Berean Standard Bible
Exodus 7:20
20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff1 and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.
Exodus 7:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck 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.
Context of Exodus 7:20
18The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’” 19And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. 21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt. 22But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Read all of Exodus 7Exodus 7:20 word by word
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּ֤רֶם בַּמַּטֶּה֙ וַיַּ֤ךְ אֶת־הַמַּ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּיְאֹ֔ר לְעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיֵּהָֽפְכ֛וּ כָּל־הַמַּ֥יִם אֲשֶׁר־בַּיְאֹ֖ר לְדָֽם׃Read the interlinear
- Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- and Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
- didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- didכֵּןkên · soH3651
- just asכַּאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · as whichH834
- the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- had commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- in the presenceעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- of Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- and his officialsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- raisedרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- the staffמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
- and struckנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- of the Nileיְאֹרye'ôr · NileH2975
- and allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- was turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- to bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
Cross-references for Exodus 7:20
- Exodus 17:5And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
- Numbers 20:8“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
- Genesis 7:17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.
- Psalms 78:44He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.
- Psalms 105:29He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.
- John 2:9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
- Revelation 8:8Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
Commentaries on Exodus 7:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20All the waters - were turned to blood - Not merely in appearance, but in reality; for these changed waters became corrupt and insalubrious, so that even the fish that were in the river died; and the smell became highly offensive, so that the waters could not be drank; Exodus 7:21.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-25Verses 14-25 Here is the first of the ten plagues, the turning of the water into blood. It was a dreadful plague. The sight of such vast rolling streams of blood could not but strike horror. Nothing is more common than water: so wisely has Providence ordered it, and so kindly, that what is so needful and serviceable to the comfort of human life, should be cheap and almost every where to be had; but now the Egyptians must either drink blood, or die for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-25The first plague was the plague on the Nile, when the whole river turned to blood (7:20). The Egyptians correctly understood that without the Nile there would be no life in Egypt. They worshiped the Nile as the Mother of Egypt, but God showed that life is his to give or withhold.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. Aaron lifted up the rod and smote the waters, &c.--Whether the water was changed into real blood, or only the appearance of it (and Omnipotence could effect the one as easily as the other), this was a severe calamity. How great must have been the disappointment and disgust throughout the land when the river became of a blood red color, of which they had a national abhorrence; their favorite beverage became a nauseous draught, and the fish, which…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 7:20
In the dictionaries
Notes
Commentaries on Exodus 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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