Exodus 4 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Then Moses answered, and said, But lo, they will not beleeue me, nor hearken vnto my voyce: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared vnto thee.
1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’”
2 And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hande? And he answered, A rod.
2 Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 Then said he, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it on the grounde, and it was turned into a serpent: and Moses fled from it.
3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4 Againe the Lord saide vnto Moses, Put foorth thine hand, and take it by the tayle. Then he put foorth his hande and caught it, and it was turned into a rod in his hand.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5 Do this that they may beleeue, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Izhak, and the God of Iaakob hath appeared vnto thee.
5 “This is so that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 And the Lord saide furthermore vnto him, Thrust nowe thine hand into thy bosome. And he thrust his hand into his bosome, and when he tooke it out againe, behold, his hand was leprous as snowe.
6 Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 Moreouer he said, Put thine hand into thy bosome againe. So he put his hande into his bosome againe, and pluckt it out of his bosome, and behold, it was turned againe as his other flesh.
7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8 So shall it be, if they wil not beleeue thee, neither obey the voyce of ye first signe, yet shall they beleeue for the voyce of the seconde signe.
8 “It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 But if they will not yet beleeue these two signes, neither obey vnto thy voyce, then shalt thou take of the water of the riuer, and powre it vpon the drie lande: so the water which thou shalt take out of the riuer, shalbe turned to blood vpon the drie land.
9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 But Moses said vnto the Lord, Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither at any time haue bene, nor yet since thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant: but I am slowe of speach and slowe of tongue.
10 Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 Then the Lord said vnto him, Who hath giuen the mouth to man? or who hath made the domme, or the deafe, or him that seeth, or the blinde? haue not I the Lord?
11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?
12 Therefore goe nowe, and I will be with thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt say.
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13 But he saide, Oh my Lord, sende, I pray thee, by the hande of him, whome thou shouldest sende.
13 Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14 Then the Lord was verie angrie with Moses, and said, Doe not I know Aaron thy brother the Leuite, that he himselfe shall speake? for loe, he commeth also foorth to meete thee, and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 Therefore thou shalt speake vnto him, and put the wordes in his mouth, and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye ought to doe.
15 You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16 And he shall be thy spokesman vnto the people: and he shall be, euen he shall be as thy mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.
16 He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17 Moreouer thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do miracles.
17 You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
18 Therefore Moses went and returned to Iethro his father in lawe, and said vnto him, I pray thee, let me goe, and returne to my brethren, which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet aliue. Then Iethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
18 Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 (For the Lord had said vnto Moses in Midian, Goe, returne to Egypt: for they are all dead which went about to kill thee)
19 Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20 Then Moses tooke his wife, and his sonnes, and put them on an asse, and returned towarde the lande of Egypt, and Moses tooke the rod of God in his hand.
20 Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
21 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, When thou art entred and come into Egypt againe, see that thou doe all the wonders before Pharaoh, which I haue put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, and he shall not let the people goe.
21 Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22 Then thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my sonne, euen my first borne.
22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23 Wherefore I say to thee, Let my sonne go, that he may serue me: if thou refuse to let him goe, beholde, I will slay thy sonne, euen thy first borne.
23 and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 And as he was by the waye in the ynne, the Lord met him, and would haue killed him.
24 On the way at a lodging place, Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife, and cut away the foreskinne of her sonne, and cast it at his feete, and said, Thou art indeede a bloody husband vnto me.
25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26 So he departed from him. Then she saide, O bloodie husband (because of the circumcision)
26 So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 Then the Lord saide vnto Aaron, Goe meete Moses in the wildernesse. And he went and mette him in the Mount of God, and kissed him.
27 Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
28 Then Moses tolde Aaron all the wordes of the Lord, who had sent him, and all the signes wherewith he had charged him.
28 Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
29 So went Moses and Aaron, and gathered all the Elders of the children of Israel.
29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30 And Aaron told all the wordes, which the Lord had spoken vnto Moses, and he did the miracles in the sight of the people,
30 Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people beleeued, and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and had looked vpon their tribulation, they bowed downe, and worshipped.
31 The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Zipporah
The Midianite daughter of Jethro who became Moses' wife in the wilderness.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2:16-22; Exodus 4:24-26; Exodus 18
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Exodus 3:18; Exodus 4:31; Jeremiah 1:6; Exodus 2:14; Acts 7:25
- 2 Exodus 4:20; Exodus 4:17; Psalm 110:2; Isaiah 11:4; Genesis 30:37
- 3 Exodus 7:10–15; Amos 5:19; Exodus 4:17
- 4 Mark 16:18; Acts 28:3–6; Luke 10:19; Psalm 91:13; John 2:5
- 5 Exodus 19:9; Genesis 26:2; Exodus 3:15; Genesis 12:7; Genesis 48:3
- 6 2 Kings 5:27; Numbers 12:10
- 7 2 Kings 5:14; Deuteronomy 32:39; Matthew 8:3; Numbers 12:13–15
- 8 Isaiah 28:10; Deuteronomy 32:39; Exodus 4:30–31; 2 Kings 5:7; Job 5:18
- 9 Exodus 1:22; Exodus 7:19–25; Matthew 7:2
- 10 Jeremiah 1:6; Exodus 6:12; Acts 7:22; Exodus 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:6
- 11 Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 6:7; Amos 3:6; Psalm 94:9; Ezekiel 3:26–27
- 12 Jeremiah 1:9; Luke 12:11–12; Matthew 10:19–20; Luke 21:14–15; Mark 13:11
- 13 Jonah 1:3; Exodus 4:1; Ezekiel 3:14–15; Jonah 1:6; John 6:29
- 14 Mark 14:13–15; 1 Chronicles 21:7; Exodus 4:27; 2 Corinthians 7:6–7; Philippians 2:21
- 15 Isaiah 51:16; Deuteronomy 18:18; Numbers 23:16; Numbers 23:12; Luke 21:15
- 16 Exodus 7:1–2; Psalm 82:6; John 10:34–35; Exodus 18:19
- 17 Exodus 4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Exodus 7:9–20
- 18 Exodus 3:1; Luke 7:50; 1 Timothy 6:1; Acts 16:36; Genesis 45:3
- 19 Matthew 2:20; Exodus 2:23; Exodus 2:15
- 20 Exodus 17:9; Numbers 20:8–9; Exodus 4:2; Exodus 18:3–4; Numbers 20:11
- 21 Romans 9:18; Joshua 11:20; Isaiah 63:17; Exodus 14:8; Exodus 7:13
- 22 Hosea 11:1; Romans 9:4; Jeremiah 31:9; Hebrews 12:23; Deuteronomy 14:1
- 23 Exodus 12:29; Exodus 11:5; Psalm 135:8; Psalm 105:36; Exodus 5:1
- 24 Genesis 17:14; Numbers 22:22–23; 1 Chronicles 21:16; Leviticus 10:3; Exodus 3:18
- 25 Joshua 5:2–3; Genesis 17:14; 2 Samuel 16:7
- 27 Exodus 3:1; Acts 10:5–6; Ecclesiastes 4:9; Exodus 20:18; Acts 10:20
- 28 Exodus 4:15–16; Exodus 4:8–9; Matthew 21:29; Jonah 3:2
- 29 Exodus 3:16; Exodus 24:11; Exodus 24:1
- 30 Exodus 4:16
- 31 Exodus 3:18; Exodus 12:27; Exodus 2:25; Psalm 106:12–13; Exodus 3:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And nevertheless Moses feared and fled. What is it that Moses fled from that serpent?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Thus Moses also first is in fear of the serpent, and not merely in fear, but even with much distress: and then he sees that strange thing come to pass. So these too, having first looked to perish, were then saved, that having confessed the danger, they might learn the greatness of the miracle.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… have a thing which without doubt we can ascribe to them; the dyings of the beasts, the dyings of the first-born, and this especially whence all these things proceeded, namely, the hardening of heart, so that they would not let go the people of God. For when God is said to make this most iniquitous and malignant obstinacy, He maketh …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… in behalf of heartless and disobedient men; and by the very persons who were saved by them, they were brought into extreme danger; and each of them wishing to withdraw men from idolatry; and each being unlearned; for the one was of a "slow tongue," and dull of speech, and the other for his part also somewhat of the rudest …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)