Amplified Bible
Exodus 4:3
3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a [living] serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]; and Moses ran from it.
Exodus 4:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
Context of Exodus 4:3
1Then Moses answered [the Lord] and said, “What if they will not believe me or take seriously what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” 2And the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a [living] serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]; and Moses ran from it. 4But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and grasp it by the tail.” So he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5[“You shall do this,” said the Lord,] “so that the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has [most certainly] appeared to you.”
Read all of Exodus 4Exodus 4:3 word by word
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ אַ֔רְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ אַ֖רְצָה וַיְהִ֣י לְנָחָ֑שׁ וַיָּ֥נָס מֹשֶׁ֖ה מִפָּנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 4:3
- Exodus 4:17You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs [the miracles which prove I sent you].”
- Exodus 7:10So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and did just as the Lord had commanded; Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
- Amos 5:19It is as if a man runs from a lion [escaping one danger] And a bear meets him [so he dies anyway], Or goes home, and leans with his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.
Commentaries on Exodus 4:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A serpent - Of what sort we know not, as the word נחש nachash is a general name for serpents, and also means several other things, see Genesis 3:1; : but it was either of a kind that he had not seen before, or one that he knew to be dangerous; for it is said, he fled from before it. Some suppose the staff was changed into a crocodile; see Clarke on Exodus 7:10; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A serpent - This miracle had a meaning which Moses could not mistake. The serpent was probably the basilisk or Uraeus, the Cobra. This was the symbol of royal and divine power on the diadem of every Pharaoh. The conversion of the rod was not merely a portent, it was a sign, at once a pledge and representation of victory over the king and gods of Egypt!Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Across the ancient Near East, the snake was a symbol of both death and healing. The person who demonstrated power in these areas was powerful indeed.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311. But, behold--Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe me."--What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself treated as an impostor.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 4:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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