Shemot 7:18

18 And the dag (fish) that is in the Nile shall die, and the Nile shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the mayim of the Nile.

Shemot 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.

Shemot 7:18 In-Context

16 And thou shalt say unto him, Hashem Elohei HaIvrim hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the midbar: and, hinei, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

17 Thus saith Hashem, In this thou shalt know that I am Hashem: hinei, I will strike with the matteh that is in Mine yad upon the mayim which are in the Nile, and they shall be turned to dahm.

18 And the dag (fish) that is in the Nile shall die, and the Nile shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the mayim of the Nile.

19 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, Say unto Aharon, Take thy matteh, and stretch out thine yad upon the mayim of Mitzrayim, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their mikveh of mayim, that they may become dahm; and that there may be dahm throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

20 And Moshe and Aharon did so, as Hashem commanded; and he lifted up the matteh, and smote the waters that were in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his avadim; and all the mayim that were in the Nile were turned to dahm.