The Meaning of Exodus 7:20 Explained

Exodus 7:20

KJV: And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote 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.

YLT: And Moses and Aaron do so, as Jehovah hath commanded, and he lifteth up his hand with the rod, and smiteth the waters which are in the River, before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his servants, and all the waters which are in the River are turned to blood,

Darby: And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah had commanded; and he lifted up the staff, and smote the waters that were in the river before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his bondmen; and all the waters that were in the river were turned into blood.

ASV: And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  and Aaron  did  so, as the LORD  commanded;  and he lifted up  the rod,  and smote  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. 

What does Exodus 7:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 7:14-25 - Sign Of The Waters Turned To Blood
Satan will mimic God's work up to a point. We are told that Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses; but even then Moses' rod swallowed their rods. They were defeated in their own realm, that Pharaoh's faith in them might be shaken. But it was in their predictions of what was coming that the Hebrew brethren specially attested their superiority. The sky was roseate with the blush of dawn, as Pharaoh, accompanied by his court, came to perform his customary ablutions or to worship at the brink of the Nile. Moses met him with the peremptory summons, "Let my people go"¦" and in accordance with his prediction the Nile became as blood. But since by their clever legerdemain the magicians appeared able to do as much, his heart was hardened-i.e., "he did not set his heart to it." In other words, he would not consider the message sent to him by the hand of God's accredited messengers. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 7

1  Moses and Aaron are encouraged to go again to Pharaoh
8  Aaron's rod is turned into a serpent
11  The sorcerers do the like; but their rods are swallowed up by Aaron's
13  Pharaoh's heart is hardened
14  God's message to Pharaoh
19  The river is turned into blood; and the consequent distress of the Egyptians

What do the individual words in Exodus 7:20 mean?

And did so Moses and Aaron just as commanded Yahweh so he lifted up the rod and struck - the waters that [were] in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants and were turned all the waters that [were] in the Nile to blood
וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־ כֵן֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה וַיָּ֤רֶם בַּמַּטֶּה֙ וַיַּ֤ךְ אֶת־ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּיְאֹ֔ר לְעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיֵּהָֽפְכ֛וּ כָּל־ הַמַּ֥יִם אֲשֶׁר־ בַּיְאֹ֖ר לְדָֽם

וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־  And  did 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כֵן֩  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
מֹשֶׁ֨ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן  and  Aaron 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוָּ֣ה  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיָּ֤רֶם  so  he  lifted  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
בַּמַּטֶּה֙  the  rod 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
וַיַּ֤ךְ  and  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַמַּ֙יִם֙  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּיְאֹ֔ר  [were]  in  the  Nile 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְאֹר  
Sense: river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal.
לְעֵינֵ֣י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
פַרְעֹ֔ה  of  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
וּלְעֵינֵ֖י  and  in  the  sight 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עֲבָדָ֑יו  of  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וַיֵּהָֽפְכ֛וּ  and  were  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
הַמַּ֥יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בַּיְאֹ֖ר  [were]  in  the  Nile 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְאֹר  
Sense: river, stream, canal, Nile, Nile-canal.
לְדָֽם  to  blood 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.