Location
Overview
The Nile, the great river of Egypt, is the silent backdrop to the whole Exodus story. The Hebrew Bible usually calls it simply "the river," or by the name Shihor, "the dark one" (Joshua 13:3; Isaiah 23:3).
The river of death and rescue
Pharaoh commanded that every Hebrew son "ye shall cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22). Yet it was on that same river that Moses' mother hid him in an ark of bulrushes, and Pharaoh's daughter drew him out — "Because I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:3–10).
Turned to blood
When Pharaoh hardened his heart, the first plague struck the river that Egypt worshipped: Aaron "lifted up the rod, and smote the waters... and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood" (Exodus 7:20).
The boundary of Egypt
"The river of Egypt" recurs as a southern marker of the Promised Land (Genesis 15:18), and the prophets invoke the Nile's rise and fall as a figure of Egypt's pride and fall (Amos 8:8; Ezekiel 29:3).
Events Here
Moses is hidden in a basket on the Nile and rescued
The Nile is turned to blood — the first plague
Scripture References
4 versesJoshua1 verse
Joshua 13:3
From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
1 Chronicles1 verse
1 Chronicles 13:5
So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
Isaiah1 verse
Isaiah 23:3
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
Jeremiah1 verse
Jeremiah 2:18
And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
Archaeology & History
The Nile, the longest river in the world, flows north from the heart of Africa through Egypt to the Mediterranean. Its annual flood deposited the rich black silt that made Egyptian civilisation possible — which is why the first plague, striking the deified river, was an assault on Egypt's gods as much as its water supply.
People who appear here
Objects mentioned here
Frequently asked about Nile River
Where is Nile River today?
Today, Nile River corresponds to The Nile (Bahr el-Nil).
What does the name Nile River mean?
The name Nile River means “Shihor = "the dark / turbid one"”.
What happened at Nile River in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Nile River include moses is hidden in a basket on the nile and rescued; the nile is turned to blood — the first plague.
Where is Nile River first mentioned in the Bible?
Nile River is first mentioned in Joshua 13:3.
How often is Nile River mentioned in the Bible?
Nile River is mentioned in 4 verses across 4 books: Joshua, 1 Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah.
What is the Nile called in the Bible?
Usually just "the river" or "the river of Egypt"; its proper name in Hebrew is Shihor ("the dark/turbid one"). It is the river of Moses’ infancy and of the first plague.
What happened to the Nile in the plagues?
In the first plague the Nile and all Egypt’s waters were turned to blood, the fish died, and the river stank — a judgment on the river Egypt revered.