וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵ֛ן חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם בְּלָטֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃
애굽 술객들도 자기 술법으로 그와 같이 행하므로 바로의 마음이 강퍅하여 그들을 듣지 아니하니 여호와의 말씀과 같더라
Shemot Rabbah
“The magicians of Egypt did so with their spells; and Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had spoken” (Exodus 7:22).
“The magicians of Egypt did so” – this teaches that they believed it was an act of sorcery. “With their spells [belateihem]” – Rabbi Aivo bar Nagrei said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Belateihem is an act of demons; belahateihem (Exodus 7:11) is an act of sorcery. Likewise it says: “And the flame [lahat] of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24), as all acts of sorcery are performed by angels of destruction.
“Pharaoh turned and came to his house, and he did not take this to heart either” (Exodus 7:23).
“Pharaoh turned” – he was not concerned, and did not take heed of God’s plague.
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, as they could not drink from the water of the Nile” (Exodus 7:24).
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Only [the water] in the Nile was afflicted. Rabbi Neḥemya says: [The water] above and below [the ground] was afflicted; the water of all of Egypt was afflicted with blood. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘How do I interpret “All the Egyptians dug around the Nile.”’ He said to him: ‘Because the Egyptians were saying that all the water that Moses and Aaron saw were turned into blood, and they would dig to obtain water that their eyes had not seen.’16However, they did not actually find water, as even the water underground had turned to blood.
Rabbi Berekhya said: What is that which is written: “All the water that was in the Nile turned into [vayehafekhu] [blood]” (Exodus 7:20)? This is analogous to a servant who was being beaten by his master on his stomach, and he would turn himself around and receive the beatings on his back. So, too, the Nile would reverse [mehapekh] itself so that the plague would not affect it, but it was to no avail, as all of its water turned into blood.
Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: A generalization, a detail, and a generalization, you may infer only matters similar to the detail. “Over the water of Egypt” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a generalization; “over their rivers, over their streams, and over their ponds” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a detail; “and over all their pools of water” (Exodus 7:19) – this is another generalization. What do you include [in the inference]? Everything that is similar to them.17That is, the water in the vessels did not turn to blood. What is “and in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19)? Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say: Even their idols were afflicted with blood, as it is stated: “They say to wood: You are my father” (Jeremiah 2:27).
Another interpretation: “And in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19) – the water that they would drink with a Jew in one vessel, in a wooden vessel or in a stone vessel, would be transformed into blood in his mouth. Some say that even their pedestals and their lavatories were afflicted with blood. When one of them would go and sit on a bed, on a stone, or on a boulder, they would ruin their garments with blood. Likewise, it says: “The blood was throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:21.
“The magicians of Egypt did so” – this teaches that they believed it was an act of sorcery. “With their spells [belateihem]” – Rabbi Aivo bar Nagrei said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Belateihem is an act of demons; belahateihem (Exodus 7:11) is an act of sorcery. Likewise it says: “And the flame [lahat] of the ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24), as all acts of sorcery are performed by angels of destruction.
“Pharaoh turned and came to his house, and he did not take this to heart either” (Exodus 7:23).
“Pharaoh turned” – he was not concerned, and did not take heed of God’s plague.
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, as they could not drink from the water of the Nile” (Exodus 7:24).
“All the Egyptians dug around the Nile” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Only [the water] in the Nile was afflicted. Rabbi Neḥemya says: [The water] above and below [the ground] was afflicted; the water of all of Egypt was afflicted with blood. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘How do I interpret “All the Egyptians dug around the Nile.”’ He said to him: ‘Because the Egyptians were saying that all the water that Moses and Aaron saw were turned into blood, and they would dig to obtain water that their eyes had not seen.’16However, they did not actually find water, as even the water underground had turned to blood.
Rabbi Berekhya said: What is that which is written: “All the water that was in the Nile turned into [vayehafekhu] [blood]” (Exodus 7:20)? This is analogous to a servant who was being beaten by his master on his stomach, and he would turn himself around and receive the beatings on his back. So, too, the Nile would reverse [mehapekh] itself so that the plague would not affect it, but it was to no avail, as all of its water turned into blood.
Rabbi Yosei bar Avin said: A generalization, a detail, and a generalization, you may infer only matters similar to the detail. “Over the water of Egypt” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a generalization; “over their rivers, over their streams, and over their ponds” (Exodus 7:19) – this is a detail; “and over all their pools of water” (Exodus 7:19) – this is another generalization. What do you include [in the inference]? Everything that is similar to them.17That is, the water in the vessels did not turn to blood. What is “and in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19)? Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say: Even their idols were afflicted with blood, as it is stated: “They say to wood: You are my father” (Jeremiah 2:27).
Another interpretation: “And in the wood and in the stone” (Exodus 7:19) – the water that they would drink with a Jew in one vessel, in a wooden vessel or in a stone vessel, would be transformed into blood in his mouth. Some say that even their pedestals and their lavatories were afflicted with blood. When one of them would go and sit on a bed, on a stone, or on a boulder, they would ruin their garments with blood. Likewise, it says: “The blood was throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:21.
Midrash Tanchuma
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).