Exodus 4:18-31

Moses goes back to Egypt

18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19 The LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died."
20 So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd's rod from God in his hand.
21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you appear before Pharaoh and do all the amazing acts that I've given you the power to do. But I'll make him stubborn so that he won't let the people go.
22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my oldest son.
23 I said to you, 'Let my son go so he could worship me.' But you refused to let him go. As a result, now I'm going to kill your oldest son.'"
24 During their journey, as they camped overnight, the LORD met Moses and tried to kill him.
25 But Zipporah took a sharp-edged flint stone and cut off her son's foreskin. Then she touched Moses' genitals with it, and she said, "You are my bridegroom because of bloodshed."
26 So the LORD let him alone. At that time, she announced, "A bridegroom because of bloodshed by circumcision."
27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he went, and Aaron met him at God's mountain and greeted him with a kiss.
28 Moses told Aaron what the LORD had said about his mission and all the signs that the LORD had told him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron called together all the Israelite elders.
30 Aaron told them everything that the LORD had told to Moses, and he performed the signs in front of the people.
31 The people believed. When they heard that the LORD had paid attention to the Israelites and had seen their oppression, they bowed down and worshipped.

Exodus 4:18-31 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 2

Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible