398 Ka Leung Wong all of Moses’ raising his hand. Even if this action was necessary, it was not stated by God or recorded by the author of the text. If raising one’s hand is simply a (necessary) preceding action of striking, it in itself is not worthy recording. Another text from the book of Exodus may shed more light on the issue. In the first plague against Egypt, God warned Pharaoh that he would strike the water of Nile with the staff in his hand (μymhAl[ ydybArva hfmb hkm ykna), and the water would be turned to blood (Exod 7,17). God then commanded Aaron through Moses to perform the action. But what Aaron did according to the command of God was rayb rva μymhAta ˚yw hfmb μryw (Exod 7,20). Before Aaron struck the water with his staff, he hfmb μryw. Scholars differ as to how to interpret this phrase. Propp suggests that the language is elliptical, and renders it as “he raised (his arm) with the rod” (4). But Houtman argues that the preposition b indicates object, and gives the translation “he raised the staff” (5). What is relevant to our discussion is that in either interpretation, it is the raising of the staff, not Aaron’s hand or arm, that is significant to the striking action which comes after. The raising of one’s hand is not relevant for the striking. It is necessary at this point to examine further the terminology employed with respect to the use of both the hand and the staff in other passages in the book of Exodus. Within the plagues narrative, the text repeatedly mentions that Aaron “stretch out” (hfn) his hand (Exod 8,1.13; 9,22) or his staff (Exod 8,12.16; 9,23; 10,13). Within this list of passages, two texts mention the striking of the dust of the earth with the staff (Exod 8,12.13). But in both cases, the word “raise” (μwr) has never been used with either the hand or the staff. Later, when the Israelites are pursued by the Egyptians to the Reed Sea, it is again the stretching out of the hand which makes the sea split apart and return to its normal state (Exod 14,21.26.27). The point of the above discussion is to show that when the text talks about striking with the staff, the preceding action is either the stretching out of the hand or the staff, but never the raising of the hand or the staff. Thus, it is not natural, nor necessary, to make a connection between raising one’s hand and striking with the staff in the hand. When μwr is used with dy, their combination occurs only in three forms: (1) μwr is a participle with adjectival use modifying dy (Exod 14.8; Num 15,30; 33,3; Deut 32,27); (2) μwr is a qal form with dy as the subject (Isa 26,11; Mic 5,8; cf. Ps 89,14); (3) μwr is a hiphil form with dy as the object (Gen 14,22; 41,44; Exod 17,11; Num 20,11; 1 Kgs 11,26, 27; cf. Dan 12,7). When trying to determine the meaning of the phrase hmr dyb (the first form), Labuschagne has examined the other two forms as well, although he has not thoroughly dealt with all these occurrences. He argues that the phrase hmr dyb relates to Israel and not to Yahweh. It refers to “a human posture or attitude” with the “readiness to fight and the will to prevail” (6). (4) W.H. PROPP, Exodus 1-18 (AB 2; Garden City, NY 1999) 325. (5) C. HOUTMAN, Exodus (HCOT; Kampen 1996) II, 37-38. (6) C.J. LABUSCHAGNE, “The meaning of bey˝d r˝m˝ in the Old Testament”, Von Kanaan bis Kerala. FS J.P.M. van der Ploeg (ed. W.S. DELSMAN et al.) (AOAT 211; Kevelaer 1982) 146.