Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 7:20/רמב"ן על שמות ז׳:כ׳
אוַיָּרֶם בַּמַּטֶּה וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמַּיִם שֶׁהֵרִים וְנָטָה יָדוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הָרוּחוֹת, וְאח"כ הִכָּה הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר לְעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וְנֶהֶפְכוּ כָּל הַמַּיִם שֶׁבַּיְאוֹר לְדָם לְעֵינָיו, וַיְהִי הַדָּם עוֹד בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר (אבן עזרא על שמות ז':כ') כִּי הִזְכִּיר מַכַּת הַיְאוֹר וְלֹא חָשַׁשׁ לְהַזְכִּיר נְטִיַּת יָדוֹ עַל כָּל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם:
1AND HE LIFTED UP THE ROD, AND SMOTE THE WATERS THAT WERE IN THE RIVER IN THE SIGHT OF PHARAOH. That is to say, Aaron lifted up the rod and stretched out his hand over the land of Egypt in all directions,125 and afterwards he smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh. In Pharaoh’s sight, all the waters that were in the river turned to blood, and the blood was furthermore throughout all the land of Egypt.126 And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that Scripture mentioned the smiting of the river but found it unnecessary to mention the stretching out of the hand [in all directions] over the entire land of Egypt.127