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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Exodus 7:14 - 7:25
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The Plague of Blood
v. 14. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
v. 15. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water, to the river Nile; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come, he should stand ready to meet him as Pharaoh approached; and the rod which was turned to a serpent thou shalt take in thine hand.
v. 16. And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let My people go that they may serve Me in the wilderness, Exo_3:12-18; and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
v. 17. Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood, not merely be given a blood-red color through the presence of microscopic animals or particles of red clay, but actually be changed into blood, that the river throughout the length of Egypt would flow with the liquid which commonly pulses through the arteries and veins of men and beasts.
v. 18. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. With their life element taken from them, the fishes could no longer live, and their decaying carcasses would infect the river and cause an insufferable stench.
v. 19. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, the same staff which had served before, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood. Thus not only the Nile with its various arms was involved, but also the canals of the Nile, all lakes or ponds that had been formed by the overflow of the Nile, And that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone, in all pails, jugs, and tubs, in which water was kept for use in the homes.
v. 20. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, who was thus to witness the cause and to note the effect, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
v. 21. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. The Nile was the one source of fertility and life in Egypt, and therefore the Lord indicated by this miracle that it was an easy matter for Him to change all the blessings of the country into curses. The very Nile to which the Egyptians gave divine honor was subject to the command of the God of the Hebrews, and this fact was to be impressed upon them forcibly.
v. 22. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments, probably over the water of the wells dug by the Egyptians,
v. 24. and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them, as the Lord had said.
v. 23. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. His heart was in no manner moved to grant the request of Moses and Aaron.
v. 24. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; they quickly dug wells in the hope that the underground springs were still pure or that the seepage water had not turned into blood; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
v. 25. And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river, for it was He whose curse rested upon the land, and the miracle had been performed in His power. The plague lasted seven days and may to this day be regarded as an example of warning to all unbelievers.