. He summoned his magicians, the chartumim, a class of priests skilled in occult arts and hieroglyphic writing. Their ‘enchantments’ (lat, meaning secret arts or mysteries) likely involved sleight of hand, incantations, or demonic assistance, according to Calvin and Gill.
A practical question arises: where did they get water if all the Nile was blood? The text suggests the plague did not spread instantly. Verse 19 gives a comprehensive command to turn all waters, but verse 20 records only the river being struck. Verse 24 shows Egyptians digging for water around the river, springs and seepage pits that had not yet been contaminated. Gill points out that the magicians could also have used water from the Hebrew settlement in Goshen, which may have been spared initially. The imitation they performed was severely limited, it spoiled fresh water rather than healing the polluted river. Yet that was sufficient for Pharaoh. He seized on their display as evidence that Moses was a mere magician, not a messenger from God. His refusal to listen fulfilled what Yahweh had said (Exodus 7:4).
Centuries later, Paul refers to these magicians by name in 2 Timothy 3:8 as ‘Jannes and Jambres’ who opposed the truth. Their art could mimic, but not overcome, divine power.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 7:22. The consonantal Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse reads consistently in the versions cited (KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, etc.). The main variation in English translations is the rendering of cha.zaq as ‘hardened’ (WEB, KJV) or ‘stubborn’ (Darby) or ‘strong’ (YLT), reflecting the range of the Hebrew root.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, including Augustine, wrestled with how the magicians could imitate the plague if all water had been turned to blood. Augustine proposed that the plague was not immediately total, or that the magicians worked on salt water. The second-century apocryphal tradition named the magicians Jannes and Jambres, a detail Paul later uses in 2 Timothy 3:8 as a warning against false teachers. In the Reformation, Calvin and Luther both stressed God’s sovereign permission of the imitation: He allowed the magicians a measure of success to leave Pharaoh without excuse. Jewish tradition, reflected in the Targum of Jonathan, suggested that water from Goshen was unaffected, giving the magicians a source for their trick. Across traditions, this verse has been used to teach that counterfeit signs can deceive the willing, but they cannot thwart God’s deliverance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Mimicry exposes limits, The magicians could copy the first plague, but only on a small scale. They could not reverse it. Human power, even demonic assistance, has boundaries. God’s power creates and restores; imitation only spoils and deceives.
- A self‑hardened heart, Pharaoh’s heart is described as ‘strong’ (cha.zaq). He chose to interpret the magicians’ trick as proof he was safe. Hardness begins when we decide that God has no unique claim on us.
- God’s word stands, ‘As Yahweh had spoken’ frames the entire episode. God told Moses in Exodus 7:4 that Pharaoh would not listen. His advance knowledge does not excuse Pharaoh, but it shows that no human resistance can derail God’s purpose.
Five-point outline
- Counterfeit signs, The magicians produced blood, but from scarce, clean water. Counterfeits work only because there is a reality to copy. Discernment means recognising what is genuine by its source and scope.
- The wrong takeaway, Pharaoh saw the imitation and concluded, ‘they are the same.’ He missed the difference entirely. His hardness came from misreading evidence.
- A temporary refuge, The dug wells of Exodus 7:24 gave the Egyptians drinking water for a time, but they could not avoid the later plagues. A small evasion from God’s demands feels like safety only until the next judgment.
- God’s permission, God allowed the magicians to succeed. He could have stopped them; He did not. His timing for the final display of power had not yet come.
- Hardness builds with habit, Each time Pharaoh ignored or explained away a miracle, his heart set more firmly. By verse 23, he did not even ‘set his heart to this also.’ Resistance becomes indifference.
Illustration hooks
- Counterfeit currency, A skilled forger can produce a note that fools many, but it lacks the sovereign’s seal. The magicians’ work looked real, but it had no authority to save.
- Child imitating a parent, A child stirs a spoon in a cup and calls it ‘cooking.’ The imitation honours the parent, but it does not feed anyone. The magicians copied the form but not the redeeming power.
- Home security test, When a lock is tested, it either holds or fails. Pharaoh tested God’s demand against his magicians’ art; he chose the lock that seemed stronger.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did God allow the magicians to copy the miracle?, Couldn’t He have proved His power more clearly by stopping them? This raises the issue of why God sometimes permits opposition to continue for a time.
- Was Pharaoh’s hardness his own fault or God’s doing?, The verb cha.zaq can be active (he made his heart strong) or passive (it was made strong). The tension runs through Exodus and requires careful handling.
- How do we know if a spiritual experience is from God or just imitation?, The magicians produced real effects (frogs later, Exodus 8:7). What criteria distinguish authentic divine action from counterfeit?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the hinge of the plague narrative. God has just demonstrated power over Egypt’s river-god, yet Pharaoh finds a reason to dismiss it. The presence of imitators, magicians who can produce a similar effect, gives him the excuse he wants. But the imitation is partial and temporary. Discuss how we recognise the difference between God’s work and its counterfeits, and how a heart begins to harden.
Discussion questions
- Exodus 7:22 says the magicians ‘did the same thing.’ What exactly did they do? Where might they have obtained water to change? (Consider Exodus 7:24 and the possibility that the plague was not yet universal.)
- The word for ‘enchantments’ in Hebrew is lat, meaning secret or mysterious arts. What does this imply about the source and nature of their power?
- Pharaoh saw the imitation and ‘did not listen.’ Why would a reproduction of the same effect be enough to convince him? What might he have said to himself at that moment?
- Compare this hardening with the statement in Exodus 7:3 that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart. How do you see God’s sovereignty and human responsibility interacting here?
- The magicians could not reverse the plague. How much power did their imitation actually have? What does this tell us about the limits of counterfeit spiritual experiences?
- In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul names the magicians as Jannes and Jambres who ‘opposed Moses.’ Why do you think Paul uses them as a warning for the church?
- Where in your own life do you find yourself seeking a substitute for God’s work, something that looks the same but costs less? What would it mean to recognise the counterfeit and turn to the real?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 7:11 | Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments. |
| Exodus 8:7 | The magicians did the same thing with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. |
| Exodus 8:8 | Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.” |
| Jeremiah 27:18 | But if they are prophets, and if Yahweh’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to Yahweh of Armies, that the vessels which are left in Yahweh’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon. |
| II Timothy 3:8 | Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind, who concerning the faith are rejected. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke defends the Mosaic account against critics by explaining that the magicians likely obtained water from wells dug along the river, which remained untainted. He also notes that Moses first struck only the Nile itself, leaving other sources available for imitation through trickery or demonic aid, and sees this plague as retributive justice for Egypt's slaughter of Israelite infants.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the plague account blends three sources: in J and E only the Nile turns to blood, while in P all water in Egypt. P also has Aaron work the sign with his rod, whereas originally J described it as done directly by the Lord, and E by Moses.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the magicians' ability to replicate the sign did not alter God's sovereign plan. Despite their sorceries, Pharaoh's heart was hardened precisely as the Lord had declared, showing that human imitation cannot override divine purpose.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues the magicians did not truly turn water into blood. They only used juggling tricks or mixed real blood with a small amount of water to deceive the eye. Had they turned the bloody river back into water, that would have matched Moses' miracle. Instead they merely spoiled a little good water, a mean and unworthy act.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that the magicians' imitation was only possible on a small scale, since almost all water had already turned to blood. They must have dyed a sample red, giving Pharaoh a pretext to remain unmoved and dismiss the miracle.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the water-to-blood miracle as a supernatural heightening of the Nile's natural seasonal reddening, not a chemical change into real blood. He notes that the magicians could produce the appearance of doing the same thing because the reddening continued to increase, and their deceptive tricks were enough to harden Pharaoh's heart.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the magicians only made the plague worse by turning more water into blood, yet this gave Pharaoh a weak excuse to ignore the miracle. Their power was empty precisely because they could not reverse the harm and restore pure water.