4:1 Moses See 2:10 and note.

they do not believe me God does not deny Moses’ concern; rather, He equips him with a means to answer the inevitable question.

Yahweh See note on Gen 4:1; Exod 3:14 and note.

did not appear to you On divine encounter as a proof of prophetic status, see note on 3:4.

4:2 A staff Moses’ staff is nothing out of the ordinary—his power comes from God. Moses will have to show the inferiority of the magic of the Egyptians and their gods to Yahweh’s power.

4:3 it became a snake The rod and serpent were two symbols well recognized in Egypt: the rod was a symbol of authority; the snake was the patron deity (goddess) of Lower Egypt (the Delta region).

4:5 the God of their ancestors See note on 3:6.

4:6 was afflicted with a skin disease The Hebrew word used here, tsara', describes various skin diseases. See note on Lev 14:3. The description of Moses’ hand in this verse lacks the major symptomatic signs of leprosy (what is known today as Hansen’s disease). The same can be said of the descriptions in Lev 13–14.

4:8 latter While Moses shows the Israelites both signs (Exod 4:30–31), he only shows the first to Pharaoh (but see v. 9). This is likely due to the symbolic meaning of the rod and serpent for an Egyptian.

4:9 the water that you take from the Nile will become blood While skipping the second sign, Moses performs this act of divine power for Pharaoh. This act will be the first of the 10 plagues (7:14–25).

4:10 a man of words Moses’ claim to be an inept speaker may have substance, since God does not rebut his argument. Later in this verse, Moses argues that he is “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue” (khevad-peh ukhevad lashon). Elsewhere, he claims to have “uncircumcised lips” (6:12, 30). The precise nature of his speech difficulty is unknown.

4:11 I, Yahweh God is ultimately responsible for Moses’ speech defects. His statement here refutes any notion that these defects are the result of sin or divine cruelty—rather, Moses’ defects are providential.

4:14 brother Aaron was three years older than Moses (7:7). This is the first mention of him in the ot.

the Levite The reason for specifying Aaron’s tribe is unclear; both he and Moses were Levites. Rather than be distinguishing Aaron as a Levite, the Hebrew phrasing could emphasize their relationship as fellow Levites. The designation here does not mean “priest,” as it does elsewhere; the priesthood is not established until after the exodus (ch. 28).

is coming out to meet you Although this announcement precedes the information of v. 27, it is unclear whether it came before v. 27 chronologically.

4:16 will be to him as a god God is not saying that Aaron will worship Moses. Rather, God will either tell Moses what to say and then Moses will tell Aaron (v. 15), or Aaron will consider all commands given by Moses as the word of God.

4:18 Jethro For more on Jethro, see note on 2:18.

my brothers Refers to his fellow Israelites; his kinsmen.

4:20 his wife and his sons Until now, only one son has been mentioned: Gershom (2:22).

he returned This seems to contradict 18:2–5, which describes Jethro accompanying Zipporah and her sons from Midian to Sinai to rejoin Moses after the exodus.

4:21 When you go to return Given the mention of going back to Egypt in the preceding verse, this statement appears to be out of order. However, biblical verses are not always arranged chronologically. The start of v. 21 can be translated alternatively: “And Yahweh had said to Moses ….”.

all of the wonders See vv. 1–9.

will harden his heart Refers to selfish stubbornness born of arrogance. People in the ancient Near East viewed the heart as the seat of emotions, the intellect, and the will. The hardness of Pharaoh’s heart is mentioned repeatedly in Exodus, with references divided between Pharaoh’s own disposition (7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 32; 9:7, 34, 35; 13:15) and God’s role in the hardening (7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17).

4:22 my son, my firstborn Here, a familial term expresses the relationship between Israel and God. Since God produced Israel miraculously through Abraham and Sarah, He is father to the nation (Gen 18; 21:1–5). Elsewhere, sonship language is used of divine beings, since God is their originator (e.g., Gen 6:1–4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7–8).

4:23 your son, your firstborn Alludes to the 10th plague God will bring against Egypt (Exod 11:5). The punishment illustrates “eye for eye” justice. In the account of the last plague—the death of the firstborn—God sends the Destroyer (mashchith) to Egypt to slay the firstborn of the Egyptians (12:23). Elsewhere, the identities of the Destroyer and Yahweh are blurred (11:4–5; 12:12–23a, 27, 29; Psa 78:51; 105:36).

Justice

4:24 sought to kill him See note on Exod 4:24–26. While Yahweh may have sought to kill Moses, the Hebrew text reads “him” and never names who the subject of this encounter was.

4:25 feet The Hebrew phrase used here, leraglav—which may be literally rendered “to his feet”—likely refers to Moses’ feet, since Zipporah addresses Moses when calling him a bridegroom of blood. Further ambiguity arises with the reference to “feet” since this Hebrew word is also a euphemism for the genitals.

a bridegroom of blood Perhaps a condemnation on Moses’ failure to fulfill this covenantal obligation on his own. See note on vv. 24–26.

4:27 to meet Moses See v. 14.

the mountain of God Mount Horeb or Sinai (see 3:1 and note; 3:2 and note).

kissed him The normal greeting for close relatives in the ancient Near East (see Gen 29:11, 13; 33:4; 45:15; Exod 14:31; 19:9; Psa 106:12).

4:29 the elders of Tribal leaders. See Exod 3:16 and note, 3:18.

4:30 signs See vv. 8–9.

4:31 misery See 3:7–9.