Exodus 4:1-13 KJV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:1-9

I. Moses objects that in all probability the people would not hearken to his voice (Exod. 4:1), that is, they would not take his bare word, unless he showed them some sign, which he had not been yet instructed to do. This objection cannot be justified, because it contradicts what God had said (Exod. 3:18), They shall hearken to thy voice. If God says, They will, does it become Moses to say, They will not? Surely he means, ?Perhaps they will not at first, or some of them will not.? If there... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:10-17

Moses still continues backward to the service for which God had designed him, even to a fault; for now we can no longer impute it to his humility and modesty, but must own that here was too much of cowardice, slothfulness, and unbelief in it. Observe here, I. How Moses endeavours to excuse himself from the work. 1. He pleads that he was no good spokesman: O my Lord! I am not eloquent, Exod. 4:10. He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:1

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 great a prophet as Moses was, would directly fly in the face of God, and expressly contradict what he had said. To reconcile this it may be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:2

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 as being ignorant of what it was, but to lead on to what he had further to say, and to the working of the miracle: and he said, a rod ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:3

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 the sight as if it was one, by working upon the fancy and imagination to think it was one, when it was not; no doubt but it was as really... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:4

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 of it, it would not hurt him: the above learned doctor observes F12 De Vita Mosis, l. 1. 614. , that he is commanded to take it by the tail;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:5

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 Israelites in his divine mission: that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:6

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 and Jonathan, through the leprosy that was upon it; it was a leprosy of the white sort, and which is reckoned the worst and most... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:7

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 body. This was a very astonishing miracle, that he should be at once smote with a leprosy; that this should be only in his hand, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:8

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 never be wrought by him or for him; but should any of the Israelites be still incredulous, it is supposed: that they will believe the voice... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:1-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:10-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:8

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