Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God directs Moses to meet Pharaoh by the Nile, the very source of Egypt's power and the object of its worship. This confrontation at the river, a sacred space for Egyptians, highlights that the true source of power is not the river or the king, but the God of the Hebrews.
Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God instructs Moses to intercept Pharaoh by the Nile River as he goes for his morning routine, possibly for religious worship of the river itself, or for a regular inspection. Moses is to bring the very staff that was miraculously transformed into a serpent as a visual reminder of God's power and the impending confrontation. This sets the stage for the first plague, where the Nile will be turned to blood, demonstrating God's authority over the very source of Egypt's life and worship.
Why did God send Moses to meet Pharaoh at the Nile specifically?
Pharaoh wasn't just going for a morning swim or a stroll. The Nile was central to Egyptian religion and identity. It was personified as a god, the source of all life and fertility in Egypt. Many scholars suggest Pharaoh may have been going to perform religious rites, to worship the Nile, or to check its vital flood levels, which they believed were a divine sign.
By meeting Pharaoh at the very place he and his people venerated, God powerfully declared His sovereignty. This wasn't just about freeing Israel; it was a cosmic showdown. God was about to demonstrate that the Giver of all life, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, utterly dwarfed and judged the so-called gods of Egypt, starting with their most revered river.
Why would God have Moses carry the same staff that had previously turned into a serpent?
This staff was no ordinary walking stick. In Exodus 4, when Moses first encountered God at the burning bush, his staff was transformed into a serpent. This was a profound sign for Moses and the Israelites, demonstrating God's power over the natural world and, significantly, over the Egyptian magical arts, which often used serpent imagery.
Bringing this serpent rod to Pharaoh wasn't just a reminder of past miracles. It was a strategic move. It served as a visible threat and a preview of the plagues to come. It was God's way of saying, 'You rely on your magicians and your gods? I have power over those very symbols and the forces they represent.' This wasn't a magic show; it was a divine mandate delivered with an unmistakable symbol of God's authority.
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Understand the original words
ye’ôr · Hebrew Noun
The primary river of Egypt, essential for its life and economy; in the Exodus, it serves as both a place of divine judgment and a setting for the confrontation between the true God and the false gods of Egypt.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
Following God's command, Moses and Aaron present themselves to Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. This marks the beginning of the ten plagues, a direct confrontation with Egyptian gods and Pharaoh's authority.
c. 1446 BC
The Nile Turned to Blood
As commanded, Moses and Aaron strike the Nile, turning its waters to blood. This is the first of ten plagues, demonstrating God's power over nature and Egyptian deities.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's Heart Hardened
Despite the devastating plague, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, influenced by his own pride and possibly the deceptive magic of Egyptian sorcerers. He refuses to let the Israelites go.
c. 1446 BC
Subsequent Plagues Unleashed
Over weeks and months, nine more plagues—frogs, gnats, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the death of the firstborn—are inflicted upon Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
After the final, devastating plague, Pharaoh finally relents and allows the Israelites to leave Egypt, marking their liberation after centuries of slavery.
This passage describes two witnesses empowered by God with supernatural signs, just as Moses and Aaron are empowered to perform miracles with their staff to confront Pharaoh and his power.
Jeremiah 51:25This prophecy against Babylon speaks of God using a tool to shatter nations, similar to how Moses' staff, a symbol of God's power, is used to strike Egypt and bring about judgment.
John 3:14Jesus refers to the bronze serpent Moses lifted in the wilderness for healing. This highlights how God uses seemingly simple objects, like Moses' staff, as instruments of His power and salvation, even in the face of death.
Psalm 78:43This Psalm recounts God's mighty acts in Egypt, including turning rivers to blood and to blood, directly referencing the power demonstrated through Moses' staff during the plagues.
clarkeExodus 7:15: "Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand."
Lo, he goeth out unto the water - Probably for the purpose of bathing, or of performing some religious ablution. Some suppose he went out to pay adoration to the river Nile, which was an object of religious worship among the ancient Egyptians. "For," says Plutarch, De Iside., ουδε…
bensonExodus 7:15: "Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand."
Exodus 7:15 . Lo, he goeth out unto the water — Of the river Nile: whither he went at that time, either for his recreation, or to pay his morning worship to that river, which, as Plutarch testifies, the Egyptians had in great veneration.
God directs Moses to meet Pharaoh by the Nile, the very source of Egypt's power and the object of its worship. This confrontation at the river, a sacred space for Egyptians, highlights that the true source of power is not the river or the king, but the God of the Hebrews.
God instructs Moses to intercept Pharaoh by the Nile River as he goes for his morning routine, possibly for religious worship of the river itself, or for a regular inspection. Moses is to bring the very staff that was miraculously transformed into a serpent as a visual reminder of God's power and the impending confrontation. This sets the stage for the first plague, where the Nile will be turned to blood, demonstrating God's authority over the very source of Egypt's life and worship.
God instructs Moses to intercept Pharaoh by the Nile River as he goes for his morning routine, possibly for religious worship of the river itself, or for a regular inspection. Moses is to bring the very staff that was miraculously transformed into a serpent as a visual reminder of God's power and the impending confrontation. This sets the stage for the first plague, where the Nile will be turned to blood, demonstrating God's authority over the very source of Egypt's life and worship.
"Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent." — God directs Moses to meet Pharaoh by the Nile, the very source of Egypt's power and the object of its worship. This confrontation at the river, a sacred space for Egyptians, highlights that the true…
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Last reviewed October 2026