Magicians and the Ten Plagues

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The Finger of God

TANAKH

The Torah recounts the ten plagues that God inflicted upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The Egyptian magicians, who had previously replicated the plagues, recognized the plague of lice as an act of God, declaring, 'This is the finger of God!'

The magician-priests did the like with their spells to produce lice, but they could not. The vermin remained upon human and beast; and the magician-priests said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not heed them, as יהוה had spoken.

Exodus 8:14-15

The Divine Nature of the Plague of Lice

TALMUD

The Egyptian magicians' failure to replicate the plague of lice demonstrated its divine origin, as demons cannot create entities smaller than a barley grain. This is noted in Sanhedrin 67b, which underscores the divine nature of the plagues and the limitations of occult powers.

With regard to the verse: “And the magicians said to Pharaoh: This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:15), Rabbi Eliezer says: It is derived from here that a demon cannot create an entity smaller than the size of a barley grain. Consequently, the magicians were not capable of duplicating the plague of lice, and they realized that this was not an act of sorcery but was performed by God.

Sanhedrin 67b:15

The Magicians Who Joined the Exodus

MIDRASH

Jannes and Jambres, who initially opposed Moses, later joined the Israelites and influenced significant events. The Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of midrash, recounts their involvement in the sin of the Golden Calf.

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down (Exod. 32:1). The word boshesh (“delayed”) indicates that it was the sixth hour of the day. Forty thousand people had assembled to leave Egypt with the Israelites, and among them were two Egyptians named Jannes and Jambres, who had performed magical feats for Pharaoh, as it is written: And the magicians of Egypt in like manner with their arts (Exod. 7:22). All of them gathered about Aaron, as is said: And the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said (ibid. 32:11).

Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 19:1

The Humiliation of the Magicians

JEWISH THOUGHT

The plague of boils not only caused physical pain but also stripped the magicians of their dignity, preventing them from standing before Moshe and Aharon. The Maharal of Prague, in his work Gevurot Hashem, delves into the deeper implications of the plague of boils on the magicians' physical appearance and social standing.

Boils was a plague against "Let us make man in our image," for we have already explained earlier that boils was a plague that attached itself to man and we don't fine any that attached themselves to man except this one. And since it is written, "Let us make man in our image - in the image of G-d He created man," and with the plague of boils their form and mold was changed, that they no longer had their shape and visage because of the boils attached to them, for the boils destroyed the image of the person that they no longer had a shape and form…

Gevurot Hashem 57:20

Divine Prophecy vs. Egyptian Necromancy

JEWISH THOUGHT

In a land renowned for its necromancy, Moses' miracles needed to demonstrate the superiority of divine prophecy over occult arts. Rabbi Nissim of Gerona, in his 14th-century sermons, elucidates the strategic significance of Moses' miracles in Egypt.

And this was, indeed, effected in the beginning of the prophesying of the faithful prophet [Moses]. At that time, the magicians and soothsayers were humbled and suppressed. And it was a Divine stratagem to have all of this transpire in the very hotbed of necromancy [Egypt], where the grandeur of his signs would be more clearly discriminated than in a land devoid of such arts. This is the intent of (Menachoth 85a): "Yochni and Mamre said to him [Moses]: 'Are you bringing straw to Ofraim, the city of straw!' He answered: 'People say: "Take greens to the place of greens…

Derashot HaRan 12:14

The Sorcerers' Water Source

COMMENTARY

The Egyptian sorcerers' replication of the plague of blood raises intriguing logistical questions. The medieval commentary Daat Zkenim by the Tosafists delves into the practicalities and narrative details of the Torah's account.

ויעשו כן, “and the sorcerers of Pharaoh did something similar (with the aid of their witchcraft)” Where did they take water from to duplicate such a feat? Either they brought the water from outside Egypt, or they must have dug for it. Also, the fact that the Egyptians are reported to have dug for water, something reported in verse 24 also seems out of place. We do not apply the principle of the Torah reversing historical sequences within the same paragraph.

Da'at Zekenim on Exodus 7:22:1

The Magicians' Downfall

SECOND TEMPLE

The magicians in the story of the Ten Plagues aimed to undermine divine miracles, leading to their own downfall. Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, offers an allegorical interpretation of the magicians' role during the Ten Plagues.

[83] You must have observed how the aim of those who use charms and enchantments, when they bring their trickery into play against the Divine word and dare to attempt to do things like those which it does, is not so much to win honour for their own skill as to traduce and ridicule the miracles which are taking place. They transform the rods into real snakes, and turn the water to the colour of blood, and by incantations draw up on to land what frogs are still left (Ex. 7:12, 22, 8:7), and, as they add one thing to another tending to their own destruction, they are cheated, miserable fools…

On the Migration of Abraham 15:4

The Great Wonder of Aaron's Rod

COMMENTARY

The miracle of Aaron's rod swallowing the rods of the magicians, and then returning to its original form, is considered a profound wonder. Ibn Ezra, in his commentary on Exodus 7:12, explains that this event demonstrated the superior power of divine intervention, as Aaron's rod consumed the rods of the magicians and then reverted to its original state.

FOR THEY CAST DOWN. This, the swallowing of the magicians’ rods by Aaron’s staff and their consequent disappearance, was a second wonder. Scripture refers to the staff as Aaron’s rod 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. And this was a great wonder.

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 7:12:1

The Genuine Plague

COMMENTARY

Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar’s 18th-century commentary, Or HaChaim, provides a mystical and ethical perspective on the first plague in Egypt. The Egyptians realized the plague was genuine and not mere witchcraft because the blood persisted and affected the environment beyond the immediate presence of the sorcerer, indicating a divine act rather than a magical trick.

והדגה…מתה, and the fish…died; the Torah reports this detail to show that the Egyptians realised that the plague was not just a sleight of hand, i.e. make-believe. The blood would kill the people who drank it (in quantities). The fact that the river stank proved that the plague was for real. When the Torah adds ויהי הדם בכל ארץ מצרים, "the blood persisted throughout the land of Egypt," the reference is to bath-houses, bathtubs, etc. Perhaps the Torah wanted to tell us that the Egyptians took the "blood" from one location to another…

Or HaChaim on Exodus 7:21:1

The Limits of Human Magic

COMMENTARY

The sorcerers' inability to reverse one of the plagues forced Pharaoh to seek Moses and Aaron's intervention, highlighting the limitations of human magic against divine power. The Tur HaArokh, a medieval Jewish commentary, explores the narrative of the plagues in Egypt, emphasizing the contrast between divine power and human magic.

ויעשו כן החרטומים, “the sorcerers did likewise. “They succeeded in making frogs emerge from the relatively few ponds which had not yet produced frogs. Seeing that they were unable to make the frogs retreat to their natural habitat, [presumably this had been the task set for them by Pharaoh Ed.] Pharaoh saw himself compelled to appeal to Moses and Aaron to pray to their G’d to stop the plague.

Tur HaArokh, Exodus 8:3:1

The Irony of Replication

COMMENTARY

Attempts to replicate Moses and Aaron's miracles during the plagues only worsened the situation, highlighting the irony and futility of such actions. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks delves into the biblical narrative of the Ten Plagues, focusing on the competition between divine miracles and human attempts at replication.

The second example was Egypt during the early plagues. Moses and Aaron turned the water of the Nile into blood, and filled Egypt with frogs. We then read that the Egyptian magicians did likewise to show that they had the same power. So concerned were they to show that they could do what the Hebrews could do, that they entirely failed to realise that they were making things worse, not better. The real skill would have been to turn blood back into water, and make frogs not appear but disappear.

Studies in Spirituality; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Balak; What Makes God Laugh 10

Pharaoh's Misconception

COMMENTARY

Pharaoh's heart remained obstinate because he believed Aaron was just another sorcerer, as his own magicians could replicate Aaron's feats. The 13th-century Torah commentary Chizkuni offers insights into the Torah, often incorporating earlier commentaries and Midrashim.

ויחזק לב פרעה, “Pharaoh’s heart remained obstinate;” seeing that his sorcerers had been able to duplicate Aaron’s feat, he concluded that Aaron was another sorcerer.

Chizkuni, Exodus 7:13:1

Sorcerers vs. Divine Power

COMMENTARY

Pharaoh recognized the qualitative difference between the actions of his sorcerers and those of Moses and Aaron, even though his heart remained hardened. Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno, a 16th-century Italian biblical commentator, provides insights into the Torah, particularly focusing on the plagues in Egypt and Pharaoh's response.

כבד לב פרעה, even though Pharaoh could not help but notice the qualitative difference between what the sorcerers had done and what Moses and Aaron had accomplished.

Sforno on Exodus 7:14:1

Aaron's rod swallows the magicians rods, David Vinckboons (1576–1629)

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The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

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