71 Then the Lord said to Moses , " See , I make you as God to Pharaoh , and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet . 2 "You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land . 3 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt . 4 "When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts , My people the sons of Israel , from the land of Egypt by great judgments . 5 " The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord , when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst ." 6 So Moses and Aaron did it; as the Lord commanded them, thus they did . 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three , when they spoke to Pharaoh .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 7:1-7
Commentary on Exodus 7:1-7
(Read Exodus 7:1-7)
God glorifies himself. He makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them, and the Egyptians by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Moses, as the ambassador of Jehovah, speaking in his name, laid commands upon Pharaoh, denounced threatenings against him, and called for judgments upon him. Pharaoh, proud and great as he was, could not resist. Moses stood not in awe of Pharaoh, but made him tremble. This seems to be meant in the words, Thou shalt be a god unto Pharaoh. At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance.