The Meaning of Exodus 7:12 Explained

Exodus 7:12

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

YLT: and they cast down each his rod, and they become monsters, and the rod of Aaron swalloweth their rods;

Darby: they cast down every man his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staves.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For 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?

Study Notes

Aaron's rod
(Cf) Exodus 4:2 As Moses' rod was the rod of power, the rod of the King Deuteronomy 33:4 ; Deuteronomy 33:5 so Aaron's was the rod of life, the rod of the Priest. As here the serpents, symbols of Satan, who had the power of death; Revelation 12:9 ; Hebrews 2:14 are swallowed up, so in resurrection death will be "swallowed up in victory"; 1 Corinthians 15:54 ; Numbers 17:8 .

Context Summary

Exodus 7:1-13 - Pharaoh Stubborn Against Israel's Release
How often we say in a similar tone, "I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?" Forty years in the wilderness, in absolute solitude, had robbed Moses of the eloquence with which Stephen credits him in earlier life. Like Jeremiah, he felt himself a child and unable to speak.
It is an awful moment when the human will sets itself in antagonism to the divine. If it will not bend, it must break. For once the scion of an imperial race had met his superior. It were better for the potsherd to strive with the potsherds of the earth! But God is not unreasonable. At the outset He endeavored to prove to Pharaoh who and what He was. One of the chief reasons for the plagues, as well as of these miracles, was to establish the fact that the Jehovah of the Hebrews was the great Being who lives behind the whole apparatus of nature. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Exodus 7:12 mean?

For threw down every man his rod and they became serpents But swallowed up rod of Aaron - their rods
וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מַטֵּ֔הוּ וַיִּהְי֖וּ לְתַנִּינִ֑ם וַיִּבְלַ֥ע מַטֵּֽה־ אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶת־ מַטֹּתָֽם

וַיַּשְׁלִ֙יכוּ֙  For  threw  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אִ֣ישׁ  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מַטֵּ֔הוּ  his  rod 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
וַיִּהְי֖וּ  and  they  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְתַנִּינִ֑ם  serpents 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: תַּנִּין  
Sense: dragon, serpent, sea monster.
וַיִּבְלַ֥ע  But  swallowed  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
מַטֵּֽה־  rod 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
אַהֲרֹ֖ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מַטֹּתָֽם  their  rods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.