1 And Moses H4872 answered H6030 and said, H559 But, behold, they will not believe H539 me, nor hearken H8085 unto my voice: H6963 for they will say, H559 The LORD H3068 hath not appeared H7200 unto thee.
2 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, What is that in thine hand? H3027 And he said, H559 A rod. H4294
3 And he said, H559 Cast H7993 it on the ground. H776 And he cast H7993 it on the ground, H776 and it became a serpent; H5175 and Moses H4872 fled H5127 from before H6440 it.
4 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Put forth H7971 thine hand, H3027 and take H270 it by the tail. H2180 And he put forth H7971 his hand, H3027 and caught H2388 it, and it became a rod H4294 in his hand: H3709
5 That they may believe H539 that the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers, H1 the God H430 of Abraham, H85 the God H430 of Isaac, H3327 and the God H430 of Jacob, H3290 hath appeared H7200 unto thee.
6 And the LORD H3068 said H559 furthermore H5750 unto him, Put H935 now thine hand H3027 into thy bosom. H2436 And he put H935 his hand H3027 into his bosom: H2436 and when he took H3318 it out, behold, his hand H3027 was leprous H6879 as snow. H7950
7 And he said, H559 Put H7725 thine hand H3027 into thy bosom H2436 again. H7725 And he put H7725 his hand H3027 into his bosom H2436 again; H7725 and plucked H3318 it out of his bosom, H2436 and, behold, it was turned again H7725 as his other flesh. H1320
8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe H539 thee, neither hearken H8085 to the voice H6963 of the first H7223 sign, H226 that they will believe H539 the voice H6963 of the latter H314 sign. H226
9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe H539 also these two H8147 signs, H226 neither hearken H8085 unto thy voice, H6963 that thou shalt take H3947 of the water H4325 of the river, H2975 and pour H8210 it upon the dry H3004 land: and the water H4325 which thou takest H3947 out of the river H2975 shall become blood H1818 upon the dry H3006 land.
10 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 O H994 my Lord, H136 I H376 am not eloquent, H1697 neither heretofore, H8032 H8543 nor since H227 thou hast spoken H1696 unto thy servant: H5650 but I am slow H3515 of speech, H6310 and of a slow H3515 tongue. H3956
11 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, Who hath made H7760 man's H120 mouth? H6310 or who maketh H7760 the dumb, H483 or deaf, H2795 or the seeing, H6493 or the blind? H5787 have not I the LORD? H3068
12 Now therefore go, H3212 and I will be with thy mouth, H6310 and teach H3384 thee what thou shalt say. H1696
13 And he said, H559 O H994 my Lord, H136 send, H7971 I pray thee, by the hand H3027 of him whom thou wilt send. H7971
14 And the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was kindled H2734 against Moses, H4872 and he said, H559 Is not Aaron H175 the Levite H3881 thy brother? H251 I know H3045 that he can speak H1696 well. H1696 And also, behold, he cometh forth H3318 to meet H7125 thee: and when he seeth H7200 thee, he will be glad H8055 in his heart. H3820
15 And thou shalt speak H1696 unto him, and put H7760 words H1697 in his mouth: H6310 and I will be with thy mouth, H6310 and with his mouth, H6310 and will teach H3384 you what ye shall do. H6213
16 And he shall be thy spokesman H1696 unto the people: H5971 and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, H6310 and thou shalt be to him instead of God. H430
17 And thou shalt take H3947 this rod H4294 in thine hand, H3027 wherewith thou shalt do H6213 signs. H226
18 And Moses H4872 went H3212 and returned H7725 to Jethro H3500 his father in law, H2859 and said H559 unto him, Let me go, H3212 I pray thee, and return H7725 unto my brethren H251 which are in Egypt, H4714 and see H7200 whether they be yet H5750 alive. H2416 And Jethro H3503 said H559 to Moses, H4872 Go H3212 in peace. H7965
19 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses H4872 in Midian, H4080 Go, H3212 return H7725 into Egypt: H4714 for all the men H582 are dead H4191 which sought H1245 thy life. H5315
20 And Moses H4872 took H3947 his wife H802 and his sons, H1121 and set H7392 them upon an ass, H2543 and he returned H7725 to the land H776 of Egypt: H4714 and Moses H4872 took H3947 the rod H4294 of God H430 in his hand. H3027
21 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 When thou goest H3212 to return H7725 into Egypt, H4714 see H7200 that thou do H6213 all those wonders H4159 before H6440 Pharaoh, H6547 which I have put H7760 in thine hand: H3027 but I will harden H2388 his heart, H3820 that he shall not let the people H5971 go. H7971
22 And thou shalt say H559 unto Pharaoh, H6547 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Israel H3478 is my son, H1121 even my firstborn: H1060
23 And I say H559 unto thee, Let my son H1121 go, H7971 that he may serve H5647 me: and if thou refuse H3985 to let him go, H7971 behold, I will slay H2026 thy son, H1121 even thy firstborn. H1060
24 And it came to pass by the way H1870 in the inn, H4411 that the LORD H3068 met H6298 him, and sought H1245 to kill H4191 him.
25 Then Zipporah H6855 took H3947 a sharp stone, H6864 and cut off H3772 the foreskin H6190 of her son, H1121 and cast H5060 it at his feet, H7272 and said, H559 Surely a bloody H1818 husband H2860 art thou to me.
26 So he let him go: H7503 then she said, H559 A bloody H1818 husband H2860 thou art, because of the circumcision. H4139
27 And the LORD H3068 said H559 to Aaron, H175 Go H3212 into the wilderness H4057 to meet H7125 Moses. H4872 And he went, H3212 and met H6298 him in the mount H2022 of God, H430 and kissed H5401 him.
28 And Moses H4872 told H5046 Aaron H175 all the words H1697 of the LORD H3068 who had sent H7971 him, and all the signs H226 which he had commanded H6680 him.
29 And Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 went H3212 and gathered together H622 all the elders H2205 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478
30 And Aaron H175 spake H1696 all the words H1697 which the LORD H3068 had spoken H1696 unto Moses, H4872 and did H6213 the signs H226 in the sight H5869 of the people. H5971
31 And the people H5971 believed: H539 and when they heard H8085 that the LORD H3068 had visited H6485 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and that he had looked H7200 upon their affliction, H6040 then they bowed their heads H6915 and worshipped. H7812
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 4
Commentary on Exodus 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Ex 4:1-31. Miraculous Change of the Rod, &c.
1. But, behold—Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe me."—What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself treated as an impostor.
2. the Lord said, … What is that in thine hand?—The question was put not to elicit information which God required, but to draw the particular attention of Moses.
A rod—probably the shepherd's crook—among the Arabs, a long staff, with a curved head, varying from three to six feet in length.
6. Put now thine hand into thy bosom—the open part of his outer robe, worn about the girdle.
9. take of the water of the river—Nile. Those miracles, two of which were wrought then, and the third to be performed on his arrival in Goshen, were at first designed to encourage him as satisfactory proofs of his divine mission, and to be repeated for the special confirmation of his embassy before the Israelites.
10-13. I am not eloquent—It is supposed that Moses labored under a natural defect of utterance or had a difficulty in the free and fluent expression of his ideas in the Egyptian language, which he had long disused. This new objection was also overruled, but still Moses, who foresaw the manifold difficulties of the undertaking, was anxious to be freed from the responsibility.
14. the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses—The Divine Being is not subject to ebullitions of passion; but His displeasure was manifested by transferring the honor of the priesthood, which would otherwise have been bestowed on Moses, to Aaron, who was from this time destined to be the head of the house of Levi (1Ch 23:13). Marvellous had been His condescension and patience in dealing with Moses; and now every remaining scruple was removed by the unexpected and welcome intelligence that his brother Aaron was to be his colleague. God knew from the beginning what Moses would do, but He reserves this motive to the last as the strongest to rouse his languid heart, and Moses now fully and cordially complied with the call. If we are surprised at his backwardness amidst all the signs and promises that were given him, we must admire his candor and honesty in recording it.
18. Moses … returned to Jethro—Being in his service, it was right to obtain his consent, but Moses evinced piety, humility, and prudence, in not divulging the special object of his journey.
19. all the men are dead which sought thy life—The death of the Egyptian monarch took place in the four hundred and twenty-ninth year of the Hebrew sojourn in that land, and that event, according to the law of Egypt, took off his proscription of Moses, if it had been publicly issued.
20. Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass—Septuagint, "asses." Those animals are not now used in the desert of Sinai except by the Arabs for short distances.
returned—entered on his journey towards Egypt.
he took the rod of God—so called from its being appropriated to His service, and because whatever miracles it might be employed in performing would be wrought not by its inherent properties, but by a divine power following on its use. (Compare Ac 3:12).
24. inn—Hebrew, "a halting place for the night."
the Lord met him, and sought to kill him—that is, he was either overwhelmed with mental distress or overtaken by a sudden and dangerous malady. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that, led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife, postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably the younger. To dishonor that sign and seal of the covenant was criminal in any Hebrew, peculiarly so in one destined to be the leader and deliverer of the Hebrews; and he seems to have felt his sickness as a merited chastisement for his sinful omission. Concerned for her husband's safety, Zipporah overcomes her maternal feelings of aversion to the painful rite, performs herself, by means of one of the sharp flints with which that part of the desert abounds, an operation which her husband, on whom the duty devolved, was unable to do, and having brought the bloody evidence, exclaimed in the painful excitement of her feelings that from love to him she had risked the life of her child [Calvin, Bullinger, Rosenmuller].
26. So he let him go—Moses recovered; but the remembrance of this critical period in his life would stimulate the Hebrew legislator to enforce a faithful attention to the rite of circumcision when it was established as a divine ordinance in Israel, and made their peculiar distinction as a people.
27. Aaron met him in the mount of God, and kissed him—After a separation of forty years, their meeting would be mutually happy. Similar are the salutations of Arab friends when they meet in the desert still; conspicuous is the kiss on each side of the head.
29-31. Moses and Aaron went—towards Egypt, Zipporah and her sons having been sent back. (Compare Ex 18:2).
gathered … all the elders—Aaron was spokesman, and Moses performed the appointed miracles—through which "the people" (that is, the elders) believed (1Ki 17:24; Jos 3:2) and received the joyful tidings of the errand on which Moses had come with devout thanksgiving. Formerly they had slighted the message and rejected the messenger. Formerly Moses had gone in his own strength; now he goes leaning on God, and strong only through faith in Him who had sent him. Israel also had been taught a useful lesson, and it was good for both that they had been afflicted.