Exodus 4:9
in Exodus 4But 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 4
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis was done, at first, as a sign, but, not gaining due credit with Pharaoh, the whole river was afterwards turned into blood, and then it became a plague. He is ordered to work this miracle in case they would not be convinced by the other two.
This site's exposition
the voice of the first sign
on Exodus 4:8-9
The signs are given as a graded series against unbelief, each one held in reserve for the case where the one before it fails. The third is never performed here, and it is the only one that touches Egypt's own river, poured out on dry ground where anyone can watch it. It becomes the first plague at Exodus 7:20, where the water is struck in the river itself instead of being carried out of it.
This site's exposition
take some water from the Nile
A third sign is held in reserve for a people who refuse the first two. Water taken from the Nile, the river Egypt lived by, becomes blood on the dry ground, a small first form of the plague of chapter 7. Matthew Henry notes that what began as a sign later struck the whole river when Pharaoh would not believe.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs,....
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֡ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַאֲמִ֡ינוּ | yaaminu | they will believe | H539 → | 106 times |
| גַּם֩ | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| לִשְׁנֵ֨י | lishnei | <to> [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| הָאֹת֜וֹת | haotot | the signs | H226 → | 80 times |
| הָאֵ֗לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׁמְעוּן֙ | yishmeun | they will listen ! | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לְקֹלֶ֔ךָ | lekolecha | to voice your | H6963 → | 506 times |
| וְלָקַחְתָּ֙ | velakachta | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִמֵּימֵ֣י | mimeimei | some of [the] water of | H4325 → | 581 times |
| הַיְאֹ֔ר | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֖ | veshafakhta | and you will pour [it] out | H8210 → | |
| הַיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה | haiyabashah | the dry ground | H3004 → | 14 times |
| וְהָי֤וּ | vehayu | and they will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמַּ֙יִם֙ | hamayim | the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּקַּ֣ח | tikach | you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיְאֹ֔ר | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| וְהָי֥וּ | vehayu | and they will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְדָ֖ם | ledam | <into> blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| בַּיַּבָּֽשֶׁת׃ | baiyabashet | on the dry ground | H3006 → |
וְהָיָ֡הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יַאֲמִ֡ינוּthey will believe
yaaminuH539 →106 times
גַּם֩also
gamH1571 →769 times
לִשְׁנֵ֨י<to> [the] two
lishneiH8147 →768 times
הָאֹת֜וֹתthe signs
haototH226 →80 times
הָאֵ֗לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׁמְעוּן֙they will listen !
yishmeunH8085 →1159 times
לְקֹלֶ֔ךָto voice your
lekolechaH6963 →506 times
וְלָקַחְתָּ֙and you will take
velakachtaH3947 →966 times
מִמֵּימֵ֣יsome of [the] water of
mimeimeiH4325 →581 times
הַיְאֹ֔רthe River
hayorH2975 →65 times
וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֖and you will pour [it] out
veshafakhtaH8210 →
הַיַּבָּשָׁ֑הthe dry ground
haiyabashahH3004 →14 times
וְהָי֤וּand they will become
vehayuH1961 →3559 times
הַמַּ֙יִם֙the waters
hamayimH4325 →581 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּקַּ֣חyou will take
tikachH3947 →966 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַיְאֹ֔רthe River
hayorH2975 →65 times
וְהָי֥וּand they will become
vehayuH1961 →3559 times
לְדָ֖ם<into> blood
ledamH1818 →360 times
בַּיַּבָּֽשֶׁת׃on the dry ground
baiyabashetH3006 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 7:2For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
it leads to
- James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Mark 4:24
He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.
- Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured…
- Obadiah 1:15
For the Day of the LORD is near for all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.
- Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
- James 2:13
Through
Exodus 1:22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrews you must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”
it leads to
- Acts 7:19
He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.
- Proverbs 1:16
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
- Exodus 1:16
“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”
- Acts 7:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Exodus

This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
