Exodus 4:22-26

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 4:22

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:25

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son ,.... Perceiving that it was the neglect of circumcising her son was the cause of the divine displeasure against her husband; and he being either so ill through the disease upon him, or so terrified with the appearance of the Lord to him, in the manner it was, that he could not perform this rite himself, she undertook it; and, according to the Jewish canons F2 Maimon. Hilchot Milah, c. 2. sect. 1. Shulchan Aruch, par.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:26

So he let him go ,.... That is, the Lord let Moses go; suffered him to go on his journey without any further interruption; as the Targums, "it", the angel, ceased from him, or left him; or the disease and trembling departed from him, as Aben Ezra, and he was quite well and easy; though Grotius, after Lyra, understands it of Zipporah, she departed from him, that is, from Moses, and returned to Midian again, as it seems she did; but this the grammatical construction of the words will not bear,... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:23

Let my son go, that he may serve me - Which they could not do in Goshen, consistently with the policy and religious worship of the Egyptians; because the most essential part of an Israelite's worship consisted in sacrifice, and the animals which they offered to God were sacred among the Egyptians. Moses gives Pharaoh this reason Exodus 8:26 . I will slay thy son, even thy first-born - Which, on Pharaoh's utter refusal to let the people go, was accordingly done; see Exodus 12:29 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:24

By the way in the inn - See Clarke's note on Genesis 42:27 . The account in this and the following verse is very obscure. Some suppose that the Exodus 4:23 ; is not a part of the message to Pharaoh, but was spoken by the Lord to Moses; and that the whole may be thus paraphrased: "And I have said unto thee, (Moses), Send forth שלח shallach , my son, (Gershom, by circumcising him), that he may serve me, (which he cannot do till entered into the covenant by circumcision), but thou hast... read more

Group of Brands