Exodus 7:21
in Exodus 7The 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 7
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The fish ... - The Egyptians subsisted to a great extent on the fish of the Nile, though salt-water fish were regarded as impure. A mortality among the fish was a plague that was much dreaded.
This site's exposition
Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile
on Exodus 7:20-21
The third sign given at the bush arrives as the first plague. At 4:9 Nile water poured on dry ground was a sign to Israel, and now Pharaoh sees the river itself struck.
This site's exposition
The fish in the Nile died
Each thing foretold in verse 18 comes to pass: the fish die, the river stinks, the water cannot be drunk, and blood fills the land. Albert Barnes notes that Egyptians lived largely on Nile fish, so a mass death of fish was a dreaded plague.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the fish that was in the river died,....
Egypt was a pleasant land, but the noisome stench of dead fish and blood, which by degrees would grow putrid, now rendered it very unpleasant. It was a righteous plague, and justly inflicted upon the Egyptians. For, (1.) Nilus, the river of Egypt, was their idol; they and their land derived so much benefit from it that they served and worshipped it more than the Creator.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהַדָּגָ֨ה | vehadagah | and the fish | H1710 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּיְאֹ֥ר | bayor | [was] in the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| מֵ֙תָה֙ | metah | it died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| וַיִּבְאַ֣שׁ | vaiyivash | and it stank | H887 → | 17 times |
| הַיְאֹ֔ר | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָכְל֣וּ | yakhelu | they were able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| מִצְרַ֔יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| לִשְׁתּ֥וֹת | lishtot | to drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מַ֖יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיְאֹ֑ר | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| וַיְהִ֥י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַדָּ֖ם | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶ֥רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
וְהַדָּגָ֨הand the fish
vehadagahH1710 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בַּיְאֹ֥ר[was] in the River
bayorH2975 →65 times
מֵ֙תָה֙it died
metahH4191 →839 times
וַיִּבְאַ֣שׁand it stank
vaiyivashH887 →17 times
הַיְאֹ֔רthe River
hayorH2975 →65 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָכְל֣וּthey were able
yakheluH3201 →194 times
מִצְרַ֔יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
לִשְׁתּ֥וֹתto drink
lishtotH8354 →217 times
מַ֖יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַיְאֹ֑רthe River
hayorH2975 →65 times
וַיְהִ֥יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הַדָּ֖םthe blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֶ֥רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
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
Exodus 7:18The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”
it leads to
- Exodus 7:24
So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
- Numbers 11:20
but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, ‘Why did we…
- Numbers 21:5
and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
- Exodus 7:24
Through
Revelation 8:9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
it leads to
- Revelation 16:3
And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.
- Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the…
- Isaiah 2:16
against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel.
- Revelation 8:12
Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light,…
- Psalms 48:7
With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.
- Revelation 16:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.