Exodus 4:10-20

10 Moses said, Lord, I beseech (thee), I am not eloquent, that is, a fair speaker, from yesterday and the third day ago; and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I am of more hindered, and of slower tongue.

11 The Lord said to him, Who made the mouth of [a] man, or who made a dumb man, and deaf, seeing, and blind? whether not I? (And the Lord said to him, Who gave speech to people, or who made anyone dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? was it not I?)

12 Therefore go thou, and I shall be in thy mouth, and I shall teach thee what thou shalt speak.

13 And Moses said, Lord, I beseech thee, send whom thou shalt.

14 And the Lord was wroth against Moses, and said, I know, that Aaron, thy brother, of the lineage of Levi, is eloquent, that is, a fair speaker; lo! he shall go out into thy coming, and he shall see thee, and he shall be glad in heart. (And the Lord was angry against Moses, and said, I know, that thy brother Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, is eloquent, that is, a fair speaker; lo! he is coming to meet thee, and he shall see thee, and he shall be glad in his heart.)

15 Speak thou to him, and put thou my words in his mouth, and I shall be in thy mouth, and in his mouth; and I shall show to you what ye ought to do.

16 He shall speak for thee to the people, and he shall be thy mouth; forsooth thou shalt be to him in these things, that pertain to God.

17 Also take thou this rod in thine hand, in which thou shalt do miracles. (And take thou this staff in thy hand, with which thou shalt do miracles.)

18 Moses went, and turned again to Jethro, his wife's father, and said to him, I shall go, and turn again to my brethren into Egypt, that I see, whether they live yet. To whom Jethro said, Go thou in peace. (Then Moses went, and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, I shall go now, and return to my brothers in Egypt, so that I can see if they be alive or not. To whom Jethro said, Go in peace.)

19 Therefore the Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go thou, and turn again into Egypt; for all they be dead that sought thy life. (And so the Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go thou, and return to Egypt, for all those who sought thy life have now died.)

20 Moses took his wife, and his sons, and set them on an ass, and he turned again into Egypt, and he bare the rod of God in his hand. (And Moses took his wife, and his sons, and put them on donkeys, and he returned to Egypt, holding the staff of God in his hand.)

Exodus 4:10-20 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.