Exodus 4:23

Exodus 4:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

Context of Exodus 4:23

21Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt you must do the signs. Do all the signs that I gave you the power to do. Do them in front of Pharaoh. But I will make Pharaoh angry and cruel. Because of this, he will not let the people go. 22Then you must speak to Pharaoh. You must say, “The Lord says, Israel is my first son. I have already said to you, Let my son go so that he can worship me. But if you refuse to let him go, I will kill your first son.” ’ 24On the way to Egypt, there was a place where people could rest on their journey. The Lord met Moses there and he wanted to kill Moses. 25But Zipporah took a sharp stone and she cut off her son's foreskin with the stone. She touched Moses' feet with the foreskin. She said, ‘You are a husband of blood to me.’

Exodus 4:23 word by word

וָאֹמַ֣ר אֵלֶ֗יךָ שַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת־בְּנִי֙ וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִי וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלְּח֑וֹ הִנֵּה֙ אָנֹכִ֣י הֹרֵ֔ג אֶת־בִּנְךָ֖ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto thee, Let my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
• that he may serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• me: and if thou refuseמָאֵןmâ'ên · to refuseH3985
• behold, I will slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• thy firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060

Cross-references for Exodus 4:23

• Exodus 11:5I will cause all the firstborn sons in Egypt to die. The firstborn son of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, will die. The firstborn son of the female slave who makes flour, will die. Even the firstborn of the farm animals will die.
• Exodus 12:29At midnight, the Lord killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt. The firstborn son of Pharaoh, the king, died. But also, the firstborn son of any man who was in prison died. Every firstborn son in Egypt died. All the firstborn animals also died.
• Psalms 78:51He killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt. The strongest men of Ham's descendants died.
• Psalms 105:36Then the Lord killed all the firstborn sons in Egypt. He killed the oldest son in each family.
• Psalms 135:8God destroyed the firstborn sons in Egypt, both men and animals.

Commentaries on Exodus 4:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Let my son go, that he may serve me - Which they could not do in Goshen, consistently with the policy and religious worship of the Egyptians; because the most essential part of an Israelite's worship consisted in sacrifice, and the animals which they offered to God were sacred among the Egyptians. Moses gives Pharaoh this reason Exodus 8:26. I will slay thy son, even thy first-born - Which, on Pharaoh's utter refusal to let the people go, was accordingly…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 After God had appeared in the bush, he often spake to Moses. Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against the groans and cries of the oppressed Israelites; and now God, in the way of righteous judgment, hardens his heart against the teaching of the miracles, and the terror of the plagues. But whether Pharaoh will hear, or whether he will forbear, Moses must tell him, Thus saith the Lord. He must demand a discharge for Israel, Let my son go; not…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-23These verses summarize the upcoming chapters. They start with the request to let the people go to worship God and end with the final plague, the death of the firstborn (5:3; 11:4–6). God was preparing the rescuer for the challenging task ahead (see 11:9).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 4:23

• Adoption
• Moses

In the dictionaries

• Bosom
• Dead
• Leprous
• Slow
• Spokesman
• Egypt
• Exodus, the
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Leviticus

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