And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

EXODUS 7:21KJV
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Exodus 7:21 (KJV)

What does Exodus 7:21 mean?

Exodus 7:21 describes how, after Moses and Aaron turned the Nile River’s water into blood, all the fish in the river died, the river began to stink, and the Egyptians could no longer drink its water, with blood seen everywhere in Egypt. This verse shows the immediate and devastating effects of the first plague on Egypt’s daily life and environment.

In this part of the story, God is sending plagues on Egypt through Moses and Aaron to persuade Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. The Nile River was central to Egyptian life, so its pollution—killing the fish and making the water undrinkable—would have been a shocking disaster. The verse emphasizes how completely the plague disrupted Egypt, affecting both the land and its people.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 7:21

  • "River" (יְאֹר, ye’or): This word refers specifically to the Nile, which was the lifeblood of Egypt. Mentioning it three times in this verse highlights how central the river was and how total the impact was on Egyptian society.
  • "Stank" (בָּאַשׁ, ba’ash): This word describes a strong, offensive odor. The text stresses not just the visual horror of blood, but also the overwhelming smell, making the disaster impossible to ignore.
  • "Blood" (דָּם, dam): The use of this word makes clear that the water was not just discolored, but had truly become like blood—something deeply disturbing and ritually unclean to the Egyptians.

Why Exodus 7:21 matters

  • Exodus 7:21 makes clear that the first plague was not just a minor inconvenience but a total disruption of Egyptian life, targeting their most vital resource.
  • The verse shows the powerlessness of the Egyptians and their gods in the face of Israel’s God, setting the stage for the escalating conflict between Pharaoh and Moses.
  • By describing the sensory impact (sight, smell, and loss of water), the verse helps readers grasp the severity and inescapability of the plague, making the story’s stakes more vivid.

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.

“stank” 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.

“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.