The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

Exodus 7

14 So the LORD said to Moses: w "Pharaoh's heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 "Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the x water, and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and y the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 "And you shall say to him, z 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, a that they may 1 serve Me in the wilderness"; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 'Thus says the LORD: "By this b you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and c they shall be turned d to blood. 18 "And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will e loathe 2 to drink the water of the river." ' " 19 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and f 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.' "

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he g 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 h waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians i could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 j Then the magicians of Egypt did k so with their 3 enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, l as the LORD had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.

25 And seven days passed after the LORD had struck the river.

  1. Cross References
    Exodus 8:15
    But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
    Exodus 10:1
    Now the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him.
    Exodus 10:20
    But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
    Exodus 10:27
    But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
  2. Cross References
    Exodus 2:5
    Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
    Exodus 8:20
    And the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 4:2
    So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod.
    Exodus 4:3
    And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
    Exodus 7:10
    So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 3:13
    Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?
    Exodus 3:18
    "Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'
    Exodus 4:22
    Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 3:12
    So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And ...
    Exodus 3:18
    "Then they will heed your voice; and you shall ...
    Exodus 4:23
    "So I say to you, let My son go that he may ser...
    Exodus 5:1
    Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Phar...
    Exodus 5:3
    So they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met w...
    Exodus 8:1
    And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and...
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 5:2
    And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.
    Exodus 7:5
    "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
    Exodus 10:2
    "and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."
    Psalms 9:16
    The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah
    Ezekiel 25:17
    "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them." '"
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 4:9
    "And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land."
    Exodus 7:20
    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.
  8. Cross References
    Revelation 11:6
    These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
    Revelation 16:4
    Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
    Revelation 16:6
    For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 7:24
    So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 8:5
    Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'S...
    Exodus 8:6
    So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters...
    Exodus 8:16
    So the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stre...
    Exodus 9:22
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 10:12
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 10:21
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea;...
    Exodus 14:26
    Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 17:5
    And the LORD said to Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go.
  12. Cross References
    Psalms 78:44
    Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink.
    Psalms 105:29
    He turned their waters into blood, And killed their fish.
    Psalms 105:30
    Their land abounded with frogs, Even in the chambers of their kings.
  13. Cross References
    Exodus 7:18
    "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." '"
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 7:11
    But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 8:7
    And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 3:19
    But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.
    Exodus 7:3
    And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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