Exodus 4:1-9

Back to Exodus 4

1 Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘YHWH has not appeared to you.’” 2 YHWH said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3 He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. 4 YHWH said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand. 5 “This is so that they may believe that YHWH, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 YHWH said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. 7 He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh. 8 “It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.” Exodus 4:1-9WEB

Classification

The Command

This passage contains a series of positive commands, with immediate relevance, directed toward Moses:

• "Cast it on the ground"
• "Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail"
• "Put now thy hand into thy bosom"
• "Put thy hand into thy bosom again"
• If they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign."
• "If they will not believe even these two signs, neither harken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land..."

Categories

These commands are part of the Principles and Definitions. They are relevant to an understanding of the Creator-Creation Distinction, as God explains, the miracles were to demonstrate the divine origin of Moses's mission in Egypt.

Fulfillment

These commands were fulfilled by Moses in Egypt, and Israel all knew that they were delivered by God with a mighty hand.