Exodus 7:19

19 So the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-over their rivers, canals,[a] ponds, and all their water reservoirs-and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone [containers]."

Exodus 7:19 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 7:19

And the Lord spake unto Moses
Pharaoh still being obstinate, and refusing to let the people go:

say unto Aaron, take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the
waters of Egypt;
upon all of them in general, what were in the river Nile, or derived from it, as follows:

upon their streams;
the seven streams of the river Nile, (See Gill on Isaiah 11:15).

upon their rivers;
the canals that were cut out of the river Nile, for the watering of their fields and gardens, for they had no other river:

and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of waters;
which were dug near the river, or to which pipes were laid to convey the water thither:

that they may become blood;
and so not fit to drink:

and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt,
both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone;
in which water were kept in private houses, fetched from the river for the use of families; all which were to be turned into blood everywhere, in all parts of the land, and in all places mentioned, immediately upon Aaron's taking his rod, and smiting the waters with it in that part of the river that was before him.

Exodus 7:19 In-Context

17 This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I will strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood.
18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it."
19 So the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt-over their rivers, canals, ponds, and all their water reservoirs-and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone [containers]."
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood.
21 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.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. The Hb word refers specifically to the various branches and canals of the Nile River; Ex 8:5.
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