Exodus 7:19 kjv

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, 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; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

Exodus 7:19 nkjv

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.' "

Exodus 7:19 niv

The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt?over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs?and they will turn to blood.' Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone."

Exodus 7:19 esv

And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"

Exodus 7:19 nlt

Then the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt ? all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.'"

Exodus 7 verses

Exodus 7 19 Meaning

Exodus 7:19 conveys God's command to Moses, to instruct Aaron to initiate the first plague upon Egypt. This plague involved the miraculous transformation of all water sources throughout Egypt—including rivers, streams, ponds, and even stored water in vessels—into blood. This act of divine judgment served to demonstrate God's supreme power over creation and directly challenged the idolatrous reverence the Egyptians held for the Nile River and their water deities, setting the stage for Israel's liberation.

Exodus 7 19 Context

Exodus chapter 7 marks the direct confrontation between the God of Israel and Pharaoh, symbolizing a battle between divine power and earthly defiance. Following Pharaoh's refusal to let Israel go (Exod 5) and God's renewed promise of deliverance (Exod 6), the chapter opens with God reaffirming His purpose: to display His power through signs and wonders so that Egypt might "know that I am the LORD" (Exod 7:5). After Aaron's staff turns into a serpent, and the Egyptian magicians' partial mimicry reinforces Pharaoh's stubbornness (Exod 7:8-13), God commands the initiation of the plagues. Verse 19 precisely details the instruction for the first plague—turning water into blood—which subsequently unfolds from verse 20 onward, demonstrating God's direct assault on Egypt's most vital resource and its pagan worldview.

Historically, ancient Egypt was entirely dependent on the Nile River, which served as its literal and symbolic lifeline. The Nile provided water for drinking, irrigation for crops, and facilitated transportation. It was worshipped as a god, Hapi, the spirit of the Nile, and associated with Osiris, the god of fertility and the underworld. The plague of blood directly targeted this revered deity and life source, aiming a crushing blow at the heart of Egyptian cosmology and their very means of sustenance. This deliberate targeting revealed the supremacy of Yahweh over all the gods of Egypt, highlighting the emptiness of their worship and demonstrating His absolute power to humble a great nation. The instruction to affect "vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone" emphasized the plague's pervasiveness, meaning even water drawn and stored in homes was affected, leaving no aspect of Egyptian daily life untouched by this devastating judgment.

Exodus 7 19 Word Analysis

• And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron: This clearly delineates the divine chain of command. LORD (Hebrew: Yahweh, יְהוָה) signifies God's personal covenant name, indicating His direct involvement and sovereign will. Moses, God's chosen mediator, receives the word, and Aaron acts as Moses's spokesman and instrument, carrying out the physical act. This underscores that the miraculous event originates solely from God's power and command.
• Take thy rod: Rod (Hebrew: matteh, מַטֶּה) refers to the staff Moses was given, symbolizing divine authority and power. This staff was central to many signs and judgments in Exodus (Exod 4:2, 4:17, 7:10). It is not an instrument of magic, but a divinely appointed symbol through which God's power is channeled.
• and stretch out thine hand: Stretch out thine hand (Hebrew: natah yad, נָטָה יָד) is a repeated phrase in Exodus, denoting the active gesture of invoking divine power to initiate a plague or perform a miracle (e.g., Exod 8:5 for frogs, 10:12 for locusts, 14:16 for Red Sea). It is a performative action demonstrating the agent's reliance on divine authority.
• upon the waters of Egypt: Waters (Hebrew: mayim, מַיִם) generally refers to water. This phrase specifies the geographical scope, targeting all of Egypt's crucial water supplies.
• upon their streams: Streams (Hebrew: ye'oreyhem, יְאֹרֵיהֶם) specifically refers to the branches and canals of the Nile, the primary source of life for Egypt. This highlights the precise focus of the judgment.
• upon their rivers: Rivers (Hebrew: naharotam, נַהֲרֹתָם) is a broader term for watercourses, including the Nile itself and any other significant flowing bodies of water in the land, underscoring the comprehensive nature.
• and upon their ponds: Ponds (Hebrew: agamim, אֲגַמֵּיהֶם) refers to natural or artificial standing pools of water, perhaps fed by Nile overflows or rain, ensuring no static water source remains untouched.
• and upon all their pools of water: Pools of water (Hebrew: mikvah mayim, מִקְוֵה מַיִם) refers to collected bodies of water, often larger reservoirs or catchment areas. This further emphasizes the universal reach of the plague, leaving no part of the water system unaffected.
• that they may become blood: Blood (Hebrew: dam, דָּם) indicates a literal and transformative change. This is not just a discoloration, but the water becoming putrid and life-draining. Blood here signifies defilement, death, and judgment.
• and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt: Throughout all the land of Egypt (Hebrew: b'chol-eretz Mitzrayim, בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם) reiterates the complete geographic coverage, signaling a national catastrophe affecting every resident.
• both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone: This details the final extent of the plague, specifying that even water collected and stored indoors within common household containers was affected. This emphasizes the inescapable and intrusive nature of God's judgment, pervading even private spaces and leaving no respite.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand...": This establishes the authoritative divine delegation. God initiates the action, using Moses as His prophet and Aaron as the instrument wielding the powerful matteh (rod) and executing the symbolic gesture of "stretching out the hand," which signals the direct, impactful channeling of divine power.
• "...upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water...": This meticulously detailed enumeration of every type of water source highlights the comprehensive nature of the judgment. It underscores God's total control over creation, leaving no vital liquid unaffected and completely incapacitating the primary source of life for the Egyptian people and economy, while directly challenging their reverence for the Nile and other water deities.
• "...that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.": This phrase defines the effect and pervasive scope of the plague. The transformation to "blood" (signifying corruption, putrefaction, and death) profoundly impacts not only external natural sources but also internally stored water, indicating an inescapable and intimate judgment. The targeting of water inside "vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone" ensures the plague’s reach into the most private spaces of Egyptian life, demonstrating the unavoidable nature of divine wrath.

Exodus 7 19 Bonus section

• The term "blood" likely signifies a state of severe pollution, turning the water into something putrid, undrinkable, and teeming with dead fish, which caused a stench, making life intolerable (Exod 7:21). The transformation was profound and real, not just a superficial change in color.
• This first plague specifically targeted the physical environment that defined Egypt, setting a precedent for God's ability to manipulate natural forces, contrasting with human attempts at magic.
• The progression of the plagues (water, then amphibians, insects, disease, hail, locusts, darkness, firstborn) shows a escalating pattern of divine judgment, each plague building on the previous one and systematically undermining different aspects of Egyptian life, power, and religious beliefs.

Exodus 7 19 Commentary

Exodus 7:19 serves as the definitive divine command for the first devastating plague against Egypt, transforming their very source of life—all water—into putrid blood. This act was profoundly significant: it demonstrated Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over creation, challenging Egypt's reliance on and worship of the Nile River and its associated gods (like Hapi and Osiris). By defiling the Nile, God not only removed their primary sustenance but also symbolically crushed their idolatrous belief system at its core. The meticulous enumeration of water sources ("streams," "rivers," "ponds," "pools," and even water in "vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone") underscores the plague's comprehensiveness, ensuring that no Egyptian could escape its reach or ignore the undeniable power of the Lord. This was not a localized affliction but a nation-wide judgment, aimed at humbling Pharaoh and compelling the Egyptians to "know that I am the LORD" (Exod 7:5). The horrific change of life-giving water to blood—a substance signifying defilement and death—highlighted the corruption inherent in Egypt's oppression of Israel and their pagan worship. It powerfully initiated God's progressive display of power, laying the foundation for Israel's liberation.