וַיַּחְפְּר֧וּ כָל־מִצְרַ֛יִם סְבִיבֹ֥ת הַיְאֹ֖ר מַ֣יִם לִשְׁתּ֑וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לִשְׁתֹּ֔ת מִמֵּימֵ֖י הַיְאֹֽר׃
Seluruh orang Mesir menggali di sekitar Sungai Nil untuk mendapatkan air minum, karena mereka tidak dapat meminum air dari Sungai Nil.
Tur HaArokh
לא יכלו לשתות מים מן היאור, “they could not drink the waters from the river.” Even when the river again flowed with water, they could not drink those waters as they had become putrid from the dead fish that had died when the water had turned into blood. This explanation does not appear to stand up in light of what the Torah writes, as we have been told specifically (verse 25), that “seven days elapsed after the Lord had struck the river.” In other words, the plague ran its course for a whole week, unless we must understand that line to mean that after the blood reverted to being water the Egyptians still could not drink from the river for a full week.
Rabbeinu Bahya
מים לשתות, “water for drinking.” It is clear from the wording that they did not succeed in drinking the water they found. Had they done so, the Torah would have written: מים וישתו, ”water which they drank.” Seeing they did not succeed in drinking the water mentioned in our verse, how did they manage for seven days without water?
Rabbeinu Bahya
We are therefore compelled to interpret the verse to mean that they did indeed drink water they found as a result of digging for it. The meaning of the word לשתות maybe interpreted in two ways: whereas they did drink it this was still as if they could not drink it as the water was salt-water. This is the meaning of the additional words: “for they could not drink the waters from the river.” Seeing they could not drink regular water, they were forced to drink water which tasted very salty.
כי לא יכלו לשתות מים ממימי היאור, “for they could not drink the waters of the river Nile,” which were sweet and fit for drinking. This is the explanation of the gaon Rabbi Saadyah. He makes the point that there is a difference in meaning between the word מי and the word מימי. The word מימי is used only for water which is fit to drink. We find proof of this in Numbers 20,8 ונתן את מימיו, “and it will yield its waters.” Or, Exodus 23,25: וברך את לחמכם ואת מימיך, “He will bless your bread and your water.” Another example is found in Chronicles II 32,30 יחזקיה סתם את מוצא מימי גיחון, “King Chiskiyah stopped up the sources of the waters from the river Gichon.” The word מי is used to describe waters unfit for drinking in Genesis 7,7 מפני מי המבול, “on account of the waters of the deluge;” another example of the word מי referring to waters not fit to drink is Exodus 15,19 וישב ה' עליהם את מי הים, “G’d turned back upon them the waters of the sea.” The author quotes additional verses making the same point.
כי לא יכלו לשתות מים ממימי היאור, “for they could not drink the waters of the river Nile,” which were sweet and fit for drinking. This is the explanation of the gaon Rabbi Saadyah. He makes the point that there is a difference in meaning between the word מי and the word מימי. The word מימי is used only for water which is fit to drink. We find proof of this in Numbers 20,8 ונתן את מימיו, “and it will yield its waters.” Or, Exodus 23,25: וברך את לחמכם ואת מימיך, “He will bless your bread and your water.” Another example is found in Chronicles II 32,30 יחזקיה סתם את מוצא מימי גיחון, “King Chiskiyah stopped up the sources of the waters from the river Gichon.” The word מי is used to describe waters unfit for drinking in Genesis 7,7 מפני מי המבול, “on account of the waters of the deluge;” another example of the word מי referring to waters not fit to drink is Exodus 15,19 וישב ה' עליהם את מי הים, “G’d turned back upon them the waters of the sea.” The author quotes additional verses making the same point.