Exodus 7:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.

NASB: This is what the Lord says: 'By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I am going to strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood.

CSB: This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood.

NLT: So this is what the Lord says: 'I will show you that I am the Lord.' Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Thus says the Lord: “By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood.

The Lord provided Egypt's ruler, the pharaoh, with a command to release Israel (Exodus 5:1–3) and evidence to show that the command had divine authority (Exodus 7:8–10). Pharaoh refused (Exodus 5:4), and even rejected the evidence of the miracle (Exodus 7:11–13). Now Moses is being told to appear by the Nile, in the morning, to confront Pharaoh again (Exodus 7:14–16). He will explain that Pharaoh's stubbornness will result in a terrible disaster: ruining the water in Egypt by turning it into blood.

This verse emphasizes the purpose of the upcoming plague. God is not inflicting pain simply as revenge. The miraculous sign, though terrible and terrifying, is meant to demonstrate the Lord's power and convince Pharaoh to obey. Among the Egyptian deities were Hapi and Khnum, associated with the Nile. God's work here proves that He, not Khnum or Hapi, has power over the river.

Both the plague and the effects it brings are being predicted here, to drive home the point. The same staff used to perform the earlier miracle (Exodus 4:2–4; 7:10) will be used to trigger this new sign. Moses and Aaron will follow through on these commands (Exodus 7:20).

Egypt will suffer greatly for Pharaoh's obstinate heart (Expodus 7:21–25). The book of Exodus gives few details about the timing of these plagues. Some are stopped when Pharaoh pleads with Moses, but Pharaoh shows no concern about this first occurrence. It's possible that some of the next plagues—such as frogs and gnats—happen while the Nile is still ruined, and perhaps that God uses the corruption of the water to cause those later problems.

Exodus 7:14–25 records the first of the ten great plagues on Egypt (Exodus 3:19–20). Because Pharaoh has refused to free Israel (Exodus 1:11–14), the Lord turns all the water in Egypt—including the Nile, ponds, and artificial pools—into blood. This creates an unsanitary, foul situation. The Egyptians are forced to dig for water. When Egyptian magicians are able to turn water into blood, Pharaoh remains resistant. This terrible plague lasts for an entire week.

God again repeats (Exodus 3:19–20; 4:19–23; 6:6) the basic outline of how Israel will be freed from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 1:11–14). He then commands Moses and Aaron to show Pharaoh one of the miraculous signs given for that purpose (Exodus 4:2–5). Egyptian magicians seem to duplicate the feat, so Pharaoh still refuses to hear Mo-ses' message. This results in the first plague: all water in Egypt, including the Nile river, becomes blood. This lasts seven days. The Lord then tells Moses to repeat the demand for Israel's release.

God commissioned Moses (Exodus 3:10) and commanded him to confront Egypt's ruler, the pharaoh (Exodus 4:19–23). When Moses obeyed (Exodus 5:1–3), the immediate result was even worse oppression for Israel (Exodus 5:19–21). This inspired Moses to doubt (Exodus 5:22–23). The Lord responded with reassurances (Exodus 6:1–8). Chapter 7 completes this declaration and begins the cycle of plagues (Exodus 3:19–20), starting with turning the Nile river into blood. These catastrophes will continue (Exodus 8—11) until Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites (Exodus 12:41).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.