Pharaoh turned—i.e. "returned"—quitted the river-hank, satisfied with what the magicians had done, and went back to the palace. Neither did he set his heart to this also. A better translation is that of Booth-royd—"Nor did he lay even this to heart." In the expression "even this" there is an allusion to the previous neglect of the first sign (Exodus 7:13).
HOMILETICS
The power of Satan is with all deceivableness.
Satan himself, and wicked men, his instruments, are especially strong in the power of deception. Satan deceived Eve (1 Timothy 2:14). The lying spirit deceived Ahab (1 Kings 22:22). Rebekah and Jacob together deceived Isaac. Gehazi deceived Naaman. Bad men are clever and plausible, and keensighted, and painstaking, and careful—they lay their plans skilfully, and carry them out boldly, and are usually successful. The magicians had not only their own credit at stake, but also that of the priests, who were in league with them. They would not be very scrupulous what means they used, so that they could persuade the Pharaoh that whatever Moses and Aaron could do, they could do: and they succeeded. The "father of lies" no doubt suggested to them some clever method of seeming to perform the same sort of miracle as the Israelitish leaders had performed—they adopted it, and cheated the eyes of the beholders. When men wished to nip the religion of Christ in the bud, they called its Founder "that deceiver" (Matthew 27:63). Deceit is a device of Satan. In nothing are the powers of light and darkness more contrasted than in the simpleness, the straightforward sincerity that characterises the former, and the crookedness, the tortuousness, the insincerity that goes with the latter. He who is "the Way" and "the Life," is also "the Truth." All who would have fellowship with him must "walk in truth."