Exodus 7:17-18
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The verse emphasizes that God will strike the waters "with the rod that is in my hand." This isn't just about Moses or Aaron; it's God declaring that He, the Almighty, is the one directly acting through their instruments, proving His supreme authority over nature and the gods of Egypt.
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. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused God's command through Moses to let the Israelites go. God, through Moses, declares that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues, beginning with the Nile River itself. This verse announces the first plague: the transformation of the Nile's water into blood, a potent challenge to Egypt's reliance on and worship of the river.
Pharaoh scoffed at Moses, asking, 'Who is the LORD?' God's answer wasn't just a threat, but a demonstration designed to reveal His very name and nature.
The first plague isn't just a display of power; it's a direct response to Pharaoh's defiance. When Pharaoh demanded proof of God's existence and authority, God promised to reveal Himself through this judgment. He states, 'By this you shall know that I am the LORD.' This isn't about proving God's existence to a neutral observer, but about making His power undeniable to a hardened ruler who had explicitly denied Him: 'Who is the LORD?' (Exodus 5:2). God's actions are designed to impress His identity and sovereignty upon those who refuse to acknowledge Him.
God didn't just conjure blood out of thin air. He took the very lifeblood of Egypt—the Nile River—and turned it into a symbol of His judgment.
The Nile River was central to Egyptian life, prosperity, and even their religious system. They saw it as a god that sustained them. By turning its waters into blood, God struck at the heart of Egypt's perceived security and their false gods. This judgment highlights several key points:
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God's judgment often repurposes elements of our world to reveal His power and bring about consequences for sin and idolatry.
God says 'I will smite,' but it's Moses' staff that's used. Who is really in charge here?
Notice how God speaks in the first person: 'I will smite.' Yet, the action is carried out by Moses with the staff. This is a crucial theological point. God is asserting His ultimate authority, even when He works through human instruments. The rod, initially transformed into a serpent and now used for this plague, becomes a visible symbol of God's power wielded through His chosen servant. The commentators point out the principle: 'He who acts through another, acts himself.' God isn't diminishing His own role; He is demonstrating that He can empower and direct ordinary people and objects to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. This highlights:
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 plague wasn't just a random event; it was a direct challenge to Egypt's most vital resource and a deified river, the Nile. By turning its waters to blood, God revealed His supreme power over the gods and systems Egypt relied on, directly answering Pharaoh's arrogant claim, 'I do not know the LORD.'
c. 1440 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
Following a period of prosperity and growth, the Israelites become a subjugated people in Egypt, facing harsh labor and oppression under a new dynasty.
c. 1440 BC
Pharaoh Refuses to Release Israelites
After Moses and Aaron demand the release of the Israelites, Pharaoh defiantly declares 'I do not know the LORD' and increases the Israelites' workload.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
The First Plague: Water to Blood
As a sign and judgment, God commands Moses (through Aaron) to strike the Nile River with his staff, turning all its waters to blood and killing the fish.
c. 1440 BC
Magicians Imitate the Plague
Egypt's sorcerers use their enchantments to mimic the miracle, performing a similar feat with water, though God's judgment continues and Pharaoh's heart remains hardened.
c. 1440 BC
Seven Days of Blood
The plague lasts for seven days, during which the Egyptians desperately dig for drinkable water, highlighting their dependence on the Nile and God's power over it.
c. 1440 BC
Pharaoh's Continued Hardness
Despite the devastating plague and the undeniable power displayed, Pharaoh refuses to repent or release the Israelites, demonstrating his deep-seated rebellion against God.
This Psalm recounts God's mighty acts in Egypt, directly mentioning how He turned their waters into blood and their fish to gore, mirroring the event in Exodus 7.
Revelation 16:4This passage describes a future judgment where the second angel pours his bowl on the rivers and springs, turning them to blood, echoing the devastating power of God seen in the Egyptian plague.
Ezekiel 29:3God declares through Ezekiel that He is against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and will bring His sword against the Nile, calling it 'my river and I have made it', showing the river's significance and God's ultimate authority over it.
John 2:6Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana, a miracle that transforms a common substance into something precious, highlighting God's power to fundamentally alter the nature of things, similar to how the Nile's water was altered.
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…
The verse emphasizes that God will strike the waters "with the rod that is in my hand." This isn't just about Moses or Aaron; it's God declaring that He, the Almighty, is the one directly acting through their instruments, proving His supreme authority over nature and the gods of Egypt.
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused God's command through Moses to let the Israelites go. God, through Moses, declares that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues, beginning with the Nile River itself. This verse announces the first plague: the transformation of the Nile's water into blood, a potent challenge to Egypt's reliance on and worship of the river.
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused God's command through Moses to let the Israelites go. God, through Moses, declares that He will demonstrate His power through a series of plagues, beginning with the Nile River itself. This verse announces the first plague: the transformation of the Nile's water into blood, a potent challenge to Egypt's reliance on and worship of the river.
"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. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, a…" — The verse emphasizes that God will strike the waters "with the rod that is in my hand." This isn't just about Moses or Aaron; it's God declaring that He, the Almighty, is the one directly acting thro…
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Last reviewed October 2026
