Exodus 4:18-31

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Moses went back to 1Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for 2all the men who were seeking your life are dead."
20 So Moses took 3his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took 4the staff of God in his hand.
21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the 5miracles that I have put in your power. But 6I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, 7Israel is my 8firstborn son,
23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I 9will kill your firstborn son.'"
24 At a lodging place on the way 10the LORD met him and 11sought to put him to death.
25 Then 12Zipporah took a 13flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'[a] feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!"
26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.
27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness 14to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the 15mountain of God and kissed him.
28 And Moses 16told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all 17the signs that he had commanded him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron 18went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
30 19Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people 20believed; and when they heard that the LORD had 21visited the people of Israel and that he had 22seen their affliction, 23they bowed their heads and worshiped.

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.

Cross References 23

  • 1. [Exodus 2:18]
  • 2. Exodus 2:15, 23; [Matthew 2:20]
  • 3. Exodus 18:2-4
  • 4. Exodus 17:9; Numbers 20:8, 9
  • 5. Exodus 3:20
  • 6. Exodus 7:13, 22; Exodus 8:15, 32; Exodus 9:12, 35; Exodus 10:1; Exodus 14:8; Romans 9:17, 18; [Deuteronomy 2:30; Joshua 11:20; Isaiah 63:17]
  • 7. Hosea 11:1
  • 8. Jeremiah 31:9
  • 9. Exodus 11:5; Exodus 12:29
  • 10. [Numbers 22:22; 1 Chronicles 21:16]
  • 11. [Genesis 17:14]
  • 12. Exodus 2:21
  • 13. Joshua 5:2, 3
  • 14. ver. 14
  • 15. See Exodus 3:1
  • 16. ver. 15, 16
  • 17. See ver. 3-9
  • 18. Exodus 3:16
  • 19. ver. 16
  • 20. ver. 8, 9; Exodus 3:18
  • 21. See Exodus 3:16
  • 22. Exodus 2:25; Exodus 3:7
  • 23. Exodus 12:27; Genesis 24:26; 1 Chronicles 29:20

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.