The rod was probably in the form of a walking-stick, but it could also have been used as a shepherd’s staff or even a weapon. We are not specifically told. Aaron’s rod is first mentioned by name in Exodus 7:9-12, when Moses commanded him to cast down his rod before Pharaoh. It became a serpent and then swallowed up the magicians’ rods that had become serpents. This was the initial sign that God had given to Moses to verify to the Israelites that he was sent from God (Exodus 4:1-4).
