Exodus 7:15. Lo, he goeth out unto the water Of the river Nile: whither he went at that time, either for his recreation, or to pay his morning worship to that river, which, as Plutarch testifies, the Egyptians had in great veneration. read more
Nine plagues (7:14-10:29)The timing, intensity and extent of these plagues show clearly that they were sent by God. It also seems fairly clear that God used the physical characteristics of the Nile valley to produce them.When the first plague struck, it polluted all the water in the Nile and in the irrigation canals and reservoirs connected with it, resulting in all the fish dying. As the dead fish floated to the banks they would force the frogs out of the water, thereby producing the second... read more
serpent . Hebrew. nachash. See note on Genesis 3:1 , and App-19 . read more
God . Hebrew. Elohim . App-6 . read more
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand. And thou shalt say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. Thus saith... read more
Exodus 7:15. Lo, he goeth out unto the water— It was most probably Pharaoh's custom to go to wash himself in the Nile, see ch. Exo 2:5 that, after purification, he might pay the proper worship to his gods; see ch. Exodus 8:20. Some have supposed, that he went to pay his devotion to the river Nile itself, which was sacred among the Egyptians. But it is most reasonable to believe, that he went for the purpose of bathing or religious purifications. read more
15. Get thee unto Pharaoh—Now began those appalling miracles of judgment by which the God of Israel, through His ambassadors, proved His sole and unchallengeable supremacy over all the gods of Egypt, and which were the natural phenomena of Egypt, at an unusual season, and in a miraculous degree of intensity. The court of Egypt, whether held at Rameses, or Memphis, or Tanis in the field of Zoan ( :-), was the scene of those extraordinary transactions, and Moses must have resided during that... read more
4. The first three plagues 7:14-8:19Psalms 78:43 places the scene of the plagues in northern Egypt near Zoan.The plagues were penal; God sent them to punish Pharaoh for his refusal to obey God and to move him to obey Yahweh. They involved natural occurrences rather than completely unknown phenomena. At various times of the year gnats, flies, frogs, etc., were a problem to the Egyptians. Even the pollution of the Nile, darkness, and death were common to the Egyptians.Evidence that the plagues... read more
The water turned to blood (the first plague) 7:14-25The first mighty act of God serves in the narrative as a paradigm of the nine plagues that follow. Striking the Nile with the rod suggested dominion over creation and all the gods of Egyptian mythology. The Egyptians linked many of their gods with the life-giving force of the Nile. The tenth plague is unique in that it is both a part of the narrative of Exodus as a whole and is a mighty act of God in itself. [Note: Durham, p. 95.] Evidently... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 7:15
He goeth out unto the water - The Nile was worshipped under various names and symbols; at Memphis especially, as Hapi, i. e. Apis, the sacred bull, or living representation of Osiris, of whom the river was regarded as the embodiment or manifestation. If, as is probable, the king went to offer his devotions, the miracle would have special force and suitableness. It was also the season of the yearly overflowing, about the middle of June; and the daily rise of the water was accurately recorded,... read more