EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Exodus 4:3
3The Lord said, ‘Throw it down on the ground.’ So Moses threw it on the ground. Then the stick became a snake! Moses ran away from the snake.
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 replied, ‘Perhaps the leaders of Israel will not believe me. Perhaps they will not listen to my message. Perhaps they will say, “The Lord did not really appear to you.” ’ 2Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘What is that thing in your hand?’ Moses answered, ‘It is a stick.’ The Lord said, ‘Throw it down on the ground.’ So Moses threw it on the ground. Then the stick became a snake! Moses ran away from the snake. 4Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take hold of the snake's tail with your hand.’ So Moses caught the snake with his hand. Then it became a stick in his hand again. 5God said, ‘Do this in front of them. Then they will believe you. They will believe that I, the Lord God, have appeared to you. I am the God that their ancestors worshipped. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’
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 4:17Take this stick with you and hold it in your hand. You will use it to do the miracles to show that I have sent you.’
- Exodus 7:10So Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh. They did everything that the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his stick in front of Pharaoh and his officers. And the stick became a snake!
- Amos 5:19Nobody will escape! It will be like a man who runs away from a lion, but then he meets a bear! When he goes into his house to be safe, he puts his hand on a 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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