Albert Barnes Commentary Exodus 4
Albert Barnes Commentary
Exodus 4
Albert Barnes Commentary
Exodus 4
"And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee." — Exodus 4:1 (ASV)
With this chapter begins the series of miracles which resulted in the deliverance of Israel. The first miracle was performed to remove the first obstacle, namely, the reluctance of Moses, conscious of his own weakness, and of the enormous power with which he would have to contend.
"And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod." — Exodus 4:2 (ASV)
A rod - The word seems to denote the long staff which on Egyptian monuments is carried by men in positions of authority. It was usually made of acacia wood.
"And he said, Cast in on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it." — Exodus 4:3 (ASV)
A 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!
"And Jehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as [white as] snow." — Exodus 4:6 (ASV)
Leprous: The instantaneous production and cure of the most malignant and subtle disease known to the Israelites was a sign of their danger if they resisted the command, and of their deliverance if they obeyed it. The infliction and cure were always regarded as special proofs of a divine intervention.
"And Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." — Exodus 4:10 (ASV)
Eloquent - See the margin. The double expression slow of speech (Ezekiel 3:5, margin) and of a slow tongue seems to imply a difficulty both in finding words and in giving them utterance, a very natural result of so long a period of a shepherd’s life, passed in a foreign land.
Since thou hast spoken - This expression seems to imply that some short time had intervened between this address and the first communication of the divine purpose to Moses.
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