Exodus 4:7-17

7 Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, 1it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
8 "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.
9 "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile 2will become blood on the dry ground."
10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, 3I have never been eloquent *, neither recently * nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or 4who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12 "Now then go, and 5I, even I, will be with your mouth, and 6teach you what you are to say."
13 But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will."

Aaron to Be Moses' Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, 7he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 "You are to speak to him and 8put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.
16 "Moreover, 9he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.
17 "You shall take in your hand 10this staff, 11with which you shall perform the signs."

Exodus 4:7-17 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.

Cross References 11

  • 1. Numbers 12:13-15; Deuteronomy 32:39; 2 Kings 5:14; Matthew 8:3; Luke 17:12-14
  • 2. Exodus 7:19, 20
  • 3. Exodus 3:11; Exodus 4:1; Exodus 6:12; Jeremiah 1:6
  • 4. Psalms 94:9; Psalms 146:8; Matthew 11:5; Luke 1:20, 64
  • 5. Exodus 4:15, 16; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 50:4; Jeremiah 1:9
  • 6. Matthew 10:19, 20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; Luke 21:14, 15
  • 7. Exodus 4:27
  • 8. Exodus 4:12, 30; Exodus 7:1; Num 23:5, 12, 16; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 1:9
  • 9. Exodus 7:1, 2
  • 10. Exodus 4:2, 20; Exodus 17:9
  • 11. Exodus 7:9-20; Exodus 14:16

Footnotes 9

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