Exodus 7:14-25 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

1°. Water turned into Blood (Exodus 7:14-15 a J; Exodus 7:15 b E r; Exodus 7:16-17 a J; Exodus 7:17 b, with the rod. hand, E; Exodus 7:17 c - Exodus 7:18 J; Exodus 7:19-20 a, commanded, P; Exodus 7:20 b, to servants, E; Exodus 7:20 c - Exodus 7:21 ab, J; Exodus 7:21 c - Exodus 7:22, P; Exodus 7:23-25 J). In Egypt not only prosperity, but life itself, was bound up with the Nile. Moses meets Pharaoh on his morning visit to the Nile (cf. Exodus 8:20), either for bathing (as Exodus 2:5) or worship, repeats the Divine demand, and announces the smiting of the Nile, by turning its waters into blood. Each year the water of the river becomes like blood at the time of the inundation (Sayce). The peculiarity in Ex. is that the water was rendered unwholesome, as it sometimes is just before the redness begins. In P all the water in the land takes the poisonous tinge: the irrigation canals (Exodus 7:9 mg.) and ponds or reservoirs being specially mentioned. The artificial character of P's representation is shown when, after the water has been reddened, the magicians can yet find water to prove their powers upon. The death of the fish would be a grave calamity, fish being a staple article of diet.

Exodus 7:15. the rod (E): is noted by the editor as that which was turned to a serpent (Exodus 4:3 J).

Exodus 7:17 b. The sentence about Yahweh's smiting is dislocated by the insertion of a scrap from the command to Moses in E (Exodus 7:15 b), with the rod that is in mine (altered from thine, yet spoiling the sense all the same) hand.

Exodus 7:20 b. and he lifted up: not Aaron (Exodus 7:20 a P) but Moses (E), for only the waters that were in the river were smitten.

Exodus 7:23. heart: in Heb. covers, and indeed often denotes, mental not emotional activity: render give his mind even to this.

Related Commentaries of Exodus 7:14

Exodus 7:14-25

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

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.

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.

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.

19 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 poolsa 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.

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, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

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.

22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.