Exodus 7:20
New International Version
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.

New Living Translation
So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood!

English Standard Version
Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.

Berean Standard Bible
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck 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.

New American Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants; and all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood.

NASB 1995
So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.

NASB 1977
So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses and Aaron did thus, as Yahweh had commanded. And he raised up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.

Amplified Bible
So Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded; Aaron lifted up the staff and struck the waters in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood.

Christian Standard Bible
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood.

American Standard Version
And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And in this way Moshe and Aaron did just as LORD JEHOVAH commanded them, and Aaron lifted his staff and struck the water that was in the river before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his Servants, and all of the waters that were in the river were blood for them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded them; and Aaron having lifted up his hand with his rod, smote the water in the river before Pharao, and before his servants, and changed all the water in the river into blood.

Contemporary English Version
Moses and Aaron obeyed the LORD. Aaron held out his stick, then struck the Nile, as the king and his officials watched. The river turned into blood,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: and lifting up the rod he struck the water of the river before Pharao and his servants: and it was turned into blood.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded. In front of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile. All the water in the river turned into blood.

Good News Translation
Then Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the presence of the king and his officers, Aaron raised his stick and struck the surface of the river, and all the water in it was turned into blood.

International Standard Version
Moses and Aaron did just what the LORD had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile River in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and all the water in the Nile River turned to blood.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And Moses and Aaron do so, as YHWH has commanded, and he lifts up [his hand] with the rod, and strikes the waters which [are] in the River, before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the waters which [are] in the River are turned to blood,

Majority Standard Bible
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.

New American Bible
This, then, is what Moses and Aaron did, exactly as the LORD had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the waters in the Nile in full view of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the water in the Nile was changed into blood.

NET Bible
Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD had commanded. Moses raised the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile right before the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.

New Revised Standard Version
Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and of his officials he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the river, and all the water in the river was turned into blood,

New Heart English Bible
Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 into blood.

World English Bible
Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck 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.

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses and Aaron do so, as Jehovah hath commanded, and he lifteth up his hand with the rod, and smiteth the waters which are in the River, before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his servants, and all the waters which are in the River are turned to blood,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The First Plague: Blood
19And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” 20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. 21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.…

Cross References
Exodus 4:9
But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground."

Exodus 7:17
This 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.

Exodus 7:21
The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

Exodus 17:5
And the LORD said to Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

2 Kings 4:29
So Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy's face."

Psalm 78:44
He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

Psalm 105:29
He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

he lifted

Exodus 17:5,6,9-12
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go…

Numbers 20:8-12
Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink…

all the waters.

Genesis 7:17,18
And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth…

Psalm 78:44
And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.

Psalm 105:29
He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

Jump to Previous
Aaron Blood Bondmen Changed Commanded Lifted Moses Nile Officials Pharaoh Presence Raised River Rod Servants Sight Smote Staff Stretched Struck Turned Water Waters
Jump to Next
Aaron Blood Bondmen Changed Commanded Lifted Moses Nile Officials Pharaoh Presence Raised River Rod Servants Sight Smote Staff Stretched Struck Turned Water Waters
Exodus 7
1. Moses and Aaron are encouraged to go again to Pharaoh
8. Aaron's rod is turned into a serpent
11. The sorcerers do the like; but their rods are swallowed up by Aaron's
13. Pharaoh's heart is hardened
14. God's message to Pharaoh
19. The river is turned into blood; and the consequent distress of the Egyptians














(20) He lifted up the rod.--"He" is, undoubtedly, Aaron. (See Exodus 7:19.)

In the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants.--If the occasion was one of a Nile festival, Pharaoh would have "gone out to the water" (Exodus 7:15) accompanied by all the great officers of the Court, by a large body of the priests, and vast numbers of the people. If it was a mere occasion of bodily ablution, he would have had with him a pretty numerous train of attendants. In either case considerable publicity was given to the miracle, which was certainly not "done in a corner."

Verse 20. - He lifted up the rod. "He" must be understood to mean "Aaron" (see ver. 19); but the writer is too much engrossed with the general run of his narrative to be careful about minutia. All that he wants to impress upon us is, that the rod was used as an instrument for the working of the miracle. He is not thinking of who it was that used it. In the sight of Pharaoh. See the comment on ver. 15. And of his servants. Either "his courtiers generally," or, at any rate, a large troop of attendants.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Moses
מֹשֶׁ֨ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

and Aaron
וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן (wə·’a·hă·rōn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

did
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־ (way·ya·‘ă·śū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

just as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had commanded;
צִוָּ֣ה (ṣiw·wāh)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

in the presence
לְעֵינֵ֣י (lə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of Pharaoh
פַרְעֹ֔ה (p̄ar·‘ōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6547: Pharaoh -- a title of Egypt kings

and his officials,
עֲבָדָ֑יו (‘ă·ḇā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

he raised
וַיָּ֤רֶם (way·yā·rem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7311: To be high actively, to rise, raise

the staff
בַּמַּטֶּה֙ (bam·maṭ·ṭeh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

and struck
וַיַּ֤ךְ (way·yaḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

the water
הַמַּ֙יִם֙ (ham·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

of the Nile,
בַּיְאֹ֔ר (bay·’ōr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2975: Nile -- a channel, a fosse, canal, shaft, the Nile, the Tigris

and all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the water
הַמַּ֥יִם (ham·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

was turned
וַיֵּהָֽפְכ֛וּ (way·yê·hā·p̄ə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2015: To turn about, over, to change, overturn, return, pervert

to blood.
לְדָֽם׃ (lə·ḏām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed


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OT Law: Exodus 7:20 Moses and Aaron did so as Yahweh (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 7:19
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