Exodus 4:9

ESV If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

NIV But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."

NASB But if they will not believe even these two signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the dry ground.'

CSB And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground."

NLT And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.'

KJV And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

NKJV And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”

What does Exodus 4:9 mean?

For those who will not respond (Exodus 4:8) to Moses' other two miracles (Exodus 4:1–7), God provides a third. Unlike the others, it does not seem that the Lord asks Moses to perform it beforehand. This might suggest that Moses is not one of those who needs a third proof; if the Lord worked miracles twice, He could work a third.

This sign involves turning water from the Nile—the river sacred to the Egyptians—into blood when poured on the ground. Whether this is a literal transformation into body fluids, or merely a drastic change in color, the message is the same. This would prove the Lord's power over nature. That included the Nile, which was vital to everything in Egypt.

The Bible does not specifically record Moses performing this third sign. He may have done it for the elders of Israel (Exodus 4:30). However, it foreshadows the first plague (Exodus 3:20) where God transforms the Nile itself into blood (Exodus 7:19). For a week (Exodus 7:25) there was stench and death (Exodus 7:21).

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