English Standard Version
Exodus 4:8
8"If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter 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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign.
Context of Exodus 4:8
6Again, the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." 10But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
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 spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.
- Isaiah 28:10For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
- John 12:37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
- Deuteronomy 32:39"'See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
- 2 Kings 5:7And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me."
- Job 5:18For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries