John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Exodus Chapter 4
What is Exodus 4 about?
Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the Ten Commandments given at Sinai, and the construction of the Tabernacle. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.
Text — American Standard Version (1901)
American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee.
2And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.
3And he said, Cast in on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
4And Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail: (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand:)
5That they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6And Jehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as [white as] snow.
7And he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his [other] flesh.)
8And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
10And Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11And Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man`s mouth? Or who maketh [a man] dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, Jehovah?
12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak.
13And he said, Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
16And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.
17And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.
18And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19And Jehovah said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that sought thy life.
20And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21And Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born:
23and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.
24And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him.
25Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.
26So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood [art thou], because of the circumcision.
27And Jehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28And Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him.
29And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
30and Aaron spake all the words which Jehovah had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31And the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Related study paths
Sources and verification
- Scripture text: American Standard Version (1901), public domain.
- Commentary excerpts are attributed to their named historical source and are not presented as a BibleWord.ai doctrinal position.