I. AND THE LORD SAID. This was in response to, how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips (Ex. 6:12). God answered Moses, See I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh.¹

footnotes: ¹ Some of the printed editions of Ibn Ezra wrongly place this comment at the end of chapter 6.

AND THE LORD SAID.² Its meaning³) to Pharaoh. is: See, I have greatly elevated your status in that in Pharaoh’s eyes your stature is that of an angel. This is what God’s stead⁴, meaning an angel; see I.E.’s comments on Gen. 1:1. means. God⁵ speaks to the prophet and the prophet speaks to the men of his generation.⁶

footnotes: ² In some manuscripts I.E.’s comments on chapter 7 start with this note, hence the repetition of the opening quote. ³ The clause to which I.E. refers to literally reads: See, I make thee a god (elohim ⁴ Literally, a god. On elohim ⁵ That is, the angel. ⁶ Similarly, Moses will speak to Aaron, and Aaron will speak to Pharaoh.

[AND AARON THY BROTHER SHALL BE THY PROPHET.] Those who say that the word navi (prophet) comes from the root of niv in niv sefatayim (the fruit of the lips) (Is. 57:19) err.⁷ (prophecy) refer to one who calls and preaches words of rebuke to the people. It comes from the root of niv in niv sefatyim.” Niv comes from a two-letter root according to the French sages and from a hidden ayin root according to the Spanish sages.⁸ comes from the root nun, vav, bet. The French sages refer to such a root as a two-letter root because the vav is usually dropped. For the same reason the Spanish sages refer to it as a hidden ayin root. However, Krinsky argues that the French sages disagree as to what the root of niv is. The former hold that niv comes from a two-letter root; i.e., its root is nun, bet, while the Spanish sages believe it to come from the root nun, vav, bet. Contemporary works on grammar refer to the latter as an ayin vav. However, navi comes from a three-letter root.⁹. That its alef¹⁰ is spelled nun, bet, yod, alef. is a root letter can be seen from the words nevi’im (prophets) (Num. 11:29) and va-yitnabe’u (they prophesied).¹¹. If the alef was not a root letter these words would not have an alef in them. Furthermore, the word niv in niv sefatayim means fruit,¹² for niv comes from the same root as tenuvah (fruitage) (Is. 27:6) and yenuvun (they shall bring forth fruit) in They shall still bring forth fruit in old age (Ps. 92:15). Ve-nivo nivzeh okhlo (and the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible) (Malachi 1:12) is true proof of this. Additionally, what meaning is there to, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet (Gen. 20:7) if navi (prophet) means a speaker. Its only meaning¹³ (prophet) in Gen 20:7. is, he is a prophet to whom I reveal my secrets, as in But He revealeth His counsel unto His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). He enjoys My presence therefore and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live (Gen. 20:7).

footnotes: ⁷ Cf. Rashi: “All forms of the term nevu’ah ⁸ According to Filwarg and others the Spanish and French sages differ only in terminology. Both hold that niv ⁹ Its root is nun, bet, alef ¹⁰ The word navi ¹¹ Both words are spelled with an alef ¹² Rather than speech. ¹³ The meaning of navi

THOU SHALT SPEAK. To Aaron.

ALL THAT I COMMAND THEE; AND AARON THY BROTHER SHALL SPEAK UNTO PHARAOH. Even though Aaron is not mentioned every time¹⁴ that Moses came to Pharaoh, we know that they always came together.

footnotes: ¹⁴ That Scripture records.

AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. The question arises: “If God hardened Pharaoh’s heart what was his transgression and what was his sin?”¹⁵, our verse states that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for not mending his ways; i.e., I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for hardening his heart by multiplying “My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” The answer is: God granted wisdom to man and implanted in his heart the intelligence to receive power from on high to add to his good¹⁶ or to diminish his evil.¹⁷ I will explain this in the Torah portion Ki Tissa¹⁸ and when I comment on the verse Oh that they had such a heart as this alway (Deut. 5:26). Now the meaning of our verse is: I will harden his heart in order to multiply My signs and My wonders.¹⁹ Rabbi Joshua says that its meaning is: I will harden his heart so that he will be able to bear the plagues.²⁰ However, he spoke incorrectly.²¹ thus does not mean I will give Pharaoh a strong heart so that he can bear up under the pressure of the plagues, but rather that I will, so to speak, dull his brain so that he does not develop his intellectual capacity.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Prima facie ¹⁶ If good things are destined to befall an individual he can increase the amount of good that will befall him by developing his intelligence. Individual Divine Providence is extended only to those who have developed their intellectual capacities. See Introduction to Vol. 1, p. XIII. ¹⁷ A person can decrease the evil that is destined to befall him by developing his intelligence. See preceding note. ¹⁸ Ex. 31:18; 33:21. ¹⁹ God prevented Pharaoh from developing his intellectual capacities; God did this not to punish Pharaoh but so that He would have a pretext for multiplying His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. I.E. apparently held that man has free will. However, God occasionally takes it away when it serves His purpose to do so. For other interpretations, see Weiser and Krinsky. ²⁰ Hence there is no problem as to why Pharaoh was punished for being obstinate; Pharaoh was a free agent. God; granted him the physical strength to bear His plagues. He did not take away Pharaoh’s free will. ²¹ Rabbi Joshua is wrong. Heart in Scripture refers to an individual’s mental rather than physical capacity. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart

AND I WILL LAY MY HAND. That is, my blow, for a blow is struck with the hand. Scripture speaks anthropomorphically.

[MY HOSTS.] Its meaning is: as the angels are the Lord’s hosts in heaven so are Israel²². upon the earth.

footnotes: ²² The Lord’s hosts, hence the term My hosts

SHALL KNOW. Rabbi Judah, the first grammarian, has already noted the difference between ve-yade’u (shall know) and ve-yede’u (shall know). The word ve-yade’u, which is vocalized with a long kamatz, is a verb in the perfect. Compare, shame’u (they heard).²³ and shame’u are third person perfect forms. The vav prefixed to yade’u changes it²⁴ to an imperfect as per the grammatical rules.²⁵. On the other hand, the yod of the word ve-yede’u, which is vocalized with a tzere,²⁶ which literally means a small kamatz. is a future prefix. Compare, ve-yishmeru (they shall keep).²⁷ in ve-yishmeru (root, shin, mem, resh) is a future prefix. Similarly the yod of ve-yede’u. The silent yod between the yod and the dalet ²⁸ has the yod sound in it. is in place of the root yod. ²⁹ comes from the root yod, dalet, ayin. Since the yod in ve-yede’u is a prefix the root yod is dropped. However, it is compensated by the tzere, which has the yod sound. Thus the word is sounded ve-yede’u, not ve-yide’u as it ordinarily would be. Compare, ve-yishmeru, ve-yishme’u, and ve-yikhtivu. Behold, God noted³⁰ why He brought the plagues upon the Egyptians. He brought them so that His glorious name would be known in the world.³¹

footnotes: ²³ Yade’u ²⁴ From a perfect. ²⁵ For it is a conversive vav ²⁶ In Hebrew a kamatz katan ²⁷ The yod ²⁸ The tzere ²⁹ Ve-yede’u ³⁰ In this verse. ³¹ Not as a punishment for Pharaoh’s obstinacy. See I.E.’s comments on verse 3 and the notes thereto.

AND MOSES AND AARON DID SO. Scripture now states generally that the signs³² were performed by Aaron and also by Moses. It then goes on to explain each one of the signs.

footnotes: ³² Some were done by Moses and others by Aaron. See I.E. on Ex. 8:12.

AND MOSES. The Pentateuch records the ages of Moses and Aaron. Aside from these two, we do not find in all of Scripture prophets concerning whom the Bible says that they prophesied in their old age.³³, Part II, chap. XXXVI, translated by M. Friedlander, 1904). Their status was greater than that of all the other prophets, and to them alone did God speak in a pillar of cloud.³⁴ Do not think that Samuel is to be included among them because it is written, He spoke unto them³⁵ refers to the latter three.in the pillar of cloud (Ps. 99:7), since I have already explained in its proper place that the Torah was given³⁶ only to these two.³⁷ Now, behold, through Moses and Aaron the righteous shall inherit the world to come, while all the other prophets are prophets who³⁸ rebuke or predict the future.

footnotes: ³³ I.E., like Maimonides after him, apparently believed that a prophet has to be in perfect physical health in order to prophesy. “A person must satisfy the following conditions before he can become a prophet: The substance of the brain must…be in the most perfect condition…no part of his body must suffer from ill health” (Moses Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed ³⁴ Ps. 99:7 ³⁵ The previous verse speaks of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. Thus prima facie, unto them ³⁶ In a pillar of cloud. Cf. Ex. 24:18. ³⁷ Moses and Aaron. Hence Ps. 99:7 does not apply to Samuel but only to Moses and Aaron. See I.E. on Gen. 20:17 and on Ps. 99:7. ³⁸ Merely.

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON. God now began to direct His words to the two of them. God knew that at first Pharaoh would not ask for a sign but would merely say, I know not the Lord (Ex. 5:2). However, now Pharaoh would ask for a sign.³⁹

footnotes: ³⁹ And both Moses and Aaron were involved in the bringing of miraculous signs.

TAKE THY ROD. The reference is to Moses’ rod which Moses had given to Aaron.⁴⁰ Say unto Aaron: Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand (v. 19); and he lifted up the rod (ba-matteh), and smote the waters (v. 20) is proof of this.⁴¹ (Aaron’s rod) in our verse refers to the rod which Moses gave to Aaron. Now by employing a bet that has a pattach beneath it⁴² (the rod). Ba-matteh is short for be-ha-matteh. This heh ha-yedi’ah (the definite article) indicates a well-known object, in this case a well-known rod. Only Moses’ rod fits this description. Scripture is informing us that when He told him,⁴³ Take thy rod, He was referring to the well-known rod. And thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go (Ex. 17:5)⁴⁴ is additional proof of the above.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁰ For the purpose of striking the water. Hence Scripture refers to Moses’ rod as Aaron’s rod. ⁴¹ That thy rod ⁴² Verse 20 reads ba-matteh ⁴³ In verse 19. ⁴⁴ God told this to Moses. ⁴⁵ That the rod was really Moses’ rod, as Moses never struck the Nile. Aaron did. However, since it was used to strike the water, it was as if Moses himself struck the water.

AND MOSES AND AARON WENT IN. This too, namely, that the rod became a tannin (serpent), was a wonder.⁴⁶ It was not like the wonder that he did for Israel,⁴⁷ as there it only changed into a nachash (serpent).⁴⁸. In Ex. 4:3 the rod is described as changing into a nachash. However, Yefet says that nachash (serpent) and tannin (serpent) are one and the same.⁴⁹

footnotes: ⁴⁶ A supernatural act, contra those who try to give this act some sort of natural explanation. See I.E. on Ex. 4:2. ⁴⁷ Ex. 4:3. ⁴⁸ In our verse the reptile into which the rod changed is called a tannin ⁴⁹ Hence the wonder done before Pharaoh and the one for Israel are more or less identical.

THEN PHARAOH ALSO CALLED FOR THE WISE MEN. Astrologers.

AND THE SORCERERS. Those who appear to change natural law.⁵⁰

footnotes: ⁵⁰ They do not actually suspend natural law; they only appear to do so via trickery.

