Exodus 4:31
in Exodus 4and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
KJV
And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
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This verse in Exodus 4
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe people believed - They credited the account given of the Divine appointment of Moses and Aaron to be their deliverers out of their bondage, the miracles wrought on the occasion confirming the testimony delivered by Aaron. They bowed their heads and worshipped - See a similar act mentioned, and in the same words, Gen 24:26 (note). The bowing the head, etc., here, may probably refer to the eastern custom of bowing the head down to the knees, then kneeling down and touching the earth with the forehead.
This site's exposition
gathered together all the elders
on Exodus 4:29-31
The chapter closes on the answer to the objection it opened with, since Moses had said they will not believe me and the people believed. What moves them is the report that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and looked upon their affliction, which is the language of Genesis 50:24 where Joseph promised that God will surely visit you. They bow their heads and worship, the same act