Exodus 4:3-13

3 And he sayde, cast it on the grounde, and it turned vnto a serpent. And Moses ra awaye from it.

4 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: put forth thine hande ad take it by the tayle. And he put forth his hande and caught it, and it became a rodd agayne in his hand,

5 that they may beleue that the Lorde God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac ad the God of Iacob hath appeared vnto the.

6 And the Lorde sayde forther more vnto him: thrust thine hande in to thy bosome. And he thrust his hande in to his bosome and toke it out. And beholde, his hand was leporous euen as snowe.

7 And he saide: put thine hande in to thy bosome agayne. And he put his hande in to his bosome agayne, and plucked it out of his bosome, and beholde, it was turned agayn as his other flesh.

8 Yf they will not beleue the nether heare the voyce of the first token: yet will they beleue the voyce of the seconde toke

9 But and yf they will not beleue the two signes nether herken vnto thy voyce, then take of the water of the riuer and poure it vpon the drye lond. And the water which thou takest out of the riuer shall turne to bloude vpon the drie londe.

10 And Moses sayde vnto the Lorde: oh my Lorde. I am not eloquet, no not in tymes past and namely sence thou hast spoken vnto thy seruaunte: but I am slowe mouthed and slowe tongued.

11 And the Lorde sayde vnto hi: who hath made mas mouth, or who hath made the domme or the deaff, the seynge or the blynde? haue not I the Lorde?

12 Go therfore and I wilbe with thy mouth and teach the what thou shalt saye.

13 And he sayde: oh my Lorde, send I pray the whome thou wilt.

Exodus 4:3-13 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.