THE MAGICIANS. Those who know the secrets of nature. Chartumim (magicians)⁵¹ is a quadriliteral.⁵² It might be an Egyptian or Chaldean word, as we do not find this word used in Scripture except when dealing with them.⁵³ Scripture indicates a difference between what Moses did and what the magicians did. Moses really changed the staff into a serpent. As for the magicians, Scripture reads, with their secret arts.⁵⁴ Be-lahatehem (with their secret arts) comes from a triliteral root.⁵⁵ The heh should be dropped as it is the result of a scribal error. Indeed, Vat. Ebr. 38 reads, ve-hamillah shelishit. Its root is lamed, heh, tet. It is derived from the same root as lahat (flame) in the flaming sword (Gen. 3:24) and lohatim (them that are aflame) in I do lie down among them that are aflame (Ps. 57:5) and lihat (ablaze) in And the day that cometh shall set them ablaze (Mal. 3:19). It⁵⁶. refers to an illusion of lightning and passing fire.⁵⁷

footnotes: ⁵¹ Literally: this word. ⁵² Most Hebrew words come from a triliteral root, hence I.E.’s comment. ⁵³ At the end of Genesis and here in Exodus in reference to the Egyptians and in the Book of Daniel with reference to the Chaldeans. ⁵⁴ That is, via chicanery. ⁵⁵ The printed editions read, ve-hamillah ha-shelishit. ⁵⁶ Be-latehem ⁵⁷ The magicians made the rod appear to turn into a serpent in the same way that they have lightening and fire seem to appear.

FOR THEY CAST DOWN. This, the swallowing of the magicians’ rods by Aaron’s staff and their consequent disappearance,⁵⁸ was a second wonder.⁵⁹ Scripture refers to the staff as Aaron’s rod⁶⁰ for it was so at first. Rabbi Joshua says that Aaron’s rod swallowed the rods of the magicians after it returned to its original form.⁶¹. And this was a great wonder.

footnotes: ⁵⁸ The magicians’ rods disappeared permanently. ⁵⁹ The first being the turning of Aaron’s rod into a serpent. ⁶⁰ At the time that it swallowed up the magicians’ rods it was a serpent. Hence Scripture should have referred to it as Aaron’s serpent rather than as Aaron’s rod. ⁶¹ So too Rashi, hence the term Aaron’s rod

AND PHARAOH’S HEART WAS HARDENED. By itself.⁶² Pharaoh saw that the magicians were able to do what Aaron did.⁶³

footnotes: ⁶² God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh hardened it himself. ⁶³ Change their rods into serpents.

AND THE LORD SAID…PHARAOH’S HEART IS STUBBORN. Kaved (is stubborn) is a verb in the perfect.⁶⁴ It is like the word zaken (was old) in when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1), chafetz (were pleased) in If the Lord were pleased (Jud. 13:23), ahev (he loveth) in such as he loveth (Gen. 27:9).⁶⁵ The mem of me’en (refuseth), which is a root letter,⁶⁶ is mem, alef, nun. is vocalized with a tzere⁶⁷. so that a dagesh is not placed in the alef⁶⁸ cannot take a dagesh. which follows it.⁶⁹ is a pi’el. The middle root letters of words in the pi’el have a dagesh in them, and their first root letter is vocalized with a chirik in the perfect. Compare, dibber, shibber. Cheref (jeoparded) in jeoparded their lives (Jud. 5:18) is similar.⁷⁰. Its chet is vocalized with a tzere in place of a chirik because its middle letter (a resh) cannot take a dagesh.

footnotes: ⁶⁴ This form is also used for the participle form, hence I.E.’s comment. ⁶⁵ All these words are perfects. However, their forms are also those of participles. ⁶⁶ The root of me’en ⁶⁷ Rather than a chirik ⁶⁸ An alef ⁶⁹ Me’en ⁷⁰ It too is a pi’el

GET THEE UNTO PHARAOH IN THE MORNING. It is the custom of the king of Egypt until this very day to go out in the months of Tamuz and Ab to see how high the water has risen. This is the time the river increases. God commanded Moses to go in the morning and stand before the river and perform the sign of the striking of the river in the presence of Pharaoh. He commanded Moses to take and then give to Aaron the rod which he had turned into a serpent before coming unto Pharaoh (Ex. 4:3) and to wave it over the waters of Egypt so that Pharaoh would see with his very eyes the river turn into blood at the moment that Aaron struck it.

