Exodus 7 · Verse 12

Exodus 7:12

For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
Exodus 7:12, King James Version

Exodus 7:12 in other translations

BSBEach one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.
WEBFor they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
ASVFor they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
YLTand they cast down each his rod, and they become monsters, and the rod of Aaron swalloweth their rods;
DARBYthey cast down every man his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staves.
BBEFor every one of them put down his rod on the earth, and they became snakes: but Aaron's rod made a meal of their rods.
WebsterFor they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

What does Exodus 7:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods--This was what they could not be prepared for, and the discomfiture appeared in the loss of their rods, which were probably real serpents.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods - As Egypt was remarkably addicted to magic, sorcery, etc., it was necessary that God should permit Pharaoh's wise men to act to the utmost of their skill in order to imitate the work of God, that his superiority might be clearly seen, and his powerful working incontestably ascertained; and this was fully done when Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. We have already seen that the names of two of the chief of these magicians were Jannes and Jambres; see Clarke on Exo 2:10 (note), and 2Tim 3:8 (note). Many traditions and fables concerning these may be seen in the eastern writers.

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 7:12 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.

וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙vai.yash.Li.khuand they threw downH7993
אִ֣ישׁ'isheach oneH376
מַטֵּ֔הוּma.Te.hustaff hisH4294
וַיִּהְי֖וּvai.yih.Yuand they becameH1961
לְתַנִּינִ֑םle.ta.ni.Nim<into> serpentsH8577
וַיִּבְלַ֥עvai.yiv.La'and it swallowed upH1104
מַטֵּֽה\־ma.teh-[the] staff ofH4294
אַהֲרֹ֖ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַטֹּתָֽם\׃ma.to.Tamstaffs theirH4294

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

Cross references for Exodus 7:12

  • 1 John 4:4

    Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

  • Exodus 8:18-19

    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. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

  • Exodus 9:11

    And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

  • Acts 13:8-11

    But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

  • Acts 8:9-13

    But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. …

  • Acts 19:19-20

    Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
but Aaron's.
8:18,19; 9:11; Ac 8:9-13; 13:8-11; 19:19,20; 1Jo 4:4

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Exodus 7:13

    And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

Read all of Exodus 7

Exodus 7:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pues echó cada uno su vara, las cuales se volvieron culebras: mas la vara de Aarón devoró las varas de ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		ils jetèrent chacun sa verge, et elles devinrent des serpents; mais la verge d’Aaron engloutit leurs verges.
German
Elberfelder 1871		und warfen ein jeder seinen Stab hin, und sie wurden zu Schlangen; aber Aarons Stab verschlang ihre Stäbe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Projeceruntque singuli virgas suas, quæ versæ sunt in dracones: sed devoravit virga Aaron virgas eorum.