Exodus 7:17

Exodus 7:17 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (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.

Context of Exodus 7:17

15In the morning meet Pharaoh when he’s on his way to the Nile. Wait for him on the bank of the river. Take along the staff that turned into a snake. 16Say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, “Let my people go to worship me in the desert.” So far you have not listened. Here is what the Lord says: This is the way you will recognize that I am the Lord: With this staff in my hand, I’m going to strike the Nile, and the water will turn into blood. 18The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’ ” 19The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—its rivers, canals, ponds, and all its reservoirs—so that they turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden and stone containers.’ ”

Exodus 7:17 word by word

כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה בְּזֹ֣את תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י מַכֶּ֣ה׀ בַּמַּטֶּ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־בְּיָדִ֗י עַל־הַמַּ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּיְאֹ֖ר וְנֶהֶפְכ֥וּ לְדָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• In this thou shalt knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• behold, I will smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• with the rodמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
• in mine handיָדyâd · handH3027
• upon the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• in the riverיְאֹרye'ôr · NileH2975
• and they shall be turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
• to bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818

Cross-references for Exodus 7:17

• Exodus 7:5The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I use my power against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of there.”
• Exodus 5:2Pharaoh asked, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I won’t let Israel go.”
• Exodus 6:7Then I will make you my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians.
• 1 Samuel 17:46Today the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And this day I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals. The whole world will know that Israel has a God.
• 1 Kings 20:28The man of God came again. He said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: Because the Arameans said that the Lord is a god of the hills but not a god of the valleys, I will hand over their entire army to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
• 2 Kings 19:19Now, Lord our God, rescue us from Assyria’s control so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are the Lord God.”
• Psalms 9:16The Lord is known by the judgment he has carried out. The wicked person is trapped by the work of his own hands. Higgaion Selah
• Psalms 83:18so that they must acknowledge you. Your name is the Lord. You alone are the Most High God of the whole earth.
• Ezekiel 29:9Egypt will become a wasteland and a pile of rubble. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You said, “The Nile River is mine. I made it.”
• Ezekiel 30:8Then they will know that I am the Lord, because I will set fire to Egypt and all her defenders will be killed.
• Ezekiel 32:15I will turn Egypt into a wasteland. I will take everything in the land, and I will kill all the people who live there. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
• Ezekiel 38:23I will show my greatness and my holiness. I will reveal myself to many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
• Ezekiel 39:28Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God. I sent them into captivity among the nations, and I brought them back again to their land. I left none of them behind.
• Daniel 4:17The guardians have announced this decision. The holy ones have announced this so that every living creature will know that the Most High has power over human kingdoms. He gives them to whomever he wishes. He can place the lowest of people in charge of them.’ ”
• Daniel 5:21He was chased away from people, and his mind was changed into an animal’s mind. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body became wet with dew from the sky. This happened until he realized that the Most High God has power over human kingdoms. God puts whomever he wishes in charge of them.
• Exodus 1:22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every ⌞Hebrew⌟ boy that was born, but to let every girl live.

Commentaries on Exodus 7:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Behold, I will smite - Here commences the account of the Ten plagues which were inflicted on the Egyptians by Moses and Aaron, by the command and through the power of God. According to Archbishop Usher these ten plagues took place in the course of one month, and in the following order: - The first, the Waters turned into Blood, took place, he supposes, the 18th day of the sixth month; Exodus 7:20. The second, the plague of Frogs, on the 25th day of the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Turned to blood - This miracle would bear a certain resemblance to natural phenomena, and therefore be one which Pharaoh might see with amazement and dismay, yet without complete conviction. It is well known that before the rise the water of the Nile is green and unfit to drink. About the 25th of June it becomes clear, and then yellow, and gradually reddish like ochre; an effect due to the presence of microscopic cryptogams and infusoria. The supernatural…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 7:17

• Blood
• Miracles
• Plague

In the dictionaries

• Euphrates River, the River
• Die
• Enchantment
• Multiply
• Plague
• Prophet
• Criticism
• Divorce in the Old Testament
• Exodus, the Book of
• Ezekiel

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