And may be rendered as “Then” (New American Standard Bible, Translator’s Old Testament) or “So” (Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), or it may continue the sentence from the preceding verse (Good News Translation). It may also be omitted for stylistic reasons (New English Bible, New International Version, Contemporary English Version). The magicians were probably with the Pharaoh at the time, and it is entirely possible that Moses and Aaron were also present.

This is the finger of God is a literal translation. The expression finger of God, however, is usually understood to mean the power of God in the same way that “hand of God” is often used (for example, 3.20; 7.4; 9.5). This type of figure of speech is known as “synecdoche,” meaning that a part represents the whole, a finger or hand here representing the full power or the full person. And so this may be translated dynamically as “This is the power of God,” “This is an act of God,” “God has done this” (Good News Translation), or “God has shown his power by doing this.”

There are other possible meanings, however, that the translator should be aware of. Couroyer has argued that since this is spoken by the Egyptian magicians, the words should be understood according to their thought patterns in the cultural setting of Egypt. Since this is the fourth time they have seen what Aaron could do with his rod, they may actually have compared his rod to the finger of his God.

Other scholars have pointed out that the word ʾelohim (God) often means “gods,” since the Hebrew form is plural, or even “a god.” It should be noted that the magicians do not here recognize the power of Yahweh (the LORD) but only the power of a deity who is not named. For this reason Durham insists on translating “This is an act of a god.”

The expression may either be translated literally, with a footnote explaining the meaning as “the power of God” or “an act of a god,” or it may be translated dynamically, with a footnote that gives the literal meaning, “the finger of God” or “the finger of a god.”

But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened means that “the king was stubborn” (Good News Translation). The word for hardened here means “strong.” (See the comment at 4.21.) Some translations add the idea that his heart “remained” hard (New English Bible, Translator’s Old Testament). This is a possible interpretation, for the verb is neither passive nor reflexive in form. Literally “Pharaoh’s heart was strong,” or “was hard” (New International Version, Living Bible). There is no suggestion that his heart had softened and then became hard again.

And he would not listen to them is the same statement found in 7.13, 22; 8.15. In the context of this third plague, however, it probably refers to what the magicians had just said rather than to something Moses and Aaron had said. Good News Translation again identifies them as “Moses and Aaron,” but there is no indication that either of them had said anything to the king this time. Translator’s Old Testament says that he “disregarded what they said,” and Durham translates “he would pay no attention to them.” One may therefore translate “he paid no attention to what the magicians said.” However, it is also possible to keep a more neutral rendering: “the king was too stubborn to listen” (Contemporary English Version).

As the LORD had said means “as the LORD had foretold” (New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Translator’s Old Testament), for this is what Yahweh had predicted from the start. (See 7.13 and the comment.)

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .