Exodus 4:20

Exodus 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
• New International Version (NIV)So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

Context of Exodus 4:20

18So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” Then Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey and headed back to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand. 21The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is my son, my firstborn,

Exodus 4:20 word by word

וַיִּקַּ֨ח מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֗יו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙ עַֽל־הַחֲמֹ֔ר וַיָּ֖שָׁב אַ֣רְצָה מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־מַטֵּ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• and his sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and setרָכַבrâkab · to rideH7392
• them upon an assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
• and he returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• to the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• the rodמַטֶּהmaţţeh maţţâh · tribe: rodH4294
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• in his handיָדyâd · handH3027

Cross-references for Exodus 4:20

• Exodus 4:2The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”
• Exodus 17:9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”
• Numbers 20:8“Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aaron your brother, and then speak to the rock before their eyes. It will pour forth its water, and you will bring water out of the rock for them, and so you will give the community and their beasts water to drink.”

Commentaries on Exodus 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20His wife and his sons - Both Gershom and Eliezer, though the birth of the latter has not yet been mentioned in the Hebrew text. See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:22. Set them upon an ass - The Septuagint reads the word in the plural, ̔, upon asses, as it certainly required more than one to carry Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer. The rod of God - The sign of sovereign power, by which he was to perform all his miracles; once the badge of his shepherd's office…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20An ass - Literally, “the ass,” which, according to Hebrew idiom, means that he set them upon asses. This is the first notice of other sons besides Gershom. The rod of God - The staff of Moses was consecrated by the miracle Exodus 4:2 and became “the rod of God.”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. 20he took the staff of God: Whatever he may have said to Jethro, Moses was going to Egypt in obedience to God and in the expectation of being used by God (see 4:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass--Septuagint, "asses." Those animals are not now used in the desert of Sinai except by the Arabs for short distances. returned--entered on his journey towards Egypt. he took the rod of God--so called from its being appropriated to His service, and because whatever miracles it might be employed in performing would be wrought not by its inherent properties, but by a divine power following on its…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 4:20

• Moses

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• God
• Moses
• Egypt, Egyptian
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ass
• Bosom
• Dead
• Leprous
• Slow

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