And had turned their rivers into blood,.... The river Nile and its seven streams; this was the first of the plagues of Egypt, Exo 7:20, and was a just retaliation for drowning the infants of the Israelites in their river, Exo 1:22, a like plague will be inflicted on spiritual Egypt, and with equal justice; see Rev 11:8, and their floods, that they could not drink; the rivulets that flowed from the Nile, and every spring or confluence of water; or rather by these rivers and floods are meant the canals and ditches, which, as Jarchi (e) observes, were made by the hands of men, from the banks of the river Nile, to water their fields with. (e) Comment. on Exod. vii. 19. so Kimchi in Sepher Shorash. rad.