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Exodus Chapter
Four
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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
Exodus 4:1
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
Exodus 4:10 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
Exodus 4:18 at
which time he received some fresh instructions from the Lord what he should do
before Pharaoh
and what he should say unto him
Exodus 4:21 then
follows an account of what befell him by the way
because of the circumcision
of his son
Exodus 4:24 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
Exodus 4:27.
Exodus 4:1 Then Moses
answered and said
“But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice;
suppose they say
‘The Lord
has not appeared to you.’”
YLT 1And Moses answereth and saith
`And
if they
do not give credence to me
nor hearken to my voice
and say
Jehovah hath not
appeared unto thee?'
And Moses
answered and said
.... In reference to what Jehovah had declared to him in the
latter end of the preceding chapter:
but
behold
they will not believe me
nor hearken to my voice; this seems to
contradict what God had said to him
Exodus 3:18 that
they would hearken to his voice; but it can hardly be thought
that so good a
man
and so great a prophet as Moses was
would directly fly in the face of
God
and expressly contradict what he had said. To reconcile this it may be
observed
that what the Lord says respects only the elders of Israel
this all
the people; or Jehovah's meaning may be
and so this of Moses
that neither the
one nor the other would regard his bare word
without some sign or miracle
being wrought; for as his call was extraordinary
so it required something
extraordinary to be done that it might be credited:
for they will
say
the Lord hath not appeared unto me: in the bush
as he would
affirm he did
and might do it with the greatest assurance; yet the thing being
so marvellous
and they not eyewitnesses of it
might distrust the truth of it
or be backward to receive it on his bare word; and this Moses might rather fear
would be the case
from the experience he had had of them forty years ago
when
it was more likely for him to have been a deliverer of them.
Exodus 4:2 2 So
the Lord
said to him
“What is that in your hand?” He said
“A rod.”
YLT 2And Jehovah saith unto him
`What [is] this
in thy hand?' and he saith
`A rod;'
And the Lord
said unto him
.... Not reproving him for contradicting him
or showing any
diffidence of what he had said; but rather as approving the hint he gave of
having some sign or miracle wrought
to command from the Israelites an assent
unto him
as commissioned of God to deliver them:
what is
that in thine hand? which question is put
not as being ignorant of what it was
but
to lead on to what he had further to say
and to the working of the miracle:
and he said
a
rod; or staff
such as shepherds use in the management of their
flocks
for Moses was now feeding the flock of his father-in-law; but Aben Ezra
seems rather to think it was a walking staff
such as ancient men lean upon
since Moses did not go to Pharaoh after the manner of a shepherd; yea
it may
be added
he went with the authority of a prince or ruler of Israel
and even
with the authority of the ambassador of the King of kings.
Exodus 4:3 3 And
He said
“Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground
and it became a
serpent; and Moses fled from it.
YLT 3and He saith
`Cast it to the earth;' and he
casteth it to the earth
and it becometh a serpent -- and Moses fleeth from its
presence.
And he said
cast it on the ground
.... That is
the rod or staff:
and he cast it
on the ground
and it became a serpent; not in appearance only
but in reality
it was changed into a real living serpent; for God
who is the
author of nature
can change the nature of things as he pleases; nor is it to
be supposed that he would only make it look to the sight as if it was one
by
working upon the fancy and imagination to think it was one
when it was not; no
doubt but it was as really turned into a true serpent
as the water was turned
really and truly into wine by our Lord; this was the first miracle that ever
was wrought
that we know of. Dr. LightfootF8Works
vol. 1. p. 702.
observes
that as a serpent was the fittest emblem of the devil
Genesis 3:1 so was
it a sign that Moses did not these miracles by the power of the devil
but had
a power over and beyond him
when he could thus deal with the serpent at his
pleasure
as to make his rod a serpent
and the serpent a rod
as he saw good:
and Moses fled
from before it; the Jews sayF9Pirke Eliezer
c. 40. it was a fiery
serpent
but for this they have no warrant: however
without supposing that it
might be terrible and frightful
inasmuch as a common serpent is very
disagreeable to men
and such an uncommon and extraordinary one must be very
surprising
to see a staff become a serpent
a living one
crawling and leaping
about
and perhaps turning itself towards Moses
whose staff it had been. Philo
the JewF11De Vita Mosls
l. 1. 614. says
it was a dragon
an
exceeding large one.
Exodus 4:4 4 Then
the Lord
said to Moses
“Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he
reached out his hand and caught it
and it became a rod in his hand)
YLT 4And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Put forth thy
hand
and lay hold on the tail of it;' and he putteth forth his hand
and
layeth hold on it
and it becometh a rod in his hand –
And the Lord
said to Moses
put forth thy hand
and take it by the tail
.... Which to
do might seem most dangerous
since it might turn upon him and bite him; this
was ordered
partly that Moses might be assured it was really a serpent
and
not in appearance only; and partly to try his courage
and it suggested to him
that he need not be afraid of it
it would not hurt him: the above learned doctor
observesF12De Vita Mosis
l. 1. 614.
that he is commanded to take
it by the tail; for to meddle with the serpent's head belonged not to Moses
but to Christ that spake to him out of the bush:
and he put
forth his hand
and caught it
and it became a rod in his hand; as it was
before. Some think this refers to the threefold state of the Israelites
first
to their flourishing estate under Joseph
when they were as a rod or staff
then to their dejected state
by this rod cast to the ground
and become a
serpent
and lastly to their restoration and liberty
by its becoming a rod
again: others refer it to Christ
who is the power of God
and the rod of his
strength
and who in his state of humiliation was like this rod
cast to the
ground and became a serpent
of which the brazen serpent was a type
and who by
his resurrection from the dead regained his former power; but perhaps they may
be most right who think it refers to the service and ministry of Moses
which
seemed terrible to him at first
like a hurtful serpent
from which he fled;
but after he was confirmed by the word of God
he readily undertook it.
Exodus 4:5 5 “that
they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers
the
God of Abraham
the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob
has appeared to you.”
YLT 5`-- so that they believe that Jehovah
God of
their fathers
hath appeared unto thee
God of Abraham
God of Isaac
and God
of Jacob.'
That they may believe
.... The
elders and people of Israel; for this miracle was wrought not for the
confirmation of Moses's faith; for
as Aben Ezra observes
the sign of the
burning bush was given to him to confirm his faith
that it was God that
appeared to him
and called him to this work; but this was wrought to confirm
the faith of the Israelites in his divine mission:
that the Lord
God of their fathers
the God of Abraham
the God of Isaac
and the God of
Jacob
hath appeared unto thee; See Gill on Exodus 3:6.
Exodus 4:6 6 Furthermore
the Lord
said to him
“Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his
bosom
and when he took it out
behold
his hand was leprous
like snow.
YLT 6And Jehovah saith to him again
`Put in
I
pray thee
thy hand into thy bosom;' and he putteth in his hand into his bosom
and he bringeth it out
and lo
his hand [is] leprous as snow;
And the Lord
said furthermore unto him
.... 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 Leviticus 13:3. It
is highly probable that this gave rise to the story told by several Heathen
writers
as ManethoF13Apud Joseph. contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 26.
LysimachusF14Apud. ib. c. 34.
TrogusF15Justin e Trogo
l. 36. c. 2.
and TacitusF16Hist. l. 5. c. 3.
that Moses and the
Israelites were drove out of Egypt by the advice of an oracle
because they had
the leprosy
itch
and other impure diseases upon them.
Exodus 4:7 7 And
He said
“Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom
again
and drew it out of his bosom
and behold
it was restored like his other
flesh.
YLT 7and He saith
`Put back thy hand unto thy
bosom;' and he putteth back his hand unto his bosom
and he bringeth it out
from his bosom
and lo
it hath turned back as his flesh –
And he said
put thine hand into thy bosom again
.... With the leprosy on
it:
and he put his
hand into his bosom again
and plucked it out of his bosom; quickly after
he had put it in:
and
behold
it
was turned again as his other flesh; it was cured of the
leprosy
and recovered its colour
and was as sound as before
and as any other
part of his body. This was a very astonishing miracle
that he should be at
once smote with a leprosy; that this should be only in his hand
and not in any
other part of his body; and that it should be cured immediately
without the
use of any means; and by this miracle Moses
and the Israelites
might be
instructed and confirmed in the power of God
that he that could so suddenly
inflict such a disease
and so easily cure it
was able to deliver them out of
captivity
which was as death; and that however until Moses might be in himself
to be a deliverer of the people
signified by his weak and leprous hand
yet
being quickened and strengthened by the Lord
would be able to answer to the
character; though
after all
the deliverance must be imputed not to his hand
and power
but to the mighty hand and power of God.
Exodus 4:8 8 “Then
it will be
if they do not believe you
nor heed the message of the first sign
that they may believe the message of the latter sign.
YLT 8`-- and it hath come to pass
if they do not
give credence to thee
and hearken not to the voice of the first sign
that
they have given credence to the voice of the latter sign.
And it shall
come to pass
if they will not believe thee
.... Will not give credit
to the commission he had from God
but question the truth of it:
neither hearken
to the voice of the first sign; which miracle wrought
spoke plain enough
that he that wrought it
or for whose sake it was wrought
must be one come
from God
or such a miracle would never be wrought by him or for him; but
should any of the Israelites be still incredulous
it is supposed:
that they will
believe the voice of the latter sign; which had a voice in it
commanding belief that he was a messenger of God; the first sign respects his
rod
the other his hand.
Exodus 4:9 9 And
it shall be
if they do not believe even these two signs
or listen to your
voice
that you shall take water from the river[a] and pour it
on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become
blood on the dry land.”
YLT 9`And it hath come to pass
if they do not
give credence even to these two signs
nor hearken to thy voice
that thou hast
taken of the waters of the River
and hast poured on the dry land
and the
waters which thou takest from the River have been
yea
they have become --
blood on the dry land.'
And it shall
come to pass
if they will not believe also these two signs
.... Performed
before their eyes; for these were done over again when Moses came into Egypt to
the Israelites
and yet some of them might still remain unbelievers to his
commission
and so to the voice of these signs
which loudly called for their
faith:
neither hearken
unto thy voice; affirming he came from God
and was sent to be the deliverer of
them:
that thou shalt
take of the water of the river; of the river Nile
when he should come into
Egypt; wherefore JosephusF17Antiqu. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 3. is
mistaken when he intimates that this was done at the same time with the other
signs; and was water he took near at hand and poured on the ground: but PhiloF18De
Vita Mosis
l. 1. p. 614. truly refers this to Egypt
where it was done
as it
ought to be:
and pour it
upon the dry land
and the water which thou takest out of the river shall
become blood upon the dry land; by which it would appear how easily the
Lord could destroy the land of Egypt
and make it a barren land
whose
fertility was owing to the overflow of the river Nile as a means; and this
would be a specimen also of what he would do hereafter
in turning the waters
of the river into blood
thereby avenging the blood of innocent babes drowned
there by the Egyptians.
Exodus 4:10 10 Then
Moses said to the Lord
“O my Lord
I am not eloquent
neither before nor since You have spoken
to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
YLT 10And Moses saith unto Jehovah
`O
my Lord
I
[am] not a man of words
either yesterday
or before
or since Thy speaking
unto Thy servant
for I [am] slow of mouth
and slow of tongue.'
And Moses said
unto the Lord
.... Notwithstanding the above miracles
he seems unwilling to go
on the Lord's errand to Pharaoh and to the Israelites
and therefore invents a
new objection after all his other objections had been sufficiently answered:
I am not
eloquent; or "a man of words"F19איש
דברים "vir verborum"
Paguinus
Montanus
Piscator
Ainsworth.
that has words at command
that can speak well readily
and gracefully; such an one
he intimates
was proper to be sent to a king's
court
that was an orator
that could make fine speeches
and handsome
addresses
for which he was not qualified:
neither
heretofore
nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant; neither in
his younger years had he ever been an eloquent man
nor was there any
alteration in him in that respect
since God had given him this call:
but I am
slow of speech
and of a slow tongue; had some impediment in
his speech
could not freely and easily bring out his words
or rightly
pronounce them; so LucianF20In Philopatride. the Heathen calls Moses
slow tongued
or one slow of speech
and uses the same word the Septuagint does
here
which version perhaps he had seen
and from thence took it.
Exodus 4:11 11 So the Lord said to him
“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute
the deaf
the seeing
or the
blind? Have not I
the Lord?
YLT 11And Jehovah saith unto him
`Who appointed a
mouth for man? or who appointeth the dumb
or deaf
or open
or blind? is it
not I
Jehovah?
And the Lord
said unto him
who hath made man's mouth?.... Made that itself
and put in it the power and faculty of speech
even into the mouth of the first
man
Adam
as the Targum of Jonathan; and so of every other man
did not the
Lord do it? none else could
and therefore he that made it
and made it capable
of speaking
could remove any impediments in it
and cause it to speak freely
and fluently:
or who maketh
the dumb
or deaf
or the seeing
or the blind? have not I
the Lord? as all the
senses
and the perfection of them
are from him
so all the imperfections in
them are according to his good pleasure; what he suffers to be
and can remedy
when he thinks fit: it is he that gives the seeing eye and hearing ear
can and
does make blind and deaf
that gives also the speaking mouth
and makes that
dumb
and can open it again as he pleases! and what is it that he cannot do?
Exodus 4:12 12 Now
therefore
go
and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
YLT 12and now
go
and I -- I am with thy mouth
and have directed thee that which thou speakest;'
Now therefore
go
and I will be with thy mouth
.... And put words into
it
and cause it to speak readily and powerfully; and so it appears that he was
mighty in words
as well as in deeds
Acts 7:22
and teach thee
what thou shalt say; to Pharaoh
to the Israelites
and to Aaron
that was to speak
for him
as is hereafter observed.
Exodus 4:13 13 But
he said
“O my Lord
please send by the hand of whomever else You may
send.”
YLT 13and he saith
`O
my Lord
send
I pray thee
by the hand Thou dost send.'
And he said
O
my Lord
.... Acknowledging his dominion
his sovereignty
his power to do
the above things: or "on me
O Lord"F21בי
אדני "in me"
Oleaster.
be the blame for
making such objections; or on me let this work be devolved
since it is thy
pleasure:
send
I pray
thee
by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. Many of the
ancient Christian fathers understand it of the Messiah that was to be sent
and
as if Moses thought this was a fit time for the sending of him: and so Cocceius
is of opinion
that nothing better can be understood
than that Moses desired
that God would rather send him
whom Israel expected to be sent
even the Angel
that should go before them; of whose mission see Exodus 23:20
but
no particular person is intended
unless himself; and the common interpretation
is
that God would send a more fit and proper person than he was; and that he
would rather send anyone but him
and entreats to be excused; but I see not why
this may not be understood of Moses assenting to his mission
and acquiescing
in the will of God; as if he should say
since it must be so
the will of the
Lord be done
let him send by whom he will
and since it is his pleasure to
send by me
I submit; what may seem to contradict this is
the Lord's anger and
resentment expressed in the following words; but that might be notwithstanding
since Moses had been so backward and reluctant
and made so many objections
before he consented.
Exodus 4:14 14 So
the anger of the Lord
was kindled against Moses
and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother?
I know that he can speak well. And look
he is also coming out to meet you.
When he sees you
he will be glad in his heart.
YLT 14And the anger of Jehovah burneth against
Moses
and He saith
`Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he
speaketh well
and also
lo
he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen
thee
then he hath rejoiced in his heart
And the anger
of the Lord was kindled against Moses
.... For the objections
excuses
and delays he made with respect to his mission. In what way this anger
was expressed is not easy to say
whether by not removing the impediment of his
speech
or not giving him the priesthood
which Jarchi thinks he otherwise
would have had
and Aaron been only a Levite
as he is called in the next
clause; or whether it was by joining Aaron to him
and so lessening his honour
in this embassy
though that seems to be done to encourage him; or by not
suffering him to lead the children of Israel into the land of Canaan
which yet
is ascribed to another cause. However
though the Lord was angry with Moses
yet without any change of affection to him
he still retained and expressed a
great regard to him; did not reject him from his service as he might have done
but employed him
and preferred him to his elder brother. Moses shows himself
to be a faithful historian in recording his own weaknesses
and the displeasure
of God at them:
and he said
is
not Aaron the Levite thy brother; he was
and his elder
brother
he was born three years before him
Exodus 7:7 though
JustinF23E Trogo
l. 36. c. 2.
an Heathen writer
says he was his
son
and calls his name Aruas
and speaks of him as an Egyptian priest
and
that he was made king after Moses's death; hence
he says
was the custom with
the Jews for the same persons to be kings and priests; in all which he is
mistaken. But ArtapanusF24Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 27.
p. 433
434.
another Heathen writer
calls him the brother of Moses
and by
his right name
Aaron; and says it was by his advice Moses fled into Arabia
and speaks of his meeting him afterwards
when he was sent to the king of
Egypt. Aaron is called the Levite
because he was a descendant of Levi
and yet
so was Moses; perhaps this is added here
to distinguish him from others of the
same name in other families
as Aben Ezra thinks; for as for what Jarchi
suggests
as before
is without any foundation; and it is much more likely that
Moses added this title to him
in his account of this affair
because he was
the first of the tribe of Levi that was employed in the priestly office:
I know that he
can speak well; or "in speaking speak"F25דבר ידבר "loquendo
loquetur"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Drusius.
speak very freely
fluently
in an eloquent manner; in which he was an eminent type of Christ
who
is our advocate with the father
and has the tongue of the learned to speak a
word in season; and does speak and plead for the conversion of his people
for
the comfort of them
for the discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy to them;
and for the carrying on the work of grace in them
and their perseverance to
the end
and for their eternal glorification. The prayer in John 17:1 is a
specimen of this:
and also
behold
he cometh forth to meet thee; having had an intimation
from God of Moses's call to come into Egypt
and deliver his people from their
bondage
he immediately set out to meet him
whereby he showed more faith
zeal
and courage
than Moses did; and this is said to animate him
and was a
new sign
and would be a fresh confirmation of his faith
when he should see it
accomplished
as he did:
and when he
seeth thee
he will be glad in his heart: sincerely glad
and not
only secretly so
but would express his cordial joy with his lips; not only
because of his having a sight of his brother once more
whom he had not seen
for forty years past
but because of his coming on such an errand from God
to
deliver the people of Israel; and therefore
as he would express such gladness
on this occasion
it became Moses to engage in this work with the utmost
pleasure and cheerfulness.
Exodus 4:15 15 Now
you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your
mouth and with his mouth
and I will teach you what you shall do.
YLT 15and thou hast spoken unto him
and hast set
the words in his mouth
and I -- I am with thy mouth
and with his mouth
and
have directed you that which ye do;
And thou shalt
speak unto him
and put words in his mouth
.... Or
"things"F26את הדברים.
the matter and substance of what he should say
who being a man of words
an eloquent man
and a good spokesman
would put them
into proper language
and express them fluently:
and I will be
with thy mouth
and with his mouth
and will teach you what ye shall do; or speak what
Moses should say to Aaron
and what Aaron should say to Pharaoh
and to the
people of Israel; so that as Aaron was under Moses
and at his direction
they
were both dependent on the Lord
and under his direction; and the one
as well
as the other
needed his assistance
even Aaron that could speak well. Moses
furnished him with matter
he put it into words
and both were instructed and
influenced by the Lord what they should say and do.
Exodus 4:16 16 So
he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth
for you
and you shall be to him as God.
YLT 16and he
he hath spoken for thee unto the
people
and it hath come to pass
he -- he is to thee for a mouth
and thou --
thou art to him for God;
And he shall be
thy spokesman unto the people
.... And open to them Moses's commission
from God
and the end of his mission into Egypt
and to them
and declare what
signs had been
and would be done
in confirmation of it:
and he shall
be
even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth; or an
interpreter
as all the Targums explain it
and so Jarchi; as he was an orator
and master of language
he should speak to the people for Moses
and explain
his sense and meaning
and put it into plain
proper
easy language
to be
understood by the people; and this may be done where a different language is
not spoken
but the same in plainer words
in more pertinent expressions
and
better pronounced
and this is repeated for the certainty of it:
and thou shall
be to him instead of God; Aaron was to stand between Moses and the people
and speak for
him; and Moses was to stand between God and Aaron
and in God's stead
and tell
him what orders he had received from him
and which he should communicate; and
so some Jewish writersF1Targum Jon. Jerus. & Abendana in loc.
interpret it of his being to him instead of a master or teacher
one that
received doctrine from the Lord
and instructed him in it
and taught him the
mind and will of God: or
as Onkelos paraphrases it; "for a prince"
and so Jarchi
a civil magistrate
one that had the power of life and death;
the administration of civil affairs belonged to Moses
and Aaron
though the
elder brother
was subject to him; and in this sense Moses was a god to him;
and so in after times
the judges of Israel
they that sat in Moses's chair
were called gods
Psalm 82:1.
Exodus 4:17 17 And
you shall take this rod in your hand
with which you shall do the signs.”
YLT 17and this rod thou dost take in thy hand
with
which thou doest the signs.'
And thou shall
take this rod in thine hand
.... Which he then had in his hand
and was
no other than his shepherd's staff:
wherewith thou
shall do signs: wondrous things
meaning the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt.
Exodus 4:18 18 So
Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law
and said to him
“Please
let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt
and see whether
they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses
“Go in peace.”
YLT 18And Moses goeth and turneth back unto Jethro
his father-in-law
and saith to him
`Let me go
I pray thee
and I turn back
unto my brethren who [are] in Egypt
and I see whether they are yet alive.' And
Jethro saith to Moses
`Go in peace.'
And Moses went
and returned to Jethro his father in law
.... With his flock of
sheep he kept
Exodus 3:1
and
said unto him:
let me go
I
pray thee
and return to my brethren which are in Egypt; the
Israelites
who were so by nation and religion; as Jethro had been kind and
beneficent to him
he did not choose to leave him without his knowledge and consent
and especially to take away his wife and children without it:
and see whether
they be yet alive; it seems by this that Moses had heard nothing of them during the
forty years he lived in Midian
which may be thought strange
since it was not
very far from Egypt; and besides the Midianites traded in Egypt
as we learn
from Genesis 37:28 but
this must be ascribed to the providence of God
that so ordered it
that there
should be no intercourse between him and his brethren
that so no step might be
taken by them for their deliverance until the set time was come. Moses did not
acquaint his father-in-law with the principal reason of his request
nor of his
chief end in going into Egypt
which it might not be proper to acquaint him
with
he being of another nation
though a good man; and lest he should use any
arguments to dissuade Moses from going
who now having got clear of his
diffidence and distrust
was determined upon it: though some ascribe this to
his modesty in not telling Jethro of the glorious and wonderful appearance of
God to him
and of the honour he had conferred on him to be the deliverer and
governor of the people of Israel:
and Jethro said
to Moses
go in peace; he judged his request reasonable
and gave his full consent to
it
and wished him health and prosperity in his journey.
Exodus 4:19 19 Now
the Lord
said to Moses in Midian
“Go
return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your
life are dead.”
YLT 19And Jehovah saith unto Moses in Midian
`Go
turn back to Egypt
for all the men have died who seek thy life;'
And the Lord
said unto Moses in Midian
.... After he had obtained leave of his
father-in-law to quit Midian
but before he left it:
go
return into
Egypt: that is
directly
immediately; before he had only given him a
commission at large to go thither
but had not fixed the time when he should
go; but now he orders him to set forward at once:
for all the men
are dead which sought thy life; to take it away
the king of Egypt
and his
ministers
and the friends of the Egyptian Moses had slain; and this is said to
encourage him to go; and though Moses had never expressed his fear on this
account
or made it an objection
yet it might lie secretly in his heart
and
be one reason of his backwardness to go into Egypt
and which was now removed.
Exodus 4:20 20 Then
Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey
and he returned to
the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
YLT 20and Moses taketh his wife
and his sons
and causeth
them to ride on the ass
and turneth back to the land of Egypt
and Moses
taketh the rod of God in his hand.
And Moses took
his wife
and his sons
.... Gershom and Eliezer; by which it appears that he intended to
stay in Egypt
and that he believed that God would work deliverance by him:
and set them
upon an ass: which though with us a mean creature
yet in those times and
countries were rode upon by great personages; and these
as Aben Ezra says
were reckoned in Egypt more honourable than mules. It may be the singular is
put for the plural
and that each of them was set upon an ass
with servants to
take care of them:
and he returned
to the land of Egypt; that is
he set forward to go thither; for before he got
thither
various things are related which befell him:
and Moses took
the rod of God in his hand: his shepherd's staff
so called
because
God ordered him to take it; and besides
he had wrought signs and wonders by it
already
and would do many more.
Exodus 4:21 21 And the Lord said to Moses
“When you go back to Egypt
see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh
which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart
so that he will not
let the people go.
YLT 21And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`In thy going
to turn back to Egypt
see -- all the wonders which I have put in thy hand --
that thou hast done them before Pharaoh
and I -- I strengthen his heart
and
he doth not send the people away;
And the Lord
said unto Moses
.... At the same time he appeared to him in Midian
and ordered
him to go into Egypt
even before his departure thither:
when thou goest
to return into Egypt; and when got thither; for before the thing directed to in the
next clause could not be done:
see that thou
do all these wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand; not the three
signs or wonders
related in the preceding part of the chapter
for they were
to be done not before Pharaoh
but before the children of Israel; but these are
the wonders he was to do in the sight of Pharaoh
by inflicting the various
plagues on him and his people
for refusing to let Israel go
and which God had
put in the power of Moses to perform
and that by means of the rod in his hand
he ordered him to take with him
Exodus 4:17
but I will
harden his heart
that he shall not let the people go; that is
not
directly
not for some time
not until all the wonders are wrought
and plagues
inflicted to bring him to it: he first hardening his own heart against God
and
all remonstrances made unto him
it was but a righteous thing in God to give
him up to the hardness of his heart
to deny him his grace
which only could
soften it
and to leave him to the corruptions of his nature
and the
temptations of Satan; and by leaving him to strong delusions
to believe the
lying miracles of his magicians: this the Lord thought fit to acquaint Moses
with
lest he should be discouraged by his refusal to dismiss Israel.
Exodus 4:22 22 Then
you shall say to Pharaoh
‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My
son
My firstborn.
YLT 22and thou hast said unto Pharaoh
Thus said
Jehovah
My son
My first-born [is] Israel
And thou shall
say unto Pharaoh
.... When arrived in Egypt
and in his presence:
thus saith the
Lord; he was to declare to him that he came in his name
and by his
orders
and
as an ambassador of his
required the dismission of the children
of Israel out of Egypt:
Israel is
my son
even my firstborn; as dear to him as a
man's firstborn is
or as his only son: adoption is one of the privileges
peculiar to Israel after the flesh
even national adoption
with all the
external privileges appertaining to it
Romans 9:4.
Exodus 4:23 23 So
I say to you
let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him
go
indeed I will kill your son
your firstborn.”’”
YLT 23and I say unto thee
Send away My son
and he
doth serve Me; and -- thou dost refuse to send him away -- lo
I am slaying thy
son
thy first-born.'
And I say unto
thee
let my son go
that he may serve me
.... Worship God
according to his will in the place he had designed for him
and where he might
be safe and free; and which service was due from him as a son
and to be
performed not in a servile way
but in a filial manner
and therefore as a
servant he could demand his dismission
and much more as his son; and this is
required in an authoritative way
for saying is here commanding
insisting on
it as a point of right to be done:
and if thou
refuse to let him go
behold
I will slay thy son
even thy firstborn; meaning
not
only in a strict and literal sense Pharaoh's firstborn son
and heir to his crown
but the firstborn of all his subjects
which in a civil sense were his. This
was not to be said to Pharaoh at the first opening of his commission to him
but after all methods had been tried
and the several other plagues designed
were inflicted on him to no purpose
he was to be told this
which was the last
plague
and succeeded; but this is told to Moses before hand
that when other
messages he should be sent with to him
and all that should be done by him
would prove ineffectual
this
when sent with and performed
would have the
desired effect.
Exodus 4:24 24 And
it came to pass on the way
at the encampment
that the Lord met him and
sought to kill him.
YLT 24And it cometh to pass in the way
in a
lodging place
that Jehovah meeteth him
and seeketh to put him to death;
And it came to
pass by the way
in the inn
.... As Moses and his family were travelling
in their way to Egypt
at an inn where they stopped for the refreshment of
themselves and cattle
or in order to lodge all night: so it was
that the Lord
met him
and sought to kill him; not the uncircumcised son of Moses
as some
think
but Moses himself
who had neglected the circumcision of his son; that
from the context
and the fact of Zipporah
after related
seems to be the
reason of the divine displeasure
and not his bringing his family with him
supposed to be an hinderance of him in his work
nor of his staying too long at
the inn
and not hastening his journey
which are the reasons given by some:
and Moses's neglect of circumcision was not owing to the disuse of it among the
Midianites
who being the descendants of Abraham
it is highly probable they
retained this rite
and that it was used in Jethro's family
since Zipporah
well understood the nature of it
and how to perform it; and it looks as if her
eldest son had been circumcised before
seeing only one was now circumcised by
her; but the Midianites perhaps followed the same practice as the Ishmaelites
did
who were their neighbours
and the descendants of Abraham also
who
deferred it till their children were thirteen years of age; or if this child
was a very young one
it might have been put off
because of the journey they
were just about to take
and purposing to do it when come into Egypt; but this
was resented by the Lord in Moses
who had such knowledge of the law of God;
and this displeasure of Jehovah might be signified either by inflicting some
disease upon him
as Aben Ezra and Kimchi think
which threatened him with
death
or by appearing in a terrible manner
as the angel of the Lord did to
Balaam
with a drawn sword in his hand.
Exodus 4:25 25 Then
Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it
at Moses’[b] feet
and
said
“Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”
YLT 25and Zipporah taketh a flint
and cutteth off
the foreskin of her son
and causeth [it] to touch his feet
and saith
`Surely
a bridegroom of blood [art] thou to me;'
Then Zipporah
took a sharp stone
and cut off the foreskin of her son
....
Perceiving that it was the neglect of circumcising her son was the cause of the
divine displeasure against her husband; and he being either so ill through the
disease upon him
or so terrified with the appearance of the Lord to him
in
the manner it was
that he could not perform this rite himself
she undertook
it; and
according to the Jewish canonsF2Maimon. Hilchot Milah
c.
2. sect. 1. Shulchan Aruch
par. 2. Yore Dea
Hilchot Milah
c. 264. sect. 1.
a woman may circumcise; and having with her no instrument more proper to do it
with
took a sharp stone
very probably a flint
of which there was great
plenty in Arabia Petraea
where she was
and did it; and so the Jewish writers
sayF3Maimon. ib. Shulchan ib. sect. 2.
they circumcise with a
flint stone
with glass
or anything that will cut; and such like actions have
been performed with sharp stones among the HeathensF4"Mollia
qui rupta secuit genitalia testa." Juvenal Satyr 6. "Devolvit ipse
acuto sibi pondera silice." Catullus. : and cast it at his feet; not at
the feet of the infant Eliezer
as R. Samuel in Aben Ezra; the blood of the
circumcision running down to his feet
as Lyra interprets it; and so touched
his feetF5ותגע לרגליו
"tetigitque pedes ejus"
V. L.
as some render the words; not cast
at the feet of the destroying angel
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
in order to pacify him; but at the feet of Moses
as the Jerusalem TalmudF6T.
Hieros. Nedarim
fol. 38. 2. ; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra:
and said
surely
a bloody husband art thou to me; those who think it was at the feet of the
child the foreskin was cast
take these words to be spoken of that
and observe
that it is usual for women
at the circumcision of a child
to call it a
bridegroom or husband
because it is then espoused unto
and reckoned among the
people of God; but this is not well supported; it is a custom of too late a
date to give any countenance to such a sense of the words
which seem plain
enough to be spoken to and of Moses; but not in an angry upbraiding way
as if
he was a bloody cruel man to oblige her to do such an action
but rather in a
congratulatory way
as being thankful and rejoicing
that by this means
through the blood of the circumcision
she had saved her husband's life; and as
it were in that way had bought him
and afresh espoused him to herself as her
husband; or otherwise it would have been all over with him
but now to her
great joy he was delivered from the threatened destruction
and restored to
her; and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase the next
verse
"then Zipporah gave praise
and said
how amiable is the blood of
circumcision
which hath delivered my husband from the hand of the destroying
angel.'
Exodus 4:26 26 So
He let him go. Then she said
“You are a husband of blood!”—because of
the circumcision.
YLT 26and He desisteth from him: then she said
`A
bridegroom of blood
' in reference to the circumcision.
So he let him
go
.... That is
the Lord let Moses go; suffered him to go on his
journey without any further interruption; as the Targums
"it"
the
angel
ceased from him
or left him; or the disease and trembling departed from
him
as Aben Ezra
and he was quite well and easy; though Grotius
after Lyra
understands it of Zipporah
she departed from him
that is
from Moses
and
returned to Midian again
as it seems she did; but this the grammatical
construction of the words will not bear
being masculine
though sometimes the
masculine is used of women
as in Exodus 1:21
then she said
a bloody husband thou art because of the circumcision; this is repeated
partly to give the reason of her calling him a bloody husband
because of the
circumcision
and partly because of her great joy on occasion of her husband's
restoration to her by this means.
Exodus 4:27 27 And
the Lord
said to Aaron
“Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him
on the mountain of God
and kissed him.
YLT 27And Jehovah saith unto Aaron
`Go to meet
Moses into the wilderness;' and he goeth
and meeteth him in the mount of God
and kisseth him
And the Lord
said unto Aaron
.... He appeared to him in a dream or vision
and to this
reference is had in 1 Samuel 2:27.
go into the
wilderness to meet Moses; in the wilderness of Arabia
through which Moses was to pass
into Egypt
and who was now set out on his journey thitherward:
and he went; immediately
being obedient to the heavenly vision: and met him in the mount of God; in
Horeb
where the Lord had appeared to Moses
and therefore called the mount of
God
and where afterwards the law was given
and the covenant made with the
people of Israel; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it
"in the
mount on which the glory of God was revealed:"
and kissed him: as relations
and intimate friends used to do at meeting or parting
to testify affection and
respect; and Aaron must on all accounts be glad to meet Moses
both as he was
his brother
whom he had not seen for many years
and as he was come to be a
deliverer of the people of Israel. And it is observed
that it was but two
days' journey from the land of Midian
where Jethro lived
from whence Moses
set out; and that a common traveller cannot conveniently make the journey from
Ramesses
or Grand Cairo (from whence it may be supposed Aaron set out)
to
Mount Horeb
in less than a fortnight
though he be carried on the back of a
camelF7Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible
p 221. ; and yet
Aaron reached this place by the time that Moses did
which shows that either he
delayed setting out on his journey
or was detained long at the inn on the
road
on account of what happened there.
Exodus 4:28 28 So
Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him
and all
the signs which He had commanded him.
YLT 28and Moses declareth to Aaron all the words of
Jehovah with which He hath sent him
and all the signs with which He hath
charged him.
And Moses told
Aaron all the words of the Lord
who had sent him
.... He
declared his mission and commission from God
and gave him the particulars of
what was to be said both to the people of Israel and to the king of Egypt; and
this he did
because Aaron was to be his spokesman unto them:
and all the
signs which he had commanded him; to do
first before the
children of Israel
and then before Pharaoh; before the one to obtain credit of
them
as being sent of God
and before the other to get leave of him for the
departure of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 4:29 29 Then
Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of
Israel.
YLT 29And Moses goeth -- Aaron also -- and they
gather all the elders of the sons of Israel
And Moses and
Aaron went
.... Set forward for Egypt: and being come thither:
gathered
together all the elders of the children of Israel; the heads of
tribes and families
as many as they could conveniently get together in one
place; probably in the metropolis of the kingdom
where Pharaoh's palace was
since we quickly hear of their going in to him.
Exodus 4:30 30 And
Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then
he did the signs in the sight of the people.
YLT 30and Aaron speaketh all the words which
Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses
and doth the signs before the eyes of the
people;
And Aaron spake
all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses
.... As Moses
had related to him
being his mouth and spokesman:
and did the
signs in the sight of the people; not Aaron
but Moses
and these were the turning of his rod into a serpent
and the serpent into a
rod again; putting his hand into and out of his bosom
when it was leprous
and
then doing the same when it was well again; and taking water out of the river
and changing it into blood
which he did for the confirmation of his mission.
Exodus 4:31 31 So the people believed;
and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children
of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction
then they bowed their
heads and worshiped.
YLT 31and the people believe when they hear that
Jehovah hath looked after the sons of Israel
and that He hath seen their
affliction; and they bow and do obeisance.
And the people
believed
.... That Moses was sent of God
and would be the deliverer of
them:
and when they
heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel; in a way of
grace and mercy
by raising such a redeemer and deliverer in the midst of them:
and that he had
looked upon their affliction; with an eye of pity and compassion:
then they bowed
their heads
and worshipped; adoring the goodness of God
and expressing
their thankfulness for the notice he took of them
and signifying their
readiness to obey all instructions and directions that should be given them.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 4:9 That
is
the Nile
b.
Exodus 4:25
Literally his