"Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood."
The staff of Moses was given to Aaron as the Lord commanded, and Aaron stepped down to the shore of the Nile River. Pharaoh also happened to be at the water’s edge, likely walking along the river with the officials of his court, his priests, and other nobles and people who attended him.
Aaron lifted the rod given to him by Moses and struck the water. Immediately, by the power of God, the water turned to blood. This was no illusion. Every last drop of water in the Nile had become blood. Water to blood was the first of the ten plagues that God would inflict upon Egypt. This first sign did not sway Pharaoh, as his magicians were somehow able to imitate it to his liking. However, Pharaoh soon learned the folly of declaring war on the Almighty.
