Exodus 7 · Verse 11

Exodus 7:11

Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Exodus 7:11, King James Version

Exodus 7:11 in other translations

BSBBut Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
WEBThen Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.
ASVThen Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments.
YLTAnd Pharaoh also calleth for wise men, and for sorcerers; and the scribes of Egypt, they also, with their flashings, do so,
DARBYAnd Pharaoh also called the sages and the sorcerers; and they too, the scribes of Egypt, did so with their enchantments:
BBEThen Pharaoh sent for the wise men and the wonder-workers, and they, the wonder-workers of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
WebsterThen Pharaoh also called the wise-men, and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

What does Exodus 7:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, &c.--His object in calling them was to ascertain whether this doing of Aaron's was really a work of divine power or merely a feat of magical art. The magicians of Egypt in modern times have been long celebrated adepts in charming serpents, and particularly by pressing the nape of the neck, they throw them into a kind of catalepsy, which renders them stiff and immovable--thus seeming to change them into a rod. They conceal the serpent about their persons, and by acts of legerdemain produce it from their dress, stiff and straight as a rod. Just the same trick was played off by their ancient predecessors, the most renowned of whom, Jannes and Jambres (2Ti 3:8), were called in on this occasion. They had time after the summons to make suitable preparations--and so it appears they succeeded by their "enchantments" in practising an illusion on the senses.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Pharaoh - called the wise men - חכמים chacamim, the men of learning. Sorcerers, כשפים cashshephim, those who reveal hidden things; probably from the Arabic root kashafa, to reveal, uncover, etc., signifying diviners, or those who pretended to reveal what was in futurity, to discover things lost, to find hidden treasures, etc. Magicians, חרטמי chartummey, decipherers of abstruse writings. See Clarke's note on Gen 41:8. They also did in like manner with their enchantments - The word להתים lahatim, comes from להט mor lahat, to burn, to set on fire; and probably signifies such incantations as required lustral fires, sacrifices, fumigations, burning of incense, aromatic and odoriferous drugs, etc., as the means of evoking departed spirits or assistant demons, by whose ministry, it is probable, the magicians in question wrought some of their deceptive miracles: for as the term miracle signifies properly something which exceeds the powers of nature or art to produce, (see Exo 7:9), hence there could be no miracle in this case but those wrought, through the power of God, by the ministry of Moses and Aaron. There can be no doubt that real serpents were produced by the magicians. On this subject there are two opinions: 1. That the serpents were such as they, either by juggling or sleight of hand, had brought to the place, and had secreted till the time of exhibition, as our common conjurers do in the public fairs, etc. 2. That the serpents were brought by the ministry of a familiar spirit, which, by the magic flames already referred to, they had evoked for the purpose. Both these opinions admit the serpents to be real, and no illusion of the sight, as some have supposed. The first opinion appears to me insufficient to account for the phenomena of the case referred to. If the magicians threw down their rods, and they became serpents after they were thrown down, as the text expressly says, Exo 7:12, juggling or sleight of hand had nothing farther to do in the business, as the rods were then out of their hands. If Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods, their sleight of hand was no longer concerned. A man, by dexterity of hand, may so far impose on his spectators as to appear to eat a rod; but for rods lying on the ground to become serpents, and one of these to devour all the rest so that it alone remained, required something more than juggling. How much more rational at once to allow that these magicians had familiar spirits who could assume all shapes, change the appearances of the subjects on which they operated, or suddenly convey one thing away and substitute another in its place! Nature has no such power, and art no such influence as to produce the effects attributed here and in the succeeding chapters to the Egyptian magicians.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 7:8-13

What men dislike, because it opposes their pride and lusts, they will not be convinced of; but it is easy to cause them to believe things they wish to be true. God always sends with his word full proofs of its Divine authority; but when men are bent to disobey, and willing to object, he often permits a snare to be laid wherein they are entangled. The magicians were cheats, trying to copy the real miracles of Moses…

Read the full comment on Exodus 7:8-13 →

Exodus 7:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּקְרָא֙vai.yik.Ra'and he summonedH7121
גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571
פַּרְעֹ֔הpar.'OhPharaohH6547
לַֽחֲכָמִ֖יםla.cha.kha.Mim<to> the wise menH2450
וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑יםve.lam.kha.she.Fimand <to> the sorcerersH3784
וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּvai.ya.'a.Suand they didH6213
גַם\־gam-alsoH1571
הֵ֜םhemtheyH1992
חַרְטֻמֵּ֥יchar.tu.Mei[the] magicians ofH2748
מִצְרַ֛יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714
בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖םbe.la.ha.tei.Hemby enchantments theirH3814
כֵּֽן\׃KenthusH3651

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 7:11

  • Exodus 7:22

    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.

  • 2 Timothy 3:8

    Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

  • Exodus 8:18

    And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

  • Exodus 8:7

    And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:9

    Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

  • Daniel 2:2

    Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

  • Genesis 41:8

    And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

  • Ephesians 4:14

    That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

  • Daniel 5:7

    The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

  • Daniel 5:11

    There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

  • Galatians 3:1

    O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

  • Daniel 4:7-9

    Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
wise men.
Ge 41:8,38,39; Isa 19:11,12; 47:12,13; Da 2:2,27; 4:7-9; 5:7,11
2Ti 3:8; Re 19:20
sorcerers.{Mechashshaphim,} probably from the Arabic {kashapha,} to discover, reveal, signifies diviners, or those who pretended to reveal futurity, to discover things lost, or to find hidden treasures.
they also.
22; 8:7,18; De 13:1-3; Mt 24:24; Ga 3:1; Eph 4:14; 2Th 2:9
Re 13:11-15
enchantments.By the word {lahatim,} from {lahat,} to burn, may be meant such incantations as required lustral fires, fumigations, etc.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 7:10

    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.

  • Exodus 7:11

    Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

  • Exodus 7:12

    For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Read all of Exodus 7

Exodus 7:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces llamó también Faraón sabios y encantadores; é hicieron también lo mismo los encantadores de Egipto con sus encantamientos;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le Pharaon appela aussi les sages et les magiciens; et eux aussi, les devins d’Égypte, firent ainsi par leurs enchantements:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da berief auch der Pharao die Weisen und die Zauberer; und auch sie, die Schriftgelehrten Ägyptens, taten also mit ihren Zauberkünsten
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vocavit autem Pharao sapientes et maleficos: et fecerunt etiam ipsi per incantationes ægyptiacas et arcana quædam similiter.