Exodus 4

1 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] answered, “What if they do not [will not, refuse to] believe me [have faith in me, trust me] or listen to [obey, heed] my voice [my words, my message]? For they may say, ‘The LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] has not [did not, has never] appeared [revealed Himself, been seen] to you [in a personal encounter].’” word study 2 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] asked him, “What [expressing surprise or inquiry] is that [this thing] in your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share]?” “A staff [a rod or walking stick],” he replied. word study 3 “Throw [cast, put down] it on the ground [land, earth],” said the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. So Moses [the Israelite leader] threw it on the ground, and it became a snake [serpent], and he ran [fled quickly, escaped] from it [before its presence, in fear]. word study 4 “Stretch out [reach forth, extend] your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] and grab [take hold, lay grasp] it by the tail [the end, stump],” the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said to Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet], who reached out his hand and caught [seized, grasped] the snake [serpent], and it turned back [was transformed, changed] into a staff [rod] in his hand. word study 5 “This is so that they may believe [be faithful, have trust] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of their fathers [ancestors, forefathers]—the God of Abraham [the father of many nations], the God of Isaac [he laughs], and the God of Jacob [he who supplants]—has appeared [been seen, revealed Himself] to you.” word study 6 Furthermore, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Put your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] inside your cloak [bosom, the chest area, a place of intimacy].” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous [afflicted with a skin disease, as white as], white as snow. word study 7 “Put your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] back inside your cloak [bosom, chest area],” said the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah]. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak [bosom, intimate relationship], and when he took it out, it was restored [to return, turned back], like the rest of his skin [flesh, body, or living being]. word study 8 And the LORD [the self-existent, eternal God] said, “If they refuse [will not or are unwilling] to believe [have faith, trust] you or heed [listen to, obey] the witness [testimony, evidence] of the first sign [miraculous wonder, beacon], they may believe [have faith, be convinced] that of the second. word study 9 But if they do not believe [have faith, trust] even these two signs [miraculous wonders, tokens of God’s power] or listen [obey, heed] to your voice [spoken words, command], take some water [liquid, source of refreshment] from the Nile [stream, river] and pour it on the dry ground [parched land, barren earth]. Then the water you take from the Nile will become [be transformed into] blood [the liquid that flows through the body] on the ground [dry land, solid earth].” word study 10 “Please [I beseech thee], Lord [Adonay, my Master],” Moses [the Israelite leader] replied, “I have never been eloquent [a man of words, not eloquent], neither in the past [yesterday, or before] nor since You have spoken to Your servant [Your bondslave], for I am slow [heavy, difficult] of speech [tongue, language] and tongue [the instrument of speaking].” word study 11 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to him, “Who [Moses, or any person] gave man [Adam, humanity] his mouth [the ability to speak, communicate]? Or who [the Creator, God] makes the mute [dumb, unable to speak] or the deaf [unable to hear, spiritually or physically], the sighted [clear-sighted, intelligent] or the blind [physically or spiritually unable to see]? Is it not I [the speaker, God Himself], the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]? word study 12 Now [at this time, therefore] go! I [the Lord] will help you as you speak [with your mouth, in your words], and I will teach [guide, instruct] you what to say [to speak, to declare].” word study 13 But Moses replied, “Please [Oh, I pray thee], Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence], send [dispatch, commission] someone else [by the hand of him whom thou wilt send, if you will, by anyone whom it seems good to you to send].” word study 14 Then the anger [intense wrath, burning fury] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] burned [was kindled, ignited] against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron [the first high priest] the Levite [a descendant of Levi] your brother [male sibling, close relative]? I know [am aware, have knowledge] that he can speak [communicate, express himself] well [eloquently, with persuasive words], and he is now [at this time, currently] on his way [coming forth, approaching] to meet [encounter, greet] you. When he sees [looks upon, beholds] you, he will be glad [rejoice, delighted] in his heart [inner being, emotions]. word study 15 You are to speak [and communicate effectively] to him and put the words [divine messages] in his mouth. I will help [assist and enable] both of you to speak, and I will teach [guide and instruct] you what to do [the actions to take, the path to follow]. word study 16 He [as your mouthpiece, spokesman] will speak [communicate, declare] to the people [the nation, congregation] for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were [like, in the role of] God [Elohim, the supreme Authority] to him. word study 17 But take [receive, get hold of] this staff [rod, walking stick] in your hand [power, direction, strength] so you can perform [do, make, accomplish] signs [miracles, wonders, tokens of divine power] with it [by means of it, through its power].” word study 18 Then Moses [the Israelite leader] went back to his father-in-law Jethro [a Midianite priest] and said to him, “Please [I pray thee] let me return [turn back] to my brothers [relatives, fellow Israelis] in Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] to see [look after, care for] if they are still [yet] alive [having physical or spiritual life].” “Go [walk, move forward] in peace [shalom, completeness and wellness],” Jethro replied. word study 19 Now the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had said to Moses [the Israelite leader] in Midian [a son of Abraham, his country, and descendants], “Go back [return, turn back] to Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], for all [everything] the men [male persons] who sought [searched for, tried to find] to kill you [take your life, destroy your soul] are dead [have died, perished].” word study 20 So Moses [the Israelite leader] took his wife [woman, female partner] and sons [descendants, children], put them on a donkey [male ass], and headed back [to return, turn back] to Egypt [the northeastern African country]. And he took the staff [rod] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being] in his hand [open hand]. word study 21 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] instructed Moses, “When you go back [to return, turn back] to Egypt, see that you perform [do, make] before Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] all the wonders [miracles, signs] that I have put [set, placed] within your power [hand, strength]. But I will harden [strengthen, make stubborn] his heart [inner being, will] so that he will not let [send away, release] the people [nation, community] go [depart, leave]. word study 22 Then tell Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, his descendants] is My firstborn [the first child or animal, often holding a special status] son [having a special relationship with God], word study 23 and I told you [commanded, instructed] to let My son [descendant, child] go so that he may worship [serve, honor] Me. But since you have refused [rejected, said no] to let him go, behold [look, see], I will kill [slay, destroy] your firstborn [eldest, premier] son [child, offspring]!’” word study 24 Now at a lodging place [inn, campsite] along the way [road, journey], the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] met Moses and was about to kill [put to death, destroy] him [as a punishment, in judgment]. word study 25 But Zipporah [the wife of Moses, daughter of Jethro] took a flint knife [a sharp stone, used for cutting], cut off her son’s [her child, a descendant] foreskin [the skin of the private parts, a sign of uncircumcision], and touched [reached out to, made contact with] it to Moses’ feet [the lower extremities]. “Surely you are a bridegroom [a son-in-law, a husband] of blood [the liquid that flows through the body] to me [as my partner, my relation],” she said. word study 26 So the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah] let him alone [released him, spared his life]. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood [a husband related by blood, a bloody spouse],” she was referring to the circumcision [the ritual of cutting, a sign of covenant].) word study 27 Meanwhile, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had said to Aaron [the brother of Moses and first high priest], “Go [to walk, to move from one place to another] and meet [to encounter, to come across] Moses in the wilderness [the desert, a place of testing and spiritual growth].” So he went and met Moses at the mountain [a hill] of God [Elohim, the one supreme God] and kissed [to touch, to show affection] him. word study 28 And Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] told Aaron everything [all the words, matters, and affairs] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had sent [dispatched, commanded to go] him to say, and all [everything, the entirety] the signs [miraculous wonders, beacons, or monuments] He had commanded [given orders, appointed, or ordained] him to perform [carry out, do, or accomplish]. word study 29 Then Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] and Aaron [the first high priest of the Israelites, brother of Moses] went [to walk, move from one place to another] and assembled [gathered together, to bring people or things together] all [everything, the whole] the elders [old, elderly, respected leaders] of the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, the symbolic name of Jacob], word study 30 and Aaron [the first high priest] relayed everything [all the words, the entire message] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had said [spoken, communicated] to Moses. And Moses performed [did, carried out] the signs [miraculous wonders, beacons] before [in the sight of, visible to] the people [the nation, the Israelites], word study 31 and they believed [had faith in them, were convinced]. And when they heard [listened and understood] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had attended to [visited, overseen] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, the nation of Israel] and had seen [looked upon, reckoned with] their affliction [misery, trouble, hardship], they bowed down [shriveled up, bent their bodies] and worshiped [showed reverence, bowed down in respect]. word study