Exodus 7:14-25
Blood in the Nile
Read the passage
14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
16Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
17This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.
18The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”
19And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.
21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
22But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
23Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.
24So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
25And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The LORD tells Moses that Pharaoh's heart is hardened and that he refuses to let the people go. In the morning, Moses is to meet Pharaoh by the Nile and tell him that the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, commands him to release Israel for worship in the wilderness.
Pharaoh has refused to listen, so Moses must announce the coming blow against the Nile. God instructs him to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff over Egypt's waters. The river will turn to blood, the fish will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water. The LORD says that the Egyptians will know that he is the LORD.
Moses and Aaron do as commanded. Aaron lifts the staff and strikes the water, and all the water in the Nile turns to blood. The fish die, the river stinks, and the Egyptians dig around the river for drinking water.
The Egyptian magicians imitate the sign, and Pharaoh's heart remains hard. He turns and goes into his house without taking the event to heart. The account then marks seven full days since the LORD struck the Nile. It does not describe the river's restoration here.
The first plague strikes the river that Egypt depends on. It is judgment against Pharaoh's refusal, but it also creates suffering for ordinary Egyptians. The passage makes the cost of oppressive power impossible to ignore.
Questions
1 What does God say Pharaoh will learn through this plague?
AnswerThat He is the LORD. Pharaoh has refused His command, and the judgment will reveal the authority he has rejected.
2 What happens when Aaron strikes the Nile?
AnswerThe water turns to blood, the fish die, and the river stinks. The Egyptians cannot drink from it and dig nearby for water.
3 How does Pharaoh respond after the magicians imitate the sign?
AnswerHe refuses to listen, returns to his palace, and does not take the event to heart. His people must cope with the loss of drinking water while he remains unmoved.
4 What time does the final verse mark?
AnswerSeven full days have passed since the LORD struck the Nile. These verses do not tell us when the water became drinkable again.
What This Means for Us
Pharaoh returns to his palace while others dig for drinking water. His refusal to obey God has consequences he will not take to heart. A comfortable position can make it easier to ignore the cost our decisions impose on other people.
Pay attention when someone tells you that a choice you made has hurt them. Listen to the effect rather than defending only your intention. Ask forgiveness where you have done wrong, and make the repair you can. The Lord's warning deserves a response before we become more practiced at dismissing it.
Prayer
God of justice, confront the powers that make people suffer and soften hearts that refuse correction. Give us compassion for those caught in the consequences, and wisdom to repair the harm our own choices create. Amen.
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