Exodus 7:20 describes the first of the ten plagues on Egypt: Moses, at God’s command, strikes the water of the Nile with his staff, and the river turns to blood. The verse shows God proving to Pharaoh and the Egyptians that the LORD is the true God, and that the powerful Nile, which Egypt worshiped and depended on, is under his authority. Moses and Aaron carry out the act, but the command and the power come from the LORD.
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.
Exodus 7:20 (WEB)
What Exodus 7:20 Means
The verse begins with obedience: “Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded.” The two brothers do not improvise or argue here. They do exactly what God has told them, which is the same pattern seen throughout their mission to Pharaoh. The act itself is simple, a raised staff and a strike on the water, but the simplicity is part of the point. God does not need elaborate rituals to act.
The phrase “in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants” tells you the audience. This is not a private miracle. The court is watching, and the sign is meant to be seen by the ruler and his officials. The final clause, that “all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood,” describes the scope of the judgment. The verse promises a dramatic and visible act of God against Egypt’s life-giving river. It does not explain every detail of the process or promise that Pharaoh will repent, and the narrative that follows shows that he does not.
The Context of Exodus 7:20
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells how God rescued the descendants of Jacob from slavery in Egypt and formed them into a people in covenant with him. The book was written for Israel, and it teaches them who the LORD is and what he is willing to do for them. Chapter 7 opens the section of plagues, where God repeatedly tells Pharaoh “you shall know that I am the LORD” through acts of judgment.
Just before this verse, in verses 17 through 19, the LORD tells Moses exactly what will happen and instructs him to have Aaron stretch the staff over all the waters of Egypt. The verses right after it show the fish dying, the river stinking, and the Egyptians unable to drink, and then the magicians imitating the sign while Pharaoh’s heart stays hard. Read in this setting, Exodus 7:20 is the moment the warning becomes reality, and the verse is shaped by the repeated theme that the LORD’s identity is being made known.
Key Phrases in Exodus 7:20
Exodus 6:7
And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
(WEB)
This verse records God’s promise that the Israelites will know that he is the LORD their God, the one who brings them out from under the burdens of Egypt. It shows the purpose behind the plagues: a people being brought into relationship with God through his saving work.
Psalm 78:44
He turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.
(WEB)
This psalm recalls how God turned the rivers of Egypt to blood, and it looks back on the plagues as part of a long history of God’s faithfulness. Reading it alongside Exodus 7:20 shows how later Israelite worship kept these events in memory as a witness to God’s power.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 7:20
Lord, you are the one who commands, and you are the one who acts. Help me to listen for your word and to act on it faithfully, even when the path looks unclear or others are watching. When I feel overwhelmed by things I cannot control, remind me that nothing in Egypt or anywhere else is beyond your authority. Give me the simple courage to do what you ask, and trust you with the results. Amen.
