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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:18-23

Here, I. Moses obtains leave of his father-in-law to return into Egypt, Exod. 4:18. His father-in-law had been kind to him when he was a stranger, and therefore he would not be so uncivil as to leave his family, nor so unjust as to leave his service, without giving him notice. Note, The honour of being admitted into communion with God, and of being employed for him, does not exempt us from the duties of our relations and callings in this world. Moses said nothing to his father-in-law (for... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:24-31

Moses is here going to Egypt, and we are told, I. How God met him in anger, Exod. 4:24-26. This is a very difficult passage of story; much has been written, and excellently written, to make it intelligible; we will try to make it improving. Here is, 1. The sin of Moses, which was neglecting to circumcise his son. This was probably the effect of his being unequally yoked with a Midianite, who was too indulgent of her child, while Moses was too indulgent of her. Note, (1.) We have need to watch... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:20

And Moses took his wife, and his sons ,.... Gershom and Eliezer; by which it appears that he intended to stay in Egypt, and that he believed that God would work deliverance by him: and set them upon an ass : which though with us a mean creature, yet in those times and countries were rode upon by great personages; and these, as Aben Ezra says, were reckoned in Egypt more honourable than mules. It may be the singular is put for the plural, and that each of them was set upon an ass, with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:21

And the Lord said unto Moses ,.... At the same time he appeared to him in Midian, and ordered him to go into Egypt, even before his departure thither: when thou goest to return into Egypt ; and when got thither; for before the thing directed to in the next clause could not be done: see that thou do all these wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand ; not the three signs or wonders, related in the preceding part of the chapter, for they were to be done not before Pharaoh,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:22

And thou shall say unto Pharaoh ,.... When arrived in Egypt, and in his presence: thus saith the Lord ; he was to declare to him that he came in his name, and by his orders, and, as an ambassador of his, required the dismission of the children of Israel out of Egypt: Israel is my son, even my firstborn ; as dear to him as a man's firstborn is, or as his only son: adoption is one of the privileges peculiar to Israel after the flesh, even national adoption, with all the external... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:23

And I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me ,.... Worship God according to his will in the place he had designed for him, and where he might be safe and free; and which service was due from him as a son, and to be performed not in a servile way, but in a filial manner, and therefore as a servant he could demand his dismission, and much more as his son; and this is required in an authoritative way, for saying is here commanding, insisting on it as a point of right to be done: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:24

And it came to pass by the way, in the inn ,.... As Moses and his family were travelling in their way to Egypt, at an inn where they stopped for the refreshment of themselves and cattle, or in order to lodge all night: so it was, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him; not the uncircumcised son of Moses, as some think, but Moses himself, who had neglected the circumcision of his son; that from the context, and the fact of Zipporah, after related, seems to be the reason of the divine... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:20

His wife and his sons - Both Gershom and Eliezer, though the birth of the latter has not yet been mentioned in the Hebrew text. See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:22 . Set them upon an ass - The Septuagint reads the word in the plural, εκι τα ὑποζυγια , upon asses, as it certainly required more than one to carry Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer. The rod of God - The sign of sovereign power, by which he was to perform all his miracles; once the badge of his shepherd's office, and now... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:21

But I will harden his heart - The case of Pharaoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several strange and conflicting opinions. Would men but look at the whole account without the medium of their respective creeds, they would find little difficulty to apprehend the truth. If we take up the subject in a theological point of view, all sober Christians will allow the truth of this proposition of St. Augustine, when the subject in question is a person who has hardened his own... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:22

Israel is my son, even my firstborn - That is, The Hebrew people are unutterably dear to me. read more

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