AND THOU SHALT SAY UNTO HIM. Say the following to him, because if he does not listen, this is the first plague. The rod which turned into a serpent (v. 10) was not a plague.

THUS SAITH THE LORD. The messenger speaks the word of the one who sent him.⁷¹. However, as Moses is not the Lord, Moses should rather have said: In this thou shalt know that He is the Lord. Hence I.E.’s comment. Moses was brief, for the term “His messenger” has been omitted. The statement should be understood thus: behold, I His messenger⁷² will smite with the rod that is in my hand.

footnotes: ⁷¹ Moses said, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord ⁷² What Moses meant was: Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I am His messenger, in this thou shalt know, etc.

[WITH THE ROD THAT IS IN MY HAND.] Moses said, that is in my hand, even though the rod was in Aaron’s hand because they were equals⁷³ and both participated in the performance of the sign.

footnotes: ⁷³ If they were not equals then the sign would have been attributed to the more important one even though both participated in the performance of the sign.

AND THE FISH. Fish is a general term for all things that swarm in the waters.

SHALL LOATHE. Ve-nil’u (shall loathe) is a nifal from the same root as the word la’ah (weary).⁷⁴. Its meaning is, will be unable.⁷⁵ as Vat. Ebr. 38 does. According to I.E. the word la’ah means unable. So too Rashbam. Rashi and others translate it as: were weary and tired. According to I.E. nil’u means were unable. The vav changes it to an imperfect; hence ve-nil’u means will be unable.

footnotes: ⁷⁴ Its root is lamed, alef, heh ⁷⁵ Reading lo yukhelu

AND THE LORD SAID. According to my opinion this is to be understood as follows. Aaron waved his hand and struck the Nile. He also waved his hand toward all the sides of Egypt to turn the waters of all the rivers in the land of Egypt, that is, in the kingdom of Egypt, into blood.⁷⁶ The term the waters of Egypt is a general term. Over their rivers is one of its particulars. The term ye’or (stream)⁷⁷ as river. River is a better translation as it refers to the Nile. refers exclusively to the Nile. There are other rivers in Egypt,⁷⁸ (their rivers). for the blood was over all of their country.⁷⁹

footnotes: ⁷⁶ Our verse notes that Aaron was commanded to stretch his hand over the waters of Egypt. It does not state that the Nile was struck. However, the next verse states that Aaron struck the Nile but omits the fact that he stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt. I.E. held that the verses teach that Aaron was commanded to do two things: to strike the Nile (v. 20), and to stretch his hands over all the rivers of Egypt (Filwarg). ⁷⁷ So J.P.S. However, the next verse renders ye’or ⁷⁸ Hence the Bible speaks of naharotam ⁷⁹ While the Nile runs only through the middle of the country.

OVER THEIR STREAMS. The plural ye’orehem (their streams)⁸⁰ is employed⁸¹) in Egypt. Why then is the plural ye’orehem employed? because the Nile is found in many places.

footnotes: ⁸⁰ So J.P.S. According to I.E., their rivers. ⁸¹ There is only one Nile (ye’or

THEIR POOLS. Pools of rainwater that form by themselves.

AND OVER THEIR PONDS OF WATER. This refers to fountains, wells, and cisterns. Saadiah Gaon says that the word meyeme (water of),⁸² (of their water). which is the word me (water of) doubled, refers to sweet water while the word me refers to bitter water, as in me ha-yam (waters of the sea). Scripture therefore reads, ha-kore le-me ha-yam (that calleth for the waters of the sea) (Amos 5:8). Now the Gaon forgot that Scripture states, me ha-yarden yikkaretun (the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off) (Josh. 3:13).⁸³ refers also to sweet water. The word me is always doubled when connected to a pronoun, as in the word memai (my water) (I Sam. 25:11) and in memekha (thy water) (Ezek. 12:18). This mode comes exclusively in the plural form,⁸⁴ as it is incorrect to say memi (my water) and memah (her water).⁸⁵ We find me⁸⁶ used in the singular in because the water of (me) sprinkling was not dashed (Num. 19:13).⁸⁷ (dashed) is singular. Hence me too is in the singular.

