Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the "rod in my hand" refers to God's power, even when wielded by Moses or Aaron, emphasizing that He is the one performing the miracle. It's a powerful reminder that God's agents are simply conduits for His divine authority and judgment.
Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Pharaoh's initial refusal to let the Israelites go, God tells Moses that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues. This verse marks the beginning of the first plague, where God commands Moses to strike the Nile River with his staff, turning its waters into blood and killing the fish within. This devastating event, intended to reveal God's supreme authority over Egypt's gods and their life-giving river, is the first of ten plagues that will be unleashed if Pharaoh continues to resist.
Pharaoh scoffed, 'Who is the LORD?' Now God is about to give him an undeniable, and rather messy, answer.
God's direct statement, 'By this you shall know that I am the LORD,' isn't just a threat; it's a declaration of His identity and power. He's establishing His supreme authority over Egypt, its gods, and its very lifeblood – the Nile River.
This plague is a demonstration that the God of the Hebrews is unlike any other. He controls the natural world, turning its most vital resource into something that represents death and judgment.
This act serves as a powerful, sensory reminder to Pharaoh and the Egyptians: their power, their prosperity, and even their gods are insignificant compared to Jehovah.
That familiar rod in Moses' hand is about to become the conduit for a divine, world-altering event. What's the significance of this 'rod that is in my hand'?
The rod, already established as a symbol of God's power (having been turned into a serpent earlier), is now God's chosen instrument. God says, 'I will strike with the rod that is in my hand.' Though Moses or Aaron will physically wield it, God claims the action as His own.
This highlights a crucial principle: God often works through human agents. He uses ordinary people and ordinary objects (like a shepherd's staff) to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.
The rod striking the Nile is a symbolic act. It strikes at the heart of Egypt's life source and challenges the Egyptians' worship of the Nile itself as a deity.
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Turning water to blood sounds horrific. But what deeper justice is at play when God brings such a plague?
This plague is not random violence; it's a response to Pharaoh's bloody cruelty and God's covenant faithfulness.
Pharaoh had ordered the brutal execution of Israelite male infants, throwing them into the Nile to drown. Now, the very river that served as an instrument of their genocide is turned into blood, symbolizing death and judgment.
Furthermore, the Nile was a source of sustenance for Egypt. By corrupting it, God not only punishes their sin but also demonstrates His power over their most cherished 'gods.' This act strips away Egypt's confidence in its own resources and forces them to confront the reality of the God they have ignored and defied.
Understand the original words
matteh · Hebrew Noun
A rod or walking stick, frequently used in Scripture as a symbol of delegated authority, divine power, or pastoral care.
dam · Hebrew Noun
A vital fluid essential for life, used in Scripture to signify life, atonement, death, or judgment depending on the context.
This first plague directly confronts the Egyptians' reverence for the Nile River, their lifeblood and a symbol of their fertility and prosperity. By turning it to blood, God asserts His supreme authority not just over the Israelites, but over the very forces Egyptians worshipped as divine.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
The Israelites, descendants of Jacob, had settled in Egypt and grown into a large population. Under a new dynasty, they were forced into brutal slavery and oppressed.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh Refuses to Let Israelites Go
After God called Moses, Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh arrogantly declared, 'I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.'
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Nile Turned to Blood
God instructs Moses to confront Pharaoh at the Nile River and strike the water with his staff. The river, a source of life and worship for Egyptians, turns to blood, killing its fish and making the water undrinkable for seven days.
c. 1446 BC
The Ten Plagues Begin
The turning of the Nile to blood is the first of ten devastating plagues God inflicts on Egypt to force Pharaoh to release His people. These plagues demonstrate God's power over Egyptian gods and nature.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's Heart is Hardened
Despite the devastating plagues, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, often by his own will and pride, refusing to let the Israelites go. God allows this hardening to reveal His power more fully.
This passage describes a future plague where waters are turned to blood, mirroring the judgment on Egypt as a divine act of power against disobedience.
Psalm 105:29This Psalm recounts the plague of blood as God's judgment, highlighting how He turned their water into blood and made their fish die.
Ezekiel 29:3This prophecy directly addresses Pharaoh and Egypt, referring to the Nile as a source of pride and predicting judgment upon it, echoing the events in Exodus.
John 2:1-11Jesus' first miracle also involves turning water into wine, demonstrating His divine authority over water, though in a context of blessing rather than judgment.
clarkeExodus 7:17: "Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood."
Behold, I will smite - Here commences the account of the Ten plagues which were inflicted on the Egyptians by Moses and Aaron, by the command and through the power of God. According to Archbishop Usher these ten plagues took place in the course of one month, and in the following order: -…
calvinExodus 7:14-25: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go."
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.
Vade ad Pharaonem mane: ecce, egreditur ad aquas, et stes in occursum ejus super ripam fluminis: et virgam quae versa fuit in serpentem tolles in manum tuam.
And thou shal…
This verse highlights that the "rod in my hand" refers to God's power, even when wielded by Moses or Aaron, emphasizing that He is the one performing the miracle. It's a powerful reminder that God's agents are simply conduits for His divine authority and judgment.
After Pharaoh's initial refusal to let the Israelites go, God tells Moses that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues. This verse marks the beginning of the first plague, where God commands Moses to strike the Nile River with his staff, turning its waters into blood and killing the fish within. This devastating event, intended to reveal God's supreme authority over Egypt's gods and their life-giving river, is the first of ten plagues that will be unleashed if Pharaoh continues to resist.
After Pharaoh's initial refusal to let the Israelites go, God tells Moses that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues. This verse marks the beginning of the first plague, where God commands Moses to strike the Nile River with his staff, turning its waters into blood and killing the fish within. This devastating event, intended to reveal God's supreme authority over Egypt's gods and their life-giving river, is the first of ten plagues that will be unleashed if Pharaoh continues to resist.
"Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood." — This verse highlights that the "rod in my hand" refers to God's power, even when wielded by Moses or Aaron, emphasizing that He is the one performing the miracle. It's a powerful reminder that God'…
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Last reviewed October 2026