Exodus 7:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moses observed that those under his leadership were united in spirit with the adversary of righteousness and struck a decisive blow against the entire Egyptian nation, without sparing any of those in distress. To accompany his assault on the Egyptians, the very elements of creation—earth, fire, air, and water—responded to the will of men, shifting their natural properties. With a single demonstration of power, chaos was addressed while those who remained faithful were preserved from sin. By Moses' command, all the water in Egypt was transformed into blood, leading to the corruption of the fish due to this physical alteration; however, for the Hebrews, the blood remained a refreshing water, thus allowing sorcerers to deceitfully present the water among the Hebrews as if it were blood.

The waters of the Nile were renowned for their pleasant taste, which was enhanced by the purification of impurities in wooden or stone containers using bitter ground almonds. However, a divine miracle rendered the water completely undrinkable, likely due to the decay of not only deceased fish but also various microorganisms.