footnotes: ⁸² I.E.’s comment pertains to the word meyemehem ⁸³ The Jordan’s waters are sweet. We thus see that me ⁸⁴ Even when it refers to the singular, the plural is used. ⁸⁵ We rather say meyemai and meyemeha. ⁸⁶ But never the double form meme. ⁸⁷ The verb governing zorak

[BOTH IN VESSELS OF WOOD AND IN VESSELS OF STONE.] That is, in water found in the homes in vessels made out of wood or basins made out of stone.

AND MOSES AND AARON DID. Scripture notes the smiting of the Nile. However, it does not bother to mention the waving of the hand over all the waters of Egypt.⁸⁸

footnotes: ⁸⁸ See note 77.

AND THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT DID IN LIKE MANNER WITH THEIR SECRET ARTS. The word be-latehem (with their secret arts) comes from the same root as ba-lat (stealthily)⁸⁹, meaning to envelop, to cover, i.e., to do something secretly. I.E.’s point is that be-latehem is not to be confused with be-lahatehem in verse 11. in she approached him stealthily (Jud. 4:21).⁹⁰ It means with secret things hidden from the eye. A heh has not been omitted from the word,⁹¹, for the heh would be implied in the pattach sound and be-lahtehem would thus be a variant of be-lahatehem in verse 11. for the heh is not an implied letter in the middle of a word.⁹² One may ask: If all the water in Egypt was turned into blood by Aaron, where did the magicians find the water to turn into blood? The answer is: Aaron turned only water that is found above ground into blood. He did not transform any water that was below ground.⁹³ The magicians dug and brought forth water from beneath the ground and openly turned it into blood. Now, there is a great difference between what Aaron did and what the magicians brought about. Aaron transformed all of the Nile that was before him plus all the water that was in all the borders of Egypt, which he did not see.⁹⁴ Furthermore, he changed water that was not standing still but was continually running, with other water taking its place, into blood. Additionally, the plague lasted for seven days. The magicians, on the other hand, were only able to transform a little water standing in a vessel, for a moment, until Pharaoh returned to his house.

footnotes: ⁸⁹ From the root lamed, vav, tet ⁹⁰ New J.P.S. translation. ⁹¹ In which case its root would be lamed, heh, tet ⁹² It is only an implied letter at the end of a word. For the meaning of an implied letter see the notes to I.E. on Ex. 3:15. ⁹³ The Egyptians dug for water to drink. See verse 24. ⁹⁴ Into blood. The point is that Aaron transformed both the water that he saw (the Nile) and the water which he did not see into blood.

AND PHARAOH TURNED. Scripture states even this⁹⁵ seems out of place, for this was the first plague. because it first mentioned the sign of the rod which turned into a serpent and swallowed the other rods.⁹⁶.

footnotes: ⁹⁵ Prima facie, even this ⁹⁶ Which did not convince Pharaoh to set Israel free. Hence Scripture states, even this

DIGGED. Many say that the water was as red as blood in the hands of an Egyptian and became clear in the hands of an Israelite.⁹⁷ 9:9. If this is so then why doesn’t the Torah record this sign? I believe that the plagues of blood, frogs, and gnats⁹⁸ included both Egyptians and Hebrews, for we shall follow Scripture.⁹⁹. Since Scripture does not indicate that these plagues did not affect the Israelites, we do not assume the contrary. These three plagues caused little harm. However, God differentiated between the Egyptians and the Israelites with regard to the swarms,¹⁰⁰ which was a very harmful plague. So too with regard to the plagues of murrain¹⁰¹ and hail¹⁰² because of their flocks.¹⁰³ This was not the case with the boils and locusts,¹⁰⁴ for they¹⁰⁵ left¹⁰⁶ Egypt.¹⁰⁷ Now as the Egyptians digged,¹⁰⁸ so did the Hebrews dig.¹⁰⁹

footnotes: ⁹⁷ In other words, the plague of blood did not affect the Israelites. The very same water that was red in the hands of an Egyptian turned normal in the hands of an Israelite and vice versa. Cf. Shemot Rabba ⁹⁸ Or lice. ⁹⁹ Rather than the aggadah ¹⁰⁰ Of wild beasts. This is explicitly stated in 8.18. ¹⁰¹ Cf. Ex. 9:4. ¹⁰² Cf. Ex. 9:26. ¹⁰³ So that none of the flocks of Israel be diminished. ¹⁰⁴ They too befell Israel. ¹⁰⁵ The Israelites (Krinsky). ¹⁰⁶ Soon left Egypt. ¹⁰⁷ And left their fields behind. Hence they did not suffer any major losses from the plague of locusts. Neither did the boils, cause any permanent harm. ¹⁰⁸ For water (v. 24). ¹⁰⁹ For water. We must assume this, as the plague of blood struck them as well.

WERE FULFILLED. Scripture notes this because unlike the other plagues, this plague lasted many days.

AND THE LORD SPOKE…GO IN UNTO PHARAOH. With your brother Aaron and inform him of the second plague if he does not let my people go.¹¹⁰

footnotes: ¹¹⁰ See I.E.’s comment on verse 2.

AND IF. The word ma’en (refuse) is a transitive¹¹¹ (tired), hence I.E.’s comment. participle.¹¹² is ordinarily an infinitive, here it is used as an adjective. The normal participle form for this word in pi’el is me-ma’en. It is like the word ve-shabbe’ach (wherefore I praised)¹¹³ is a participle even though this form of the word is ordinarily an infinitive. The normal participle form of this word in the pi’el is me-shabbe’ach. in Wherefore I praised the dead (Eccles. 4:2). The meaning of nogef (smite) is destroy. It is thus written, And frogs, which destroyed them (Ps. 78:45). The commentaries are divided as to the meaning of the word tzefarde’im (frogs). Many say that it is a type of fish called al-timsach¹¹⁴ in Arabic that is found in Egypt, that arises from the river and preys upon people. Others say that it is the well-known sound-producing creature which is found in the majority of rivers.¹¹⁵ This interpretation appears to me to be correct.

footnotes: ¹¹¹ This form is also used for intransitive verbs, i.e., ayef ¹¹² Literally, a transitive adjective. I.E. refers to the present form as an adjective. I.E.’s point is that even though ma’en ¹¹³ Shabbe’ach ¹¹⁴ The crocodile. ¹¹⁵ The frog.

AND THE RIVER SHALL SWARM. Ve-sharatz (shall swarm) is a transitive¹¹⁶ verb. It is like yishretzu (swarm)¹¹⁷ in Let the waters swarm (Gen. 1:20).

footnotes: ¹¹⁶ This verb can be transitive or intransitive, hence I.E.’s comment. ¹¹⁷ Which is transitive. See I.E. on Gen. 1:20 and the notes thereto.

[WHICH SHALL GO UP.] The reason Scripture states this is that the river is always lower than the city.

BOTH UPON THEE, AND UPON THY PEOPLE. Yefet says that Scripture reads, both upon thee, and upon thy people to hint that the frogs shall affect only Pharaoh and his people but not Israel. However, this is no proof.¹¹⁸ Since Scripture mentions that the frogs shall go up upon him and upon all of his people,¹¹⁹ means all of Pharaoh’s subjects. It doesn’t refer only to native Egyptians. there was no reason to mention Israel.¹²⁰.

footnotes: ¹¹⁸ I.E. held that the plague of frogs also affected the Israelites. See his comments on verse 24. ¹¹⁹ Thy people ¹²⁰ Israel is included in thy people