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Exodus 4:6

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 4:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And 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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And 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.
Exodus 4:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the Lord said furthermore unto him, etc.] Continued his discourse, and gave him another sign: put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom; within his coat, under that part of the garment next to his breast: and when he took it out, behold, his hand [was] leprous as snow; that is, white as snow, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, through the leprosy that was upon it; it was a leprosy of the white sort, and which is reckoned the worst and most difficult to be cured, (see <031303>Leviticus 13:3,4 <041210> Numbers 12:10). It is highly probable that this gave rise to the story told by several Heathen writers, as Manetho f133, Lysimachus f134, Trogus f135 , and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Put now thine hand into thy bosom--the open part of his outer robe, worn about the girdle.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Leprous - The instantaneous production and cure of the most malignant and subtle disease known to the Israelites was a sign of their danger if they resisted the command, and of their deliverance if they obeyed it. The infliction and cure were always regarded as special proofs of a divine intervention. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“His hand was leprous, as snow - For whiteness. This signified, That Moses, by the power of God, should bring sore diseases upon Egypt, that at his prayer they should be removed. And that whereas the Israelites in Egypt were become leprous, polluted by sin, and almost consumed by oppression, by being taken into the bosom of Moses they should be cleansed and cured. Exodus 4:8”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“4:6 severe skin disease: The Hebrew word underlying this phrase has traditionally been translated “leprosy.” However, the symptoms of this condition as described in the Bible are not those of the disease we know as leprosy (Hansen’s disease). The biblical term seems to describe several kinds of highly contagious inflammations and skin lesions.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“leprous as snow: Num 12:10; Kg2 5:27 Exodus 4:7”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 4 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification