Exo 7:9-10 | NET2full | STEP | “ When Pharaoh says to you, ‘ Do a miracle ,’ and you say to Aaron , ‘ Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh ,’ it will become a snake .”

Exodus 7:9-10

9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Do ^{▼▼tn The verb is תְּנוּ (tenu), literally “give.” The imperative is followed by an ethical dative that strengthens the subject of the imperative: “you give a miracle.”} a miracle,’ and you say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down ^{▼▼tn Heb “and throw it.” The direct object, “it,” is implied.} before Pharaoh,’ it will become ^{▼▼tn The form is the jussive יְהִי (yehi). Gesenius notes that frequently in a conditional clause, a sentence with a protasis and apodosis, the jussive will be used. Here it is in the apodosis (GKC 323 §109.h).} a snake.” 10 When ^{▼▼tn The clause begins with the preterite and the vav (ו) consecutive; it is here subordinated to the next clause as a temporal clause.} Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, they did so, just as the Lord had commanded them—Aaron threw down ^{▼▼tn Heb “and Aaron threw.”} his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a snake. ^{▼▼tn The noun used here is תַּנִּין (tannin), and not the word for “serpent” or “snake” used in chap. 4. This noun refers to a large reptile, in some texts large river or sea creatures (Gen 1:21; Ps 74:13) or land creatures (Deut 32:33). This wonder paralleled Moses’ miracle in 4:3 when he cast his staff down. But this is Aaron’s staff, and a different miracle. The noun could still be rendered “snake” here since the term could be broad enough to include it.}