Exodus 7:15

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 7:15 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river`s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river`s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.
Exodus 7:15 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 7

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river`s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning, etc.] The next morning, a time in which the mind is most composed and sedate, and fit to attend to what may be suggested: lo, he goeth out unto the water; the river Nile, either to take his morning’s walk, and to refresh himself at the waterside, as the Jerusalem Targum; or to observe divinations upon the water, as a magician, as the Targum of Jonathan. So in the Talmud f201 it is said, that the Pharaoh in the days of Moses was a magician. Or rather, as Aben Ezra thinks, which he says is a custom of the kings of Egypt to this day, to go out in the months of Tammuz and Ab, i.e. June, and July, when the river increases, to observe how many degrees it has…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Get thee unto Pharaoh--Now began those appalling miracles of judgment by which the God of Israel, through His ambassadors, proved His sole and unchallengeable supremacy over all the gods of Egypt, and which were the natural phenomena of Egypt, at an unusual season, and in a miraculous degree of intensity. The court of Egypt, whether held at Rameses, or Memphis, or Tanis in the field of Zoan (Psa 78:12), was the scene of those extraordinary transactions, and Moses must have resided during that terrible period in the immediate neighborhood. in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water--for the purpose of ablutions or devotions perhaps; for the Nile was an object of superstitious reverence,…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“He goeth out unto the water - The Nile was worshipped under various names and symbols; at Memphis especially, as Hapi, i. e. Apis, the sacred bull, or living representation of Osiris, of whom the river was regarded as the embodiment or manifestation. If, as is probable, the king went to offer his devotions, the miracle would have special force and suitableness. It was also the season of the yearly overflowing, about the middle of June; and the daily rise of the water was accurately recorded, under the personal superintendence of the king. In early inscriptions the Nilometer is the symbol of stability and providential care. return to 'Top of Page'”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“he goeth: Exo 2:5, Exo 8:20; Eze 29:3 the rod: Exo 7:10, Exo 4:2-4 Exodus 7:16”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Sources and verification