Exodus 4

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:13

Verse 13 13.Send, I pray thee, by the hand. Those who interpret this passage as alluding to Christ, (53) as though Moses said, that His power was needed to accomplish so mighty a task, introduce a forced and far-fetched sense, which is contradicted by the context, for God would not have been so aroused to anger by such a prayer. I see not why others should suppose it to be spoken of Aaron; (54) for there is no weight in their conjecture, that Moses preferred his brother to himself. The third... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

Verse 14 14.And the anger of the Lord was kindled. This passage confirms, by opposition, that expression, that there is no better sacrifice than to obey the voice of the Lord, (1 Samuel 15:22,) since God is so grievously offended with the hesitation of Moses, in spite of his specious excuses. But nothing is more pleasing to God than to maintain the authority of his word, and that men should suffer themselves to be guided by this rein. God had pardoned His servant’s slowness and unwillingness to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:16

Verse 16 16.And he shall be thy spokesman. God destroys the pretext for his exemption, by assigning to his brother the office of spokesman, and yet does He not put the other in his place; nay, so merciful is the arrangement, that while He yields to His servant’s prayer, He yet confers honor upon him in spite of himself. The offices are thus divided — Moses is to have the authority, Aaron is to be the interpreter. Thus Moses is set before his brother, from no respect to his own dignity; because... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:17

Verse 17 17.And thou shalt take this rod. There is no doubt that God chose this shepherd’s rod to be the instrument of his power, in order the more to confound the pride of Pharaoh. For what but shame and reproach could it bring to Moses, that he should bear with him the crook with which he had heretofore guided his sheep in their folds and hovels? This symbol, then, of a rustic and contemptible occupation, was opposed to the scepter of Pharaoh, not without humiliation. In this respect,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:18

Verse 18 18.And Moses went. It is surprising that Moses should have suppressed the vision whereby the mind of his father-in-law might have been most inclined to let him go; for he speaks merely of human feelings, that he desired to revisit his brethren and relations. Yet it must have been disagreeable to his father-in-law to lose his services, and that diligence and industry by which he had largely profited; nor could it have been pleasant to send away his daughter and grandchildren to a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:19

Verse 19 19.And the Lord said (56) unto Moses Some connect this sentence with what follows, as if God had spoken to his servant after permission to return had been given him by his father-in-law; but my opinion rather is, that what had before been omitted is here inserted out of its place. Such repetition is frequent in the Scriptures. (57) Moses, therefore, adds to what he had already said, that the fear of danger was removed, since God had testified that the recollection of his having slain... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:20

Verse 20 20.And Moses took his wife. By taking his wife and children with him, Moses clearly and freely professed, that he was returning to Egypt, to dwell there. The ass upon which he set them, is a plain proof how humble was his condition, and how slender his substance. For it is improbable that he left either money or silver vessels or precious garments with his father-in-law, so as to present himself to his people in poverty and nakedness. But as he had been content in the land of Midian... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:21

Verse 21 21.When thou goest to return. Moses had not previously enumerated the wonders; but from this verse we gather, that whatever we shall presently read to be done, was already commanded by God. There is then, no doubt, but that God had already advised him of his whole course of proceeding, lest he might yield to the obstinacy of the proud tyrant, and when two or three miracles had been wrought in vain, might cast away his rod, together with the charge committed to him. Now, therefore, God... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:22

Verse 22 22.Israel is my son, even my first-born. God thus refutes, by anticipation, the only pretext by which Pharaoh could justify his refusal to let the people go. For Jacob had spontaneously submitted himself and all his family to his government; he had then free power to retain the people, which, by the common law of nations, was subject to the dominion of Egypt. But if it be an act of impiety to violate the ordinance instituted by God, the demand of Moses might appear improper, that the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:23

Verse 23 23.And I say unto thee, Let my son go. This was not the beginning of the legation, but its final clause; for Moses warned the desperate man of his son’s death, when everything else had been tried in vain. The meaning is, then, that the obstinacy of the tyrant must not prevent Moses from pressing him even to this final act. Therefore this injunction was an exhortation to perseverance; as appears from the context, when God declares that he will punish the obstinacy of the tyrant, because... read more

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:13

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:16

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:17

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:20

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:21

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:22

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:23

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