Exodus 7:24 - All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water.

Generated Verse: Exodus 7:24

What does "Exodus 7:24" mean?


This verse from Exodus 7:24 describes the aftermath of the first plague that God brought upon Egypt: the turning of the Nile River into blood. Let's break down what it means:

"All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink": The Egyptians normally relied on the Nile River as their primary source of water for drinking, irrigation, and daily life. Now that the river was contaminated, they were desperately searching for any alternative source of water. They dug near the river, hoping to find groundwater that hadn't been affected.

"for they couldn’t drink the river water": This explains why they were digging. The Nile had become undrinkable. The text says it was "turned to blood," which likely means it was polluted to the point of being red, foul-smelling, and toxic. It could have been caused by a bloom of red algae (similar to a "red tide"), excessive sediment, or some other pollutant that made it unsafe for consumption.

In essence, the verse highlights:

The severity of the plague: The Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt, was rendered useless.
The Egyptians' distress: They were forced to go to great lengths to find even a small amount of drinkable water.
The dependence on the Nile: The plague exposed the vulnerability of the Egyptian society which was so dependent on the Nile River.

The verse underscores the impact of God's power on Egypt and the suffering endured by the Egyptians due to Pharaoh's refusal to release the Israelites.

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