Exodus 7 · Verse 17

Exodus 7:17

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.
Exodus 7:17, King James Version

Exodus 7:17 in other translations

BSBThis 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.
WEBThe LORD says, “In this you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold: I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
ASVThus saith Jehovah, In this thou shalt know that I am Jehovah: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
YLT‘Thus said Jehovah: By this thou knowest that I am Jehovah; lo, I am smiting with the rod which is in my hand, on the waters which are in the River, and they have been turned to blood,
DARBYThus saith Jehovah: In this shalt thou know that I am Jehovah — behold, I will smite with the staff that is in my hand upon the water which is in the river, and it shall be turned into blood.
BBESo the Lord says, By this you may be certain that I am the Lord; see, by the touch of this rod in my hand the waters of the Nile will be turned to blood;
WebsterThus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

What does Exodus 7:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 7:17-21
17-21. Aaron lifted up the rod and smote the waters, &c.--Whether the water was changed into real blood, or only the appearance of it (and Omnipotence could effect the one as easily as the other), this was a severe calamity. How great must have been the disappointment and disgust throughout the land when the river became of a blood red color, of which they had a national abhorrence; their favorite beverage became a nauseous draught, and the fish, which formed so large an article of food, were destroyed. [See on Nu 11:5.] The immense scale on which the plague was inflicted is seen by its extending to "the streams," or branches of the Nile--to the "rivers," the canals, the "ponds" and "pools," that which is left after an overflow, the reservoirs, and the many domestic vessels in which the Nile water was kept to filter. And accordingly the sufferings of the people from thirst must have been severe. Nothing could more humble the pride of Egypt than this dishonor brought on their national god.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Behold, I will smite - Here commences the account of the Ten plagues which were inflicted on the Egyptians by Moses and Aaron, by the command and through the power of God. According to Archbishop Usher these ten plagues took place in the course of one month, and in the following order: - The first, the Waters turned into Blood, took place, he supposes, the 18th day of the sixth month; Exo 7:20. The second, the plague of Frogs, on the 25th day of the sixth month; Exo 8:2. The third, the plague of Lice, on the 27th day of the sixth month; Exo 8:16. The fourth, grievous Swarms of Flies, on the 29th day of the sixth month; Exo 8:24. The fifth, the grievous Murrain, on the 2d day of the seventh month; Exo 9:3. The sixth, the plague of Boils and Blains, on the 3d day of the seventh month; Exo 9:10. The seventh, the grievous Hail, on the 5th day of the seventh month; Exo 9:18. The eighth, the plague of Locusts, on the 8th day of the seventh month; Exo 10:12. The ninth, the Thick Darkness, on the 10th day of Abib, (April 30), now become the first month of the Jewish year; Exo 10:22. See Clarke's note on Exo 12:2. The tenth, the Slaying the First-Born, on the 15th of Abib; Exo 12:29. But most of these dates are destitute of proof.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 7:14-25

Here is the first of the ten plagues, the turning of the water into blood. It was a dreadful plague. The sight of such vast rolling streams of blood could not but strike horror. Nothing is more common than water: so wisely has Providence ordered it, and so kindly, that what is so needful and serviceable to the comfort of human life, should be cheap and almost every where to be had; but now the Egyptians must either…

Read the full comment on Exodus 7:14-25 →

Exodus 7:17 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כֹּ֚הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּזֹ֣אתbe.Zotby thisH2063
תֵּדַ֔עte.Da'you will knowH3045
כִּ֖יkithatH3588
אֲנִ֣י'a.NiIH589
יְהוָ֑הYah.weh[am] YahwehH3068
הִנֵּ֨הhi.Nehhere!H2009
אָנֹכִ֜י'a.no.KhiIH595
מַכֶּ֣ה\׀ma.Keh[am] about to strikeH5221
בַּמַּטֶּ֣הba.ma.Tehwith the staffH4294
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
בְּיָדִ֗יbe.ya.Di[is] in hand myH3027
עַל\־'al-<on>H5921
הַמַּ֛יִםha.Ma.yimthe waterH4325
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּיְאֹ֖רbay.'Or[is] in the RiverH2975
וְנֶהֶפְכ֥וּve.ne.hef.Khuand they will be changedH2015
לְדָֽם\׃le.Daminto bloodH1818

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 7:17

  • Exodus 4:9

    And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

  • Exodus 5:2

    And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

  • Exodus 7:5

    And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

  • Ezekiel 39:28

    Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.

  • Ezekiel 38:23

    Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

  • Psalms 9:16

    The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

  • Daniel 4:17

    This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

  • Psalms 83:18

    That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.

  • 1 Samuel 17:46-47

    This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

  • Psalms 105:29

    He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

  • 2 Kings 19:19

    Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.

  • Revelation 16:3-6

    And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thou shalt.
5; 5:2; 6:7; 1Sa 17:46,47; 1Ki 20:28; 2Ki 19:19; Ps 9:16; 83:18
Eze 29:9; 30:8,19; 32:15; 38:23; 39:28; Da 4:17,32,37; 5:21,23
and they.
1:22; 4:9; Ps 78:44; 105:29; Re 8:8; 16:3-6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 7:16

    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: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

  • Exodus 7:17

    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.

  • Exodus 7:18

    And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

Read all of Exodus 7

Exodus 7:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así ha dicho Jehová: En esto conocerás que yo soy Jehová: he aquí, yo heriré con la vara que tengo en mi mano el agua que está en el río, y se convertirá en sangre:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ainsi dit l’ Éternel: À ceci tu connaîtras que je suis l’ Éternel: Voici, je frappe de la verge qui est dans ma main les eaux qui sont dans le fleuve, et elles seront changées en sang;
German
Elberfelder 1871		So spricht Jehova: Daran sollst du erkennen, daß ich Jehova bin: Siehe, ich will mit dem Stabe, der in meiner Hand ist, auf das Wasser schlagen, das in dem Strome ist, und es wird in Blut verwandelt werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Hæc igitur dicit Dominus: In hoc scies quod sim Dominus: ecce percutiam virga, quæ in manu mea est, aquam fluminis, et vertetur in sanguinem.