Exodus 7:11-21

11 Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations:

12 each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.

13 Yet Pharaoh was as stubborn as ever - he wouldn't listen to them, just as God had said. Strike One: Blood

14 God said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people.

15 First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake

16 and say to him, 'God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened.

17 This is how you'll know that I am God. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood;

18 the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'"

19 God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt - over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water - so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt - even in the pots and pans."

20 Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood.

21 The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt.

Exodus 7:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 7

Moses and Aaron are ordered to go to Pharaoh, and require the dismission of the people of Israel, but they are told before hand that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened, and would refuse to let them go, until the hand of the Lord was stretched out, and great judgments were brought down upon, Egypt, and then they should come forth, Ex 7:1-5, which orders Moses and Aaron obeyed, and their age is observed, when this was done, Ex 7:6,7 and they are bid to work a miracle, when Pharaoh should demand one, by turning a rod into a serpent, which they did; but Pharaoh's magicians doing the same in appearance, his heart was hardened, Ex 7:8-14 and then they are directed to meet him at the river, and require the same as before; and if he refused, to smite the waters of the river with the rod, and turn them into blood, which they did, Ex 7:15-21, but Pharaoh's magicians doing the same by enchantments, he did not regard it, though the plague lasted seven days, Ex 7:22-25.