Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.
Parallel translations
- WEB For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
- KJV For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
- NKJV For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
- NASB For each one threw down his staff, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.
- NLT They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The magicians' rods become serpents, but Aaron's rod swallows them. God's power decisively overcomes Egypt's counterfeit.
Overview
Though the magicians match the sign, Aaron's serpent devours theirs, signaling Yahweh's supremacy over all rival powers from the very first encounter. The counterfeit is real enough to deceive but utterly inferior to the true work of God. This dramatic swallowing foreshadows the certain triumph of God over every opposing power, fulfilled when Christ disarms the rulers and authorities at the cross.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 1 Jn 4:4You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Exod 8:18–19The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.
- Exod 9:11The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.
- Acts 13:8–11But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
- Acts 19:19–20And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
- Acts 8:9–13Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 7:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.