And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
The LORD said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron to take his staff and stretch out his hand over all the waters of Egypt—over their streams, rivers, ponds, and every pool of water—so they will turn to blood. There will be blood throughout the entire land of Egypt, even in wooden bowls and stone jars.'
God is commanding Moses and Aaron to turn all of Egypt's water into blood as the first plague to pressure Pharaoh into releasing the Israelites.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the ten plagues God sent upon Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave slavery. The Nile River was considered sacred to the Egyptians and was central to their survival, making this plague particularly devastating. Aaron's staff, which had already demonstrated God's power by swallowing the Egyptian magicians' staffs, becomes the instrument for this miraculous judgment.
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