Exodus 4:1-17

Miraculous Signs for Moses

1 Then Moses answered, "What if they won't believe me and will not obey me but say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"
2 The Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.
3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it,
4 but the Lord told him, "Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail." So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand.
5 "This will take place," He continued, "so they will believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
6 In addition the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, like snow.[a]
7 Then He said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out,[b] it had again become like the rest of his skin.
8 "If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign.
9 And if they don't believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground."
10 But Moses replied to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent-either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant[c]-because I am slow and hesitant in speech."
11 The Lord said to him, "Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
12 Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say."
13 Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else."[d]
14 Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses, and He said, "Isn't Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. When he sees you, his heart will rejoice.
15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help[e] both you and him [to speak], and will teach you both what to do.
16 He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him.
17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with."

Exodus 4:1-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 4

This chapter is a continuation of the discourse that passed between God and Moses; and here Moses makes other objections to his mission; one is taken from the unbelief of the people of Israel, which is removed by giving him power to work miracles, by turning the rod in his hand into a serpent, and then into a rod again; and by putting his hand into his bosom at one time, when it became leprous, and again into the same place, when it became sound and whole, and by turning the water of the river into blood, Ex 4:1-9, another objection is formed from his want of eloquence, which is answered with an assurance, that God, that made man's mouth, would be with his mouth, and teach him what to say; and besides, Aaron his brother, who was an eloquent man, should be his spokesman, Ex 4:10-17 upon which he returned to Midian, and having obtained leave of his father-in-law to depart from thence, he took his wife and his sons, and returned to Egypt, Ex 4:18-20 at which time he received some fresh instructions from the Lord what he should do before Pharaoh, and what he should say unto him, Ex 4:21-23 then follows an account of what befell him by the way, because of the circumcision of his son, Ex 4:24-26 and the chapter is closed with an account of the meeting of Moses and Aaron, and of their gathering the elders of Israel together, to whom the commission of Moses was opened, and signs done before them, to which they gave credit, and expressed their joy and thankfulness, Ex 4:27-31.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin
  • [b]. Lit out of his cloak
  • [c]. Moses
  • [d]. Lit send by the hand of whom You will send
  • [e]. Lit be with
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