Exodus 7:20-21
Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This wasn't just any rod; it was the very one that had previously transformed into a serpent, a potent reminder of God's power displayed right before Pharaoh. The text emphasizes "all the waters," not just a surface layer, revealing the totality of God's judgment striking at the very heart of Egypt's life source, the Nile.
Pharaoh has refused to let God's people go, so God instructs Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh at the Nile River, the very source of Egyptian life and worship. This confrontation is the second of ten plagues, a dramatic demonstration of God's power over Egypt's gods and a direct judgment against their idolatry and cruelty. The miracle is performed publicly before Pharaoh and his officials, turning the vital river into blood, causing death to fish and rendering the water undrinkable for the Egyptians.
Why did God choose the Nile, Egypt's lifeblood, for His first major plague? It wasn't random; it was a direct challenge to the gods they worshipped.
The Nile as an Idol
Egypt didn't just use the Nile; they worshipped it. This mighty river provided everything: water for drinking and irrigation, fertile soil through its floods, and a highway for trade. The Egyptians even believed their gods resided in it and performed rituals to appease it.
A Just Retribution
God's judgment here is incredibly pointed. He commanded Moses and Aaron to strike the Nile, turning its life-giving waters into blood. This wasn't just a display of power; it was a spiritual counter-attack. They worshipped the river, so God made that very object of their worship a source of disgust and death. As the text implies, they had defiled the river with the blood of Hebrew children, and now God gave them blood to drink.
God didn't perform this miracle in secret. Why was it so important for Pharaoh and his entire court to witness this transformation?
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A Public Declaration
God's confrontation with Pharaoh wasn't a private disagreement. It was a public demonstration of His supreme authority. The command was to strike the Nile 'in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants.' This wasn't a hidden act; it was performed before the king, his officials, and likely many others present during his morning routine by the river.
Undeniable Power
By acting so openly, God left no room for doubt. This wasn't a natural phenomenon or a trick. It was a direct, visible, and undeniable act of divine power. The goal was to shatter Pharaoh's arrogance and reveal that the God of the enslaved Hebrews was infinitely more powerful than any Egyptian god or the Egyptian state. It was meant to force a recognition of who the true Lord was.
Understand the original words
Par`oh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The supreme ruler of Egypt, who in this context represents worldly pride, opposition to God, and the enslavement of God's people.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
Those who carry out the will or work of a master; in a spiritual sense, it refers to those who are under the authority of a kingdom or sovereign.
ye'or · Hebrew Noun
The principal river of Egypt, symbolizing both the lifeblood of the nation's agriculture and its false religious dependence on the Nile god, Hapi. In this context, its turning to blood represents judgment upon Egypt's source of sustenance and its pantheon.
dam · Hebrew Noun
A substance symbolizing life, as well as judgment and death when shed outside of the covenantal sacrificial system. Here, the transformation of the river into blood signifies the withdrawal of God's blessing and the manifestation of His divine judgment upon the Egyptians.
This plague struck at the very heart of Egyptian life and worship, as the Nile was considered a god. It demonstrated that the God of Israel held ultimate power over even the most revered elements of Egypt's world.
c. 15th Century BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
The descendants of Jacob (Israel) had grown into a large people in Egypt. Initially welcomed, they eventually faced systematic oppression and forced labor under a new dynasty. This period of bondage sets the stage for God's intervention.
c. 15th Century BC
Moses and Aaron Commissioned
God appears to Moses at the burning bush and commissions him and his brother Aaron to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites from slavery.
c. 15th Century BC
First Confrontation with Pharaoh
Moses and Aaron deliver God's message to Pharaoh, 'Let my people go.' Pharaoh, hardened in his heart, refuses and increases the burden on the Israelites.
c. 15th Century BC— this verse
First Plague: Water to Blood
As a sign of God's power and judgment, Aaron strikes the Nile River with his staff at God's command. The river's waters turn to blood, killing fish and making the water undrinkable. This event directly confronts Egypt's reliance on and worship of the Nile.
c. 15th Century BC
Magicians Imitate the Plague
Egypt's sorcerers use their occult powers to mimic the plague, turning some water into blood. This deceives Pharaoh and further hardens his heart, demonstrating the deceptive nature of false power against the true God.
c. 15th Century BC
Pharaoh's Continued Refusal
Despite the devastating plague and the evidence of God's power, Pharaoh remains unyielding. He refuses to let the Israelites go, showing the depth of his pride and the spiritual blindness affecting Egypt.
This passage directly echoes the judgment on Egypt, stating that the ungodly have 'shed the blood of saints and prophets,' and thus 'you have given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.'
Psalm 78:44This Psalm recounts God's mighty acts in bringing Israel out of Egypt, including how He 'turned their rivers into blood, and their rains into blood.'
Jeremiah 51:36This verse prophesies Babylon's destruction, stating, 'Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you; I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry.”' This shows a parallel in God using natural elements as instruments of judgment against a rebellious nation.
John 19:34When Jesus was pierced, blood and water flowed out, signifying both His death and the life-giving sacraments that would flow from Him, a profound contrast to the life-ending blood that plagued Egypt.
bensonExodus 7:20: "And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood."
Exodus 7:20 . The waters in the river were turned into blood — This was a plague justly inflicted on the Egyptians; for the river of Egypt was their idol; they and their land had so much benefit by that creature, that they served and worsh…
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 wasn't just any rod; it was the very one that had previously transformed into a serpent, a potent reminder of God's power displayed right before Pharaoh. The text emphasizes "all the waters," not just a surface layer, revealing the totality of God's judgment striking at the very heart of Egypt's life source, the Nile.
Pharaoh has refused to let God's people go, so God instructs Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh at the Nile River, the very source of Egyptian life and worship. This confrontation is the second of ten plagues, a dramatic demonstration of God's power over Egypt's gods and a direct judgment against their idolatry and cruelty. The miracle is performed publicly before Pharaoh and his officials, turning the vital river into blood, causing death to fish and rendering the water undrinkable for the Egyptians.
Pharaoh has refused to let God's people go, so God instructs Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh at the Nile River, the very source of Egyptian life and worship. This confrontation is the second of ten plagues, a dramatic demonstration of God's power over Egypt's gods and a direct judgment against their idolatry and cruelty. The miracle is performed publicly before Pharaoh and his officials, turning the vital river into blood, causing death to fish and rendering the water undrinkable for the Egyptians.
"Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, an…" — This wasn't just any rod; it was the very one that had previously transformed into a serpent, a potent reminder of God's power displayed right before Pharaoh. The text emphasizes "all the waters," no…
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