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)
This plague strikes at the very heart of Egypt's identity and sustenance. Not only does it contaminate their precious Nile, turning it to blood and causing its fish to die, but it also makes the water physically repulsive, stripping away the Egyptians' deep-seated pride in their uniquely delicious and life-giving river.
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's heart is hardened, and God tells Moses to meet him by the Nile the next morning, warning him that God will strike the river, turning its waters to blood. This first plague, the death of fish and the foulness of the water, is meant to demonstrate God's power and bring judgment upon Egypt, while also highlighting the Egyptians' desperate need for the very water that will become their source of disgust and suffering.
The Nile River wasn't just water for Egypt; it was a symbol of life, fertility, and even divinity. What happens when God's judgment targets something so central to a nation's identity and worship?
The first plague, turning the Nile to blood, was a direct assault on Egypt's most cherished resource and religious beliefs.
A Lifeline of Egypt
God's Targeted Attack
God didn't just cause a random flood; He specifically targeted the Nile to demonstrate His supreme power over Egypt's gods and resources. By making the water undrinkable and killing the fish, God showed that the source of Egypt's pride and perceived divinity was utterly subject to Him.
Imagine a whole country growing 'weary' of its most essential resource. This wasn't just an inconvenience; it was a profound societal disruption.
Ask a follow-up
The third consequence of the first plague—the Egyptians growing 'weary'—speaks volumes about the cumulative impact of God's judgment.
From Disgust to Desperation
The Point of Weariness
God's judgment is designed not only to punish but also to persuade. The 'weariness' of the Egyptians shows that the plague was effective in making life unbearable and demonstrating the futility of resisting God's command. It was a stark message: continue in stubbornness, and your suffering will only grow.
This plague directly targeted Egypt's lifeblood, the Nile River, striking at its essential resources and sacred symbols. The Egyptians' reliance on the Nile for drinking water, food (fish), and even religious worship made this a profound and humbling blow.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses' Confrontation with Pharaoh
God commands Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites, initiating a series of plagues to demonstrate God's power.
c. 1446 BC
First Plague: Water to Blood
God strikes the Nile and all Egypt's waters, turning them to blood, killing fish, and making the water undrinkable. This plague lasts seven days.
c. 1446 BC
Pharaoh's Heart Hardened
Despite the devastating plague, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, and he refuses to let the Israelites go, showing his obstinacy.
c. 1446 BC
Second Plague: Frogs
Following the failure of the first plague to persuade Pharaoh, God sends frogs to infest the land of Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
Subsequent Plagues
A total of ten devastating plagues are unleashed upon Egypt, each increasing in severity, as Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to release the Israelites.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites Depart Egypt
After the tenth plague (death of the firstborn), Pharaoh finally relents, and the Israelites are released from slavery in Egypt.
This passage describes a similar plague where a body of water turns to blood and becomes undrinkable, mirroring the judgment on Egypt and highlighting God's power over natural elements.
Jeremiah 14:2-3This prophetic lament speaks of drought and the inability to drink from wells and cisterns due to lack of water and the shame that comes from it, echoing the Egyptians' distress when their primary water source failed.
Psalm 78:44This Psalm recalls how God turned the rivers and streams of Egypt into blood, directly referencing the event in Exodus and emphasizing God's judgment against those who forget Him.
Ezekiel 29:3-4God declares through Ezekiel that He will be against Pharaoh, the great monster in the Nile, prophesying that He will put hooks in his jaws and make him stink, which connects to the plague of the Nile becoming foul and lifeless.
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…
ellicottExodus 7:18: "And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river."
(18) The fish that is in the river shall die. —The natural discoloration of the Nile, whether by red earth or by Cryptogams and Infusoriæ, has no pernicious effect at all upon the fish, nor is the water rendered by these discolorations at all unfit for use. The Nile naturally abounds with fish of various kinds; and though to Europeans they have…
This plague strikes at the very heart of Egypt's identity and sustenance. Not only does it contaminate their precious Nile, turning it to blood and causing its fish to die, but it also makes the water physically repulsive, stripping away the Egyptians' deep-seated pride in their uniquely delicious and life-giving river.
Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and God tells Moses to meet him by the Nile the next morning, warning him that God will strike the river, turning its waters to blood. This first plague, the death of fish and the foulness of the water, is meant to demonstrate God's power and bring judgment upon Egypt, while also highlighting the Egyptians' desperate need for the very water that will become their source of disgust and suffering.
Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and God tells Moses to meet him by the Nile the next morning, warning him that God will strike the river, turning its waters to blood. This first plague, the death of fish and the foulness of the water, is meant to demonstrate God's power and bring judgment upon Egypt, while also highlighting the Egyptians' desperate need for the very water that will become their source of disgust and suffering.
"The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’”" — This plague strikes at the very heart of Egypt's identity and sustenance. Not only does it contaminate their precious Nile, turning it to blood and causing its fish to die, but it also makes the wate…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026