Exodus 7:18

18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink the water of the river.

Exodus 7:18 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 7:18

And the fish that is in the river shall die
Their element being changed, and they not able to live in any other but water:

and the river shall stink;
with the blood, into which it should be congealed, and with the putrefied bodies of fishes floating in it:

and the Egyptians shall loath to drink of the water of the river;
the very colour of it, looking like blood, would set them against it, and create a nausea in them; or "shall be weary" ^F8, tired of drinking it in a little time, through the loathsomeness of it; or be weary in digging about it, ( Exodus 7:24 ) to get some clear water to drink of; or in seeking to find out ways and methods to cure the waters, that so they might be fit to drink of, as Jarchi interprets it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (waln) "delassabuntur", Tigurine version, Vatablus. "Defatigabuntur", Cartwright.

Exodus 7:18 In-Context

16 and say unto him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews has sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; and, behold, until now thou hast not desired to hear.

17 Thus hath the LORD said, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD; behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink the water of the river.

19 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their rivers, upon their streams, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and lifting up the rod, he smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his slaves; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.