Exodus 4

Exodus · Chapter 4

Exodus 4:8

1And 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.2And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.3And 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.4And 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:5That 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.6And 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.7And 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.8And 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.9And 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.10And 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.11And 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?12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.13And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.14And 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.15And 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.16And 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.17And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.18And 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.19And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.20And 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.21And 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.22And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:23And 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.24And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.25Then 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.26So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.27And 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.28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.29And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:30And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.31And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
8And 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 the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and it will beוְהָיָה֙ve-ha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

ifאִם־'im-H0518A
if

אִם (im) : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather

notלֹ֣אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they will believeיַאֲמִ֣ינוּya-'a-MI-nuH0539
be faithful

אָמַן (a.man) 1) to support, confirm, be faithful 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish 1a1a) foster-father (subst.) 1a1b) foster-mother, nurse 1a1c) pillars, supporters of the door 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm 1b1a) to be carried by a nurse 1b1b) made firm, sure, lasting 1b1c) confirmed, established, sure 1b1d) verified, confirmed 1b1e) reliable, faithful, trusty 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in 1c1a) stand firm 1c1b) trust, believe Aramaic equivalent: a.man (אֲמַן "to trust" H0540)

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they will listenיִשְׁמְע֔וּyish-me-'UH8085G
to hear: hear

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) : hear v 1) to hear, listen to, obey 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to hear (perceive by ear) 1a2) to hear of or concerning 1a3) to hear (have power to hear) 1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to 1a5) to understand (language) 1a6) to hear (of judicial cases) 1a7) to listen, give heed 1a7a) to consent, agree 1a7b) to grant request 1a8) to listen to, yield to 1a9) to obey, be obedient 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound) 1b2) to be heard of 1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed 1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound …

to [the] voice ofלְקֹ֖לle-KOLH6963KNo entry
the signהָאֹ֣תha-'OTH0226G
sign: miraculous

אוֹת (ot) : miraculous 1) sign, signal 1a) a distinguishing mark 1b) banner 1c) remembrance 1d) miraculous sign 1e) omen 1f) warning 2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof

the formerהָרִאשׁ֑וֹןha-ri-SHONH7223G
first

רִאשׁוֹן (ri.shon) : first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first

and they will believeוְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּve-he-'e-MI-nuH0539
be faithful

אָמַן (a.man) 1) to support, confirm, be faithful 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to support, confirm, be faithful, uphold, nourish 1a1a) foster-father (subst.) 1a1b) foster-mother, nurse 1a1c) pillars, supporters of the door 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be established, be faithful, be carried, make firm 1b1a) to be carried by a nurse 1b1b) made firm, sure, lasting 1b1c) confirmed, established, sure 1b1d) verified, confirmed 1b1e) reliable, faithful, trusty 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stand firm, to trust, to be certain, to believe in 1c1a) stand firm 1c1b) trust, believe Aramaic equivalent: a.man (אֲמַן "to trust" H0540)

to [the] voice ofלְקֹ֖לle-KOLH6963JNo entry
the signהָאֹ֥תha-'OTH0226G
sign: miraculous

אוֹת (ot) : miraculous 1) sign, signal 1a) a distinguishing mark 1b) banner 1c) remembrance 1d) miraculous sign 1e) omen 1f) warning 2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof

the latterהָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃ha-'a-cha-RONH0314
last

אַחֲרוֹן (a.cha.ron) 1) behind, following, subsequent, western 1a) behind, hindermost, western (of location) 1b) later, subsequent, latter, last (of time)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.