Exodus 4:8

8 “If they will not believe you, ” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

Exodus 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 4:8

And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee
Will not give credit to the commission he had from God, but question the truth of it: neither hearken to the voice of the first sign;
which miracle wrought, spoke plain enough that he that wrought it, or for whose sake it was wrought, must be one come from God, or such a miracle would never be wrought by him or for him; but should any of the Israelites be still incredulous, it is supposed, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign;
which had a voice in it commanding belief that he was a messenger of God; the first sign respects his rod, the other his hand.

Exodus 4:8 In-Context

6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak. ” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.

7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak. ” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

8 “If they will not believe you, ” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground. ”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue. ”