And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

EXODUS 7:18KJV
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Exodus 7:18 (KJV)

What does Exodus 7:18 mean?

Exodus 7:18 says that the fish in the Nile River will die, the river will smell terrible, and the Egyptians will refuse to drink its water. This describes the immediate, severe effects of the first plague that God brings upon Egypt through Moses.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses and Aaron, telling them what will happen when the Nile is turned to blood. The verse highlights the disruption to daily life in Egypt, since the Nile was their main source of water and food. The death of the fish and the foul smell show how deeply the plague would affect the Egyptians, making the water undrinkable and life much harder.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 7:18

  • דָּגָה (dagah, "fish"): This word refers to fish in general, emphasizing the loss of a vital food source for the Egyptians.
  • יְאֹר (ye’or, "river"): This word specifically points to the Nile, which was central to Egyptian life and worship, showing the seriousness of the plague.
  • בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash, "stink"): This word means to become foul or emit a bad odor, underlining how the river’s condition would be unbearable, not just inconvenient.
  • לָאַה (la’ah, "lothe"): This word means to be weary or disgusted, showing that the Egyptians would be so repulsed by the river that they could not even bring themselves to drink from it.

Why Exodus 7:18 matters

  • Exodus 7:18 makes clear that the plague was not just a nuisance but a direct attack on the Egyptians’ daily survival and their religious pride in the Nile.
  • The verse shows the completeness of the judgment: not only is the water ruined, but the food supply and even the ability to tolerate the river are taken away.
  • By describing the Egyptians’ disgust, Exodus 7:18 highlights how the plagues were meant to break their resistance and show the powerlessness of their gods compared to the God of Israel.

Where else these words appear

“fish” Hebrew H1710 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
  • Deuteronomy 4:18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
  • Ezekiel 29:5 And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

“stink” Hebrew H887 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Exodus 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

“lothe” Hebrew H3811 · used in 18 verses

  • Genesis 19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
  • Proverbs 26:15 The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.
  • Jeremiah 9:5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

“river” Hebrew H2975 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
  • Exodus 7:25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
  • Isaiah 37:25 I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.