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Exodus 4

Exodus book home•Chapter 4 of 40•31 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Exodus 4 Overview

Exodus 4 continues Moses’ call by answering his fear that Israel will not believe him. God gives three confirming signs: the rod becoming a serpent, the leprous hand restored, and water from the river becoming blood. Moses then objects that he is not eloquent, but God reminds him that the Creator of the mouth can be with his mouth. When Moses still asks for someone else, God appoints Aaron as spokesman while Moses carries God’s words and signs. The return journey begins, including the difficult circumcision episode involving Zipporah, and the chapter ends with Moses and Aaron speaking to Israel, who believe and worship when they hear that the LORD has visited them.

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Before you read Exodus 4

Coming from

Exodus 3 ends with God commissioning Moses and explaining how the confrontation with Pharaoh will unfold.

In this chapter

God answers Moses’ objections, provides Aaron, and moves the mission from Horeb toward Egypt.

Leads into

Exodus 5 records Moses and Aaron’s first confrontation with Pharaoh and the immediate worsening of Israel’s labor conditions.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God supplies sufficient confirmation for the mission he commands.

Truth 2

Moses’ weakness in speech does not limit the Creator who made the human mouth.

Truth 3

Aaron is a gracious provision for Moses’ fear, but Moses remains the one to whom God gives the message and signs.

Truth 4

The circumcision crisis shows that covenant obedience matters even for the household of the man commissioned to lead Israel.

Truth 5

Israel initially believes Moses and worships because the LORD has seen their affliction.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Genesis 17 establishes circumcision as the covenant sign and explains the seriousness behind the episode on the journey.

Connection 2

Acts 7 and Hebrews 11 provide later inspired reflections on Moses’ life and mission.

Connection 3

1 Corinthians 1–2 echoes the broader biblical principle that God’s power is not dependent on polished human eloquence.

Connection 4

Luke 12:11–12 and other passages likewise show God providing words to servants facing hostile authorities, though the settings differ.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The circumcision episode in verses 24–26 is terse and difficult. The text clearly connects the danger with circumcision, but readers should avoid pretending every unstated detail is certain.

Keep this clear 2

God’s anger at Moses does not cancel the calling; it exposes the seriousness of persistent reluctance.

Keep this clear 3

Aaron’s role as spokesman does not mean Moses ceases to be God’s commissioned leader.

Keep this clear 4

Signs authenticate the message in this setting; Scripture does not teach that every believer should expect to reproduce Moses’ signs.

Read Exodus 4 watching for…

The three signs and what each demonstrates.

Moses’ repeated objections.

God’s answer: “Who hath made man’s mouth?”

Aaron’s relationship to Moses’ mission.

The abrupt circumcision episode and the chapter’s final movement into belief and worship.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-9God gives Moses signs 10-17Moses objects and Aaron is appointed to help 18-23Moses returns toward Egypt 24-26The LORD meets Moses on the journey 27-31Aaron meets Moses and Israel believes

And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

And it shall come to pass, 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.

And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.

And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

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Exodus 4:3

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