Exodus 3:19-20 - Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Bible Study & Commentary

Verses 19-20

"And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand, And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof and after that he will let you go."

In this passage, God briefed Moses regarding the ultimate success of the whole mission. Such knowledge was necessary for Moses who would, therefore, as a result, know EXACTLY what would happen at each step of the long and difficult confrontation with Pharaoh. God left no doubt whatever about the final outcome. "After that he will let you go." Indeed, he did!

This verse is actually a partial explanation of God's promise in Exodus 3:12 that he would "be with" Moses. It appeared here that he would perform mighty wonders against the whole land of Egypt, but he did not elaborate concerning what type of wonders would be done. That remained obscure for the moment.

"No, not by a mighty hand ..." As it stands, the meaning of this is not exactly clear. The Septuagint (LXX), slightly changing the text, renders it thus: "Unless I lay My hand heavily upon him." Dummelow also said that it could possibly mean, "In spite of the fact that I will lay My hand heavily upon him."[30]

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

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James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

James Burton Coffman was a prolific author, preacher, teacher and leader among churches of Christ in the 20th century.He was born May 24, 1905, in Taylor County to pioneer West Texans "so far out in the country it took two days to go to town and back." He became a Christian in 1923. In Texas, Coffman graduated from Abilene High School and enrolled in Abilene Christian College (now University), graduating in 1927 with a B.A. in history and music.After earning his degree, Coffman served as a high school principal for two years in Callahan County, then taught history and English at Abilene High School.In 1930, he was offered a position as associate minister and song leader in Wichita Falls, the beginning of his career as a minister. Then, he married Thelma "Sissy" Bradford in 1931. Coffman preached for congregations in Texas; Oklahoma; Washington, D.C.; and New York City. In his lifetime, Coffman received 3 honorary doctorates.While in Washington, he was offered the opportunity to serve as guest chaplain for the U.S. Armed Forces in Japan and Korea and served 90 days, holding Gospel meetings throughout both countries.Coffman conducted hundreds of gospel meetings throughout the U.S. and, at one count, baptized more than 3,000 souls.Retiring in 1971, he returned to Houston. One of his most notable accomplishments was writing a 37-volume commentary of the entire Bible, verse by verse, which was finished in 1992. This commentary is being sold all over the world. Many people consider the Coffman series to be one of the finest modern, conservative commentary sets written.Coffman's conservative interpretations affirm the inerrancy of the Bible and clearly point readers toward Scripture as the final basis for Christian belief and practice. This series was written with the thorough care of a research scholar, yet it is easy to read. The series includes every book of the Old and New Testaments.After being married to Sissy for 64 years, she passed away. Coffman then married June Bristow Coffman. James Burton Coffman died on Friday, June 30, 2006, at the age of 101.... Show more

One of the leading authorities in the Church of Christ, Dr. Coffman presents a verse by verse look at God's Word.... Show more

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