Exodus 7:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

NASB: Then the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.

CSB: The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

NLT: The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt.

KJV: And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

NKJV: The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

At the Lord's command, Moses and Aaron have confronted Pharaoh (Exodus 7:14–16) and triggered the first of ten great plagues on Egypt (Exodus 3:19–20). The first catastrophe is turning the water of Egypt into blood (Exodus 7:17–20). What follows are the expected consequences of replacing water with bodily fluid. Fish die, everything decomposes and rots, and there is nothing for crops, livestock, or people to drink. This plague affects not only the river, but also the stored water, ponds, and pools throughout the land (Exodus 7:19). This will last long enough to threaten lives (Exodus 7:25).

One effect of this plague is Egypt suffering the results of its own evil. When Pharaoh first rejected the command to free Israel (Exodus 5:1–4), he spitefully made the slaves (Exodus 1:11–14) scramble and toil to find the straw which had once been provided (Exodus 5:6–9). Now, the Egyptians must struggle to find water, which was once abundant (Exodus 7:24). Egypt once murdered Israelite children in the Nile (Exodus 1:22), now that blood symbolically comes back against them.

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.