Exodus 7:17-18
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)
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While the text seems to focus on God striking the Nile, notice the subtle but significant shift: it says "the rod that is in my hand I will strike," directly linking this miraculous act to God's own authority, even though Moses and Aaron are the ones performing the physical action. This highlights that the power isn't in the rod itself, but in the divine hand wielding it through His servants.
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused to let the Israelites go, hardening his heart even after signs and wonders. God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh again by the Nile River, announcing that the very source of Egypt's life will be struck. This plague of the waters turning to blood is the first in a series of ten designed to demonstrate God's power and reveal His true identity.
Pharaoh famously declared, 'I do not know the LORD!' (Exodus 5:2). God’s response here is not just a threat, but a profound identity reveal.
God’s declaration, 'By this you shall know that I am the LORD,' is incredibly significant. In Hebrew, 'LORD' (YHWH) is connected to the verb 'to be.' It signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature. Pharaoh's ignorance of God is met with a demonstration that reveals God’s sovereign power over creation and His unique identity. This isn't just about demonstrating power; it's about revealing His very being. He is the One who IS, the one who causes all things to exist and to be what they are. By turning the lifeblood of Egypt, the Nile, into actual blood, God shows that He is the ultimate reality behind all existence, including the natural forces Pharaoh relied on.
The Nile was more than just a river to the Egyptians; it was a god. God’s judgment targets this very source of their pride and worship.
Egypt’s prosperity and identity were deeply intertwined with the Nile River. They saw it as a divine entity, the source of life, fertility, and wealth. When God commands Moses to strike the Nile and turn it into blood, He’s not just performing a miracle; He’s launching a theological assault on Egyptian idolatry. By corrupting the very thing they worshipped, God demonstrates that their gods are powerless. The Nile, meant to sustain life, becomes a source of death and revulsion. This highlights a crucial principle: God often judges sin by turning the very things people trust in, or use for wicked purposes, against them. It’s a powerful, humbling display that the Creator is infinitely greater than any created thing or any false god.
Moses is told to use 'the rod that is in my hand.' This isn't just a stick; it's a tangible symbol of God's delegated power.
The rod mentioned is not just any object; it’s the very rod that had been transformed into a serpent and back again before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10-12). It serves as a powerful, visible reminder of God’s supernatural authority. When God says, 'with the rod that is in my hand,' He is identifying Himself with the action and asserting His direct control. Although Aaron will physically wield the rod (Exodus 7:19-20), God speaks of it as 'my hand.' This emphasizes that the power originates from God, not Moses or Aaron. Their role is to be faithful instruments. This shows us that God often works through human agents, empowering them with His authority to accomplish His purposes, even when confronting overwhelming human resistance.
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 dramatic confrontation happens during the intense period of God's judgment on Egypt, known as the Ten Plagues. The Nile River was central to Egyptian life and worship, so turning it into blood was a direct assault on their gods and their source of sustenance, demonstrating God's supreme power over all creation and authority.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
After a period of prosperity, the Israelites become enslaved by the Egyptians, facing harsh labor and oppression.
c. 1446 BC
Moses' Encounter with the Burning Bush
God appears to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to return to Egypt and demand Pharaoh's release of the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron deliver God's demand to Pharaoh: 'Let my people go.' Pharaoh hardens his heart and refuses, increasing the Israelites' suffering.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
God instructs Moses to tell Aaron to strike the Nile River with his staff, turning all its water to blood and killing the fish.
This passage describes another instance where God turns water into blood as a judgment, demonstrating a consistent theme of divine power over the natural world in acts of retribution.
Psalm 78:44This verse recalls God's judgment upon Egypt, specifically mentioning Him turning their rivers into blood, directly echoing the event in Exodus and highlighting God's historical actions.
Isaiah 19:5-7This prophecy describes the drying up and pollution of the Nile, directly referencing the same river and its importance to Egypt, foreshadowing or interpreting judgments upon Egypt related to its waters.
2 Kings 2:19-22While not turning water to blood, Elisha purifies bitter water by adding salt, showing God's power to alter the very nature of water for His purposes, whether for judgment or restoration.
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…
While the text seems to focus on God striking the Nile, notice the subtle but significant shift: it says "the rod that is in my hand I will strike," directly linking this miraculous act to God's own authority, even though Moses and Aaron are the ones performing the physical action. This highlights that the power isn't in the rod itself, but in the divine hand wielding it through His servants.
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused to let the Israelites go, hardening his heart even after signs and wonders. God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh again by the Nile River, announcing that the very source of Egypt's life will be struck. This plague of the waters turning to blood is the first in a series of ten designed to demonstrate God's power and reveal His true identity.
Pharaoh has repeatedly refused to let the Israelites go, hardening his heart even after signs and wonders. God tells Moses to confront Pharaoh again by the Nile River, announcing that the very source of Egypt's life will be struck. This plague of the waters turning to blood is the first in a series of ten designed to demonstrate God's power and reveal His true identity.
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c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's magicians imitate the plague
The Egyptian magicians use their enchantments to turn some water into blood, further hardening Pharaoh's heart and deceiving many.
c. 1446 BC
Subsequent Plagues Inflicted
Over the following weeks, God unleashes a series of devastating plagues upon Egypt, including frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally, the death of the firstborn.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Depart Egypt
After the tenth plague, Pharaoh finally relents and allows the Israelites to leave Egypt, marking the beginning of their exodus.
"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…" — While the text seems to focus on God striking the Nile, notice the subtle but significant shift: it says "the rod that is in my hand I will strike," directly linking this miraculous act to God's ow…
