The Hebrew word, yad, occurs almost fifty times in the first fourteen chapters of Exodus. See Alan J. Hauser, David J.A. Clines, David M. Gunn (editors), Art and Meaning, page 49ff. Moreover, yad refers to Jehovah's figurative hand, fourteen times. Note also the climactic use of "hand" in Exodus 14:30. Just what is the hand of God?
Exodus 7:4-5 (ESV): "Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them."
Victor Hamilton: "What the angel tells Abraham not to do to Isaac (Gen. 22:12, 'Do not lay a hand on the boy'), and what the man refuses to do to David’s son Absalom (2 Sam. 18:12, 'I would not lift my hand against the king’s son'), the Lord will do to Egypt: 'I shall set my hand against/lay my hand on Egypt.' This is the exact phrase the NT uses about Jesus: 'And the chief priests . . . sought to lay hands on him' (Luke 20:19 KJV) or 'they laid hands on him' (NIV, 'seized him'; Mark 14:46); 'Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me' (Luke 22:53). Of and to his own followers, Jesus says, 'They will lay hands on you and persecute you' (Luke 21:12). There are numerous scenes in Scripture about somebody laying hands on another, but not all have the same meaning. The OT phrase 'to lay hand(s) on' may denote hostile action, often ending in death (1 Kings 20:6; Acts 4:3). It also carries the nuance of judgment (Isa. 5:25; 11:14–15; 25:11). (My late father justified an occasional spanking of his sons by claiming that the laying on of hands was scriptural!) Pity the poor person or nation on whom God lays his hand. It will not be a pretty picture." (pages 246-7)
Hamilton Continued: "For references elsewhere to God's 'mighty hand and outstretched arm' as a symbol of deliverance, see Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8. It is not unheard of in Egyptian literature to find references to the 'arm' of the Pharaoh. Rameses II is called 'The Strong-Armed.' Pharaoh Apries (Hophra) took on the titulary name 'Possessed of a Muscular Arm.' And his father, Psammeticus II, gave himself the epithet 'Mighty-Armed (references in Lundbom 2004a: 102)." (247)
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable for Exodus 7: "The ultimate purpose of God's actions was His own glory (Exodus 7:5). The glory of God was at stake. The Egyptians would acknowledge God's faithfulness and sovereign power in delivering the Israelites from their bondage and fulfilling their holy calling. God's intention was to bless the Egyptians through Israel (Genesis 12:3), but Pharaoh would make that impossible by his stubborn refusal to honor God. Nevertheless the Egyptians would acknowledge Yahweh's sovereignty."
Jehovah's mighty hand would be expressed through the ten plagues, which were unique signs of his power. Compare Exodus 9:16; 1 Peter 5:6-7.
3 comments:
https://biblehub.com/exodus/17-11.htm
Thanks, Duncan. That is a good one, and the implication seems to be that Moses' hands were empowered by YHWH.
In addition to the many uses of "hand" language, some have pointed out that Exodus speaks of the divine "arm" (Exodus 6:6) and "finger," (Exodus 8:19; 31:18) the latter of which appears to be an extension of arm/hand imagery.
Additionally, for the arms of Moses, see Exodus 4:17, 20. We can't forget that God also employed Moses to split the Read Sea.
Red Sea
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