Exodus 7:18 kjv
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.
Exodus 7:18 nkjv
And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river." ' "
Exodus 7:18 niv
The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'?"
Exodus 7:18 esv
The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'"
Exodus 7:18 nlt
The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.'"
Exodus 7 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 7:17 | "...behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile... and it will be turned to blood." | Prophecy of the plague's immediate cause |
| Psa 78:44 | "He turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink." | Historical echo of the first plague |
| Psa 105:29 | "He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die." | Summarizes the key impacts of the first plague |
| Rev 16:3 | "...and every living thing in the sea died." | Prophetic judgment echoing the plague on water |
| Rev 16:4 | "Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood." | A future divine judgment on water sources |
| Deut 28:15-18 | "...curses shall come upon you... cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl..." | God's curse affects all aspects of life |
| Psa 115:3-8 | "...Their idols are silver and gold... they have mouths, but do not speak..." | Judgment on vain idols and those who trust them |
| Isa 44:9-20 | "All who fashion idols are nothing... and their crafted gods do not profit." | Critique of idol worship's futility |
| Jer 10:1-16 | "For the customs of the peoples are vanity... But the LORD is the true God." | Contrast between true God and idols |
| Ezek 29:3-5 | "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt... I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales..." | Judgment on Egypt and the Nile's symbolic beast |
| Gen 1:20-22 | "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures...' " | God's ultimate sovereignty over creation |
| Job 38:25 | "Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain...?" | God's control over nature and its elements |
| Psa 29:3-4 | "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders..." | God's powerful voice commands the elements |
| Psa 104:24-25 | "O LORD, how manifold are your works! ...Yonder is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable..." | God as Creator and sustainer of life in water |
| Exod 8:15 | "But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart..." | Pharaoh's recurring pattern of stubbornness |
| Exod 9:12 | "But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them..." | God's ultimate purpose in Pharaoh's hardening |
| Rom 9:17-18 | "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you...' " | Divine purpose in Pharaoh's resistance |
| John 4:10 | "...Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God... he would have given you living water.'" | Contrast with 'dead' water, God as source of true life |
| Rev 22:1-2 | "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life... flowing from the throne of God..." | Water as symbol of divine blessing and life |
| Hab 3:8 | "Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Or your indignation against the sea...?" | God's wrath extended even to natural elements |
| Isa 19:5-6 | "And the waters of the Nile will be dried up, and the river will be parched and dry..." | Prophetic judgment on the Nile's vitality |
Exodus 7 verses
Exodus 7 18 Meaning
Exodus 7:18 announces the immediate consequences of the first plague on Egypt: the death of the fish in the Nile, leading to its putrefaction, and the Egyptians' intense aversion to drinking its water. It portrays the physical and sensory devastation caused by God's judgment, targeting the very source of Egyptian life and their revered deity.
Exodus 7 18 Context
Exodus 7:18 is delivered by God to Moses, to be relayed to Pharaoh and Aaron, setting the stage for the first of the ten plagues against Egypt. The immediate preceding verses (7:14-17) establish Pharaoh's stubborn refusal and God's stated intention to demonstrate His power. The Nile was the absolute lifeline of Egypt, providing water for drinking, irrigation, fishing, and transport. It was also revered as a god (Hapi) and connected to other deities like Khnum (god of the Nile's source) and Sobek (the crocodile god, also of the Nile). By striking the Nile in this specific manner, God was directly attacking the heart of Egyptian survival, economy, and religion, proving the impotence of their gods and the supreme power of the God of Israel.
Exodus 7 18 Word analysis
- And the fish (וְהַדָּגָה, v'hadagah): The word דָּג (dag) refers to fish. For the Egyptians, fish were a major food source, a dietary staple, especially for the common people, and also formed part of their economy. The death of the fish signifies an attack on their food supply and the ecosystem of their most vital resource.
- that are in the Nile (אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר, asher baye'or): יְאֹר (y'or) specifically refers to the Nile River, distinguishing it from general "rivers" or "waters." The Nile was not merely a river; it was considered sacred, personified as the god Hapi, giver of life and fertility. Its importance to daily life, religion, and the overall identity of Egypt was paramount. Targeting the Nile directly challenges the foundational pillars of Egyptian society and belief.
- shall die, (תְּמוּת, t'mut): From the root מוּת (mut), meaning to die or perish. This signifies a definitive and catastrophic end. The scale of this death, involving all fish, indicates an unprecedented ecological disaster engineered by divine judgment, directly countering the notion of Hapi as a benevolent life-giver.
- and the Nile will stink, (וּבָאַשׁ הַיְאֹר, u'va'ash haye'or): בָּאַשׁ (ba'ash) means to stink, to become foul, rotten, or putrid. This describes the gruesome sensory effect of countless dead fish decomposing in the water. The pervasive foul odor would be a constant, inescapable reminder of the plague, transforming their life-giving river into a source of pervasive decay and unbearable stench.
- and the Egyptians will loathe (וְנִלְאוּ מִצְרַיִם, v'nil'u Mitzrayim): נָלְאָה (nala'a) or קוּץ (quts, often used interchangeably or implying similar strong aversion in this context, here 'loathe' or 'weary of'). This signifies not just inability, but a profound and visceral disgust. They wouldn't merely be unable to drink; they would be repulsed by the very thought and sight of the water that once sustained them.
- to drink water from the Nile (לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַיְאֹר, lish'tot mayim min haye'or): The simple, essential act of drinking water becomes impossible and abhorrent. This highlights the practical and personal impact on every Egyptian. Their basic necessity for survival, normally abundant, is turned into an object of revulsion, demonstrating the total nature of God's control and judgment over life's essentials.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "And the fish... shall die, and the Nile will stink": This clause immediately connects cause and effect—the death of the fish is the direct precursor to the Nile's foulness. It emphasizes the comprehensiveness of the ecological disaster and its immediate sensory impact on the land. The sequence describes a decaying process, not just a momentary change.
- "and the Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the Nile": This describes the culmination of the plague's effect on human experience. It is a psychological and practical blow, rendering their primary water source utterly unusable due to sheer repulsion rather than just scarcity. This state of 'loathing' reflects the complete reversal of the Nile's sacred and life-giving role.
Exodus 7 18 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "loathe" or "be weary of" (nil'u) implies an utter inability to endure something further due to extreme revulsion, more than just distaste. This isn't merely inconvenient, it is fundamentally abhorrent, highlighting the complete reversal of the Nile from blessing to curse. The progression from water to blood (7:17) to dead fish and stink (7:18) to un-drinkability (7:19) shows a cumulative, worsening effect designed to intensify the suffering and pressure on Pharaoh. This sensory degradation—sight, smell, then potential taste avoidance—targeted all aspects of their experience with the Nile.
Exodus 7 18 Commentary
Exodus 7:18 vividly articulates the immediate and repulsive consequences of the first plague. Beyond merely transforming water into blood, the verse describes a lingering and tangible horror: dead fish polluting the very heart of Egyptian life, leading to an inescapable, offensive stench. This was a direct, irrefutable assault on the lifeblood of Egypt, symbolizing their economic well-being, their food source, their transport, and their religious beliefs.
The divine pronouncement explicitly states that all the fish would die, signifying a total ecological collapse of the river's aquatic life. The resulting putrefaction meant the Nile became not just unusable, but unbearable, its foul odor pervading the air as a constant reminder of God's wrath. This created an abhorrent reality where the Egyptians would be forced to face the consequence of their leader's hardened heart, even a simple, vital act like drinking water becoming a source of intense disgust. The plague served as a polemic against the numerous Egyptian deities associated with the Nile, such as Hapi (god of the Nile flood) and Khnum (creator god associated with water), demonstrating their utter powerlessness against the sovereignty of the God of Israel. It was a tangible lesson in God's unmatched power over creation and judgment, compelling them to acknowledge a deity far beyond their understanding and control.