Exodus 4:1
in Exodus 4Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
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This verse in Exodus 4
Commentary
2 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
This site's exposition
they will not believe me
on Exodus 4:1-2
Moses raises a fourth objection and it contradicts what he has just been told, since Exodus 3:18 promised that the elders shall hearken to thy voice. God answers with a question about a shepherd's stick rather than with an argument. The rod in his hand at this verse is the instrument the rest of the book runs on, at the court in 7:12, at the river in 7:20, at the sea in 14:16 and at the rock in 17:6.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
BUT, BEHOLD, THEY WILL NOT BELIEVE ME, NOR HEARKEN UNTO MY VOICE. “At that moment, Moses spoke improperly. The Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, And they shall hearken to thy voice, 246 Above,:18. and he said, But, behold, they will not believe me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֤עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| מֹשֶׁה֙ | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וַיֹּ֔אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| וְהֵן֙ | vehen | and here! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ | yaaminu | they will believe | H539 → | 106 times |
| לִ֔י | li | <to> <the> me | ||
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׁמְע֖וּ | yishmeu | they will listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| בְּקֹלִ֑י | bekoli | to voice my | H6963 → | 506 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יֹֽאמְר֔וּ | yomeru | they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נִרְאָ֥ה | nirah | he appeared | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֵלֶ֖יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיַּ֤עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
מֹשֶׁה֙Moses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וַיֹּ֔אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
וְהֵן֙and here!
vehenH2005 →316 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַאֲמִ֣ינוּthey will believe
yaaminuH539 →106 times
לִ֔י<to> <the> me
li
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׁמְע֖וּthey will listen
yishmeuH8085 →1159 times
בְּקֹלִ֑יto voice my
bekoliH6963 →506 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יֹֽאמְר֔וּthey will say
yomeruH559 →5305 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
נִרְאָ֥הhe appeared
nirahH7200 →1300 times
אֵלֶ֖יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 3:18The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with…
it leads to
- Exodus 9:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- Exodus 7:16
Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But you have not…
- Exodus 9:1
Through
Exodus 2:14But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done…
it leads to
- Luke 12:14
But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”
- Matthew 21:23
When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And…
- Luke 12:14
Through
Ezekiel 3:14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 3:15
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
- Jeremiah 20:7–9
You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.
- Ezekiel 37:1
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones.
- 2 Kings 3:15
Through
Exodus 4:31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
it leads to
- Exodus 3:18
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with…
- Exodus 3:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.