Exodus 4

Moseh is encouraged by the changing of his staff into a Serpent, v.1. etc. and by the leprosie of his hand, 6. as also by the turning of the water into bloud, 9. Moseh pretends difficulty to go to Pharao, 10. provoking God to anger thereby, who appoints Aaron to be his spokesman, 14. Jethro gives leave to Moseh to return to Egypt, 18. The LORD tells Moseh, what is he to doe and speak to Pharao, 21. The LORD is ready to slay Moseh by the way, 24. Zippora circumciseth her son, 25. God sends Aaron to meet Moseh, 27. They both declare their charge unto the Israelites, 29. and are believed, 31.

1. Then Moseh answered, and said ; But, loe, They [viz. the Israelites,] will not believe me, nor hear my voice; for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

2. And the LORD said unto him, what is there in thy hand? And he said ; A staff [verse 20. it is called, the staff of God, because, that through Gods power, great things were done by the same.]

3. And he said ; thrw it on the ground : and he threw it on the ground ; then it became [Exod.7.15. It is said, it was changed into] a Serpent : [Exod.7.10. It is called a Dragon.] and Moseh fled from it [viz. for fear.]

4. Then said the LORD to Moseh, Stretch forth thy hand, and lay hand on her by her tail.Then he stretched forth his hand, and apprehended her, and she became a staff in his hand, [Heb. palm.]

5. That they may believe, that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee.

6. And the LORD said further to him, Now put thy hand into thy bosom : and he put his hand into his bosom. After that, he drew it forth, and behold , his hand was leprous, (as) white as snow.

7. And he said, Put thy hand again into thy bosom ; and he put his hand again into his bosom ; after that, he drew it forth out of his bosom, and behold, it was again as his (other) flesh.

8. And it shall come to passe, if they believe thee not, nor hearken to the voice of the first token, [i.e. to the word, confirmed by the first token.Here a voice is attributed to the token, ( as Gen.4.10. to the blood) God speaking as it were, and making his minde known unto men by such tokens.] they will believe the word of the last token.

9. And it wall come to passe, if likewise they believe not these two tokens, nor hearken to thy voice ; then take of the waters of the river, and pour them out on the dry (ground :) then shall the waters which thou shalt take forth out of the river, the same shall become blood upon the dry (ground.)

10. Then said Moseh to the LORD, Ah, [see of the Hebrew particle here used, Genesis 43:10.] Lord, I am no man of language, [Heb. no man of word, i.e.I am no well-spoken man ; I want utterance.] neither of yesterday, nor eve yesterday, nor since the time, thou hast spoken to thy servant : for I am heavie of mouth, and heavie of tongue. [Moseh despaired altogether of the amendment of his tongue, since he found no improvement thereof, whiles God was instructing him for his embassie. Psal.94.9.]

11. And the LORD said to him , Who hath made [Heb. set or put] the mouth to man? Or, who hath made th dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blinde? Am not I the same, the LORD?

12. And now go (thy way) and I shall be with thy mouth, and shall teach thee, what thou shalt speak, [viz. by my Spirit ; as Christ likewise promised the same to his Apostles, Mat.10.19,20. Mark 13:11. and Luke 12:11,12.]

13. Yet he said,Ah Lord! Send by the hand [i.e.service, as Exod.9.35. Psal.77.21. Hag.1.1. Mal.1. Acts 7:35.] ( of him whom) thou wilt send. [Heb. send ( I pray) by the hand thou shalt send : i.e. send such a one , whom thou knowest fitter to be sent, then I am, for such a message or employment.]

14. Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moseh ; and he said , Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know, that he shall speak very well. [Heb. that speaking he shall speak ; i.e. That he is well-spoken, that he can and will speak to good purpose.] and behold, likewise, he shall go forth to meet thee. [oth. he goeth forth] when he seeth thee, he shall rejoyce in his heart

15. Thou thn shalt speak unto him, and put the words [viz. those which I have, or yet shall speak unto thee] into his mouth : [i.e. Thou shalt clearly instruct, and strictly charge him, faithfully to declare my words, where it shall be requisite. See Isai.51.16. Deut.2.30.Jer.1.9. & 5.14.] and I shall be with thy mouth, and with his mouth : and I shall teach you what ye shall do.

16. And he shall speak for thee unto the people ; and it shall come to passe, that heshall be a mouth unto thee, [i.e. he shall be thy spokes-man or interpreter : otherw. In stead of the mouth] and thou shalt be a God to him. [i.e. thou shalt have the direction of all, and enjoyn, and command him in my Name, what he shall say : and he shall hear and obey thee, as my self. Comp. Bel. Chap.7.1.]

17. Take then his staff into thy hand, whereby thou shalt do those tokens. [Whereof mention will be made, Ch.7,8,9,10,11.]

18. Then Moseh went, and returned to Jethro to his father in law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray, that I may return to my brethren, that are in Egypt, and see, whether they are alive yet.Jethro said to Moseh, Go in peace.

19. Also the LORD said to Moseh [or, had said] in Midian, Go, return into Egypt : for all the men are dead, which sought thy soul. [i.e. thy life. See Genesis 19:17. that is, those which sought to put thee to death. See the like phrase, 1 Samuel 22:23. and 1 King. 19.14. Psal.54.5. Mat.2.20.]

20. So Moseh took his wife, and his sons, and carried them up an asse, and returned into the land of Egypt : and Moseh took the staff of God in to his hand. [The same staff namely , which God had bidden him to take along, v.17. And by the means whereof God would work tokens, Exod.17.9. This staff is likewise called, the staff of God, to shew, that the power of working miracles, was not in the staff, nor in Moseh, but onely in God.]

21. And the LORD said to Moseh, Because thou goest to return into Egypt, look to it, that thou do all the wonders before Pharao, which I have put into thy hand : [i.e. which I am resolved and about to perform, through thy service, and my power] yet I shall stupifie his heart , [oth. stiffen, harden it, and delivering him over to his own evil will and affections, to that of his own malice, and through the devils instigation, he shall take occasion and motives from these very wonders, to withstand my Commandments but so much the more.The like phrase see bel. Chap.10.1. and Deut.2.20. Josh.11.20.] that he shall not let the people go.

22. Then shalt thou say to Pharao, Thus saith the LORD, My Son, my first-born, is Israel : i.e the people or posterity of Israel ; who are called Gods first-born son, for being chosen the first, of grace,out of all nations, to be the people and children of God; and being acceptable therefore unto God, as the first-born are unto their parents.]

23. And I have said to thee, [oth. I tell thee] Let my son go, that he may serve me ; but thou hast refused to let him go : behold, I shall slay thy son, thy first-born.

24. And it came to passe upon the way, [viz. toward Egypt] in the inne, that the LORD came against him, and sought to slay him. [for having neglected the circumcising of his son. See Gen.17.14.]

25. Then Zippora took a stone- (knife) [oth. A sharp stone] and circumcised the fore-skin of her son ; and threw it before his feet, [oth . made it (the resected fore-skin namely) touch his (viz. Moseh his) feet. Others take it, as if Zippora had thrown her son before her husbands feet] and said, Verily, thou art a bloody husband to me. [Heb. a bridegroom of bloods, (sanguinum, in plural.) Understand these words, as if Zippora should have said to her husband, I was fain to ransom thy life with the blood of my son, whom now I circumcised : and thus thou art become, in a manner, a new bridegroom unto me.]

26. An he [viz.God, or, the Angel that was about to slay Moseh] ceased from him. Then said she, Blood-bridegroom, [Heb. a bridegroom of bloods] because of the circumcisions. [It seems she was not pleased with the circumcision of her sons.]

27. The LORD said likewise to Aaron, Go meet Moseh in the wildernesse. And he went and met him, at the mount of God, [called Horeb ab. Chap.3.1.] and he kissed him.

28. And Moseh made known unto Aaron, all the words of the LORD, that had sent him ; and all the tokens, which he had commanded him.

29. Then Moseh and Aaron went, and they gathered all the eldest of the children of Israel.

30. And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moseh : and he did the tokens before the eyes of the people.

31. And the people believed, and heard, that the LORD visited the children of Israel, and that he saw their oppresion, [viz. with compassion, as Exod.3.7.] and they enclined their heads, and worshipped.