33 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
This chapter, I. Continues and concludes God's discourse with Moses at the bush concerning this great affair of bringing Israel out of Egypt. 1. Moses objects the people's unbelief (ver. 1), and God answers that objection by giving him a power to work miracles, (1.) To turn his rod into a serpent, and then into a rod again, ver. 2-5. (2.) To make...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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" (s), that has words at command, that can speak well...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, O my Lord,.... Acknowledging his dominion, his sovereignty, his power to do the above things: or "on me, O Lord" (u), 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth,.... Or "things" (z), 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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...