And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments. Little or no pure water could be got, and therefore their imitation must have been on a small scale, probably on some water that had been drawn, before the uplifting of the wonder-working rod of Aaron; for that the word "all" is not to be taken as denoting a literal universality, may be inferred from the analogous instance (Exodus 9:6). This is the true solution of the difficulty, and not that the experiment of the magicians was deferred until the river had been restored to its natural condition, when they took samples of the water, and, probably by the infusion of some colouring matter, showed Pharaoh that they could do, by their enchantments, something similar to the change produced by Moses and Aaron. It is evident that the attempt of the magicians was made shortly after the other, for the king waited until he had witnessed it, and then, satisfied that the result in both cases was effected by artificial means, he, with an air of reckless indifference, "turned and went into his house."