Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 4:8
8“If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign.
Exodus 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign.
Context of Exodus 4:8
6In addition the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, resembling snow. 7“Put your hand back inside your cloak,” he said. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. 9And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.” 10But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent — either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant — because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.”
Read all of Exodus 4Exodus 4:8 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ אִם־לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לָ֔ךְ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּ לְקֹ֖ל הָאֹ֥ת הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it shall come to pass, if they will not believeאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
- thee, neither hearkenשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- to the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: [sound of]H6963
- of the firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- signאוֹת'ôth · sign: miraculousH226
- the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: messageH6963
- of the latterאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
Cross-references for Exodus 4:8
- Exodus 4:30Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people.
- Isaiah 28:10“Law after law, law after law, line after line, line after line, a little here, a little there.”
- John 12:37Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him.
- Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.
- 2 Kings 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize that he is only picking a fight with me.”
- Job 5:18For he wounds but he also bandages; he strikes, but his hands also heal.
Commentaries on Exodus 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8If they will not believe - the voice of the first sign, etc. - Probably intimating that some would be more difficult to be persuaded than others: some would yield to the evidence of the first miracle; others would hesitate till they had seen the second; and others would not believe till they had seen the water of the Nile turned into blood, when poured upon the dry land; Exodus 4:9.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9The third protest of Moses was that he did not have enough power. He felt unable to do what God asked him to do. God answered by showing his own great power. He performed signs immediately. He turned the staff of Moses into a snake. He also caused a serious skin disease to appear and then disappear at once.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 4:8
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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