Exodus 7:24
in Exodus 7So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
KJV
And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
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This verse in Exodus 7
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd all the Egyptians digged round about the river,.... On each side of it, in order to get clear water; and Aben Ezra thinks the Hebrews also, who were affected with this, and the two following plagues, the frogs and lice: but it is much more reasonable to conclude that they were free from them all.
This site's exposition
digged round about the river for water
on Exodus 7:24-25
Egypt digs beside the Nile for water it can drink, and Henry reads the digging as mercy inside the judgment, since the people were not left to die of thirst for their king's obstinacy. The plague is given a length, seven days, which the text does for only one other of the nine, the three days of darkness at 10:22. Pharaoh has a week in which to answer and spends it in his house.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
You asked … how, when all the water of Egypt was turned into blood, the magicians of Pharaoh found any [water] with which they could transform in like manner. This difficulty is usually solved in two ways. They did it either because some sea water could be brought or, what is more likely, because in that part of the country where the children of Israel were those plagues did not take place. In certain passages of that Scripture this is very clearly expressed, and it warns us what is to be understood even when it is not expressed.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Probably they found some, with much ado, God remembering mercy in the midst of wrath; for he is full of compassion, and would not let the subjects smart too much for the obstinacy of their prince.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ | vaiyachperu | and they dug | H2658 → | |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְרַ֛יִם | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4713 → | 70 times |
| סְבִיבֹ֥ת | sevivot | around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| הַיְאֹ֖ר | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
| מַ֣יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| לִשְׁתּ֑וֹת | lishtot | to drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָֽכְלוּ֙ | yakhelu | they were able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לִשְׁתֹּ֔ת | lishtot | to drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| מִמֵּימֵ֖י | mimeimei | any of [the] water of | H4325 → | 581 times |
| הַיְאֹֽר׃ | hayor | the River | H2975 → | 65 times |
וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּand they dug
vaiyachperuH2658 →
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
מִצְרַ֛יִםEgypt
mitzrayimH4713 →70 times
סְבִיבֹ֥תaround
sevivotH5439 →336 times
הַיְאֹ֖רthe River
hayorH2975 →65 times
מַ֣יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
לִשְׁתּ֑וֹתto drink
lishtotH8354 →217 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָֽכְלוּ֙they were able
yakheluH3201 →194 times
לִשְׁתֹּ֔תto drink
lishtotH8354 →217 times
מִמֵּימֵ֖יany of [the] water of
mimeimeiH4325 →581 times
הַיְאֹֽר׃the River
hayorH2975 →65 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus
This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 143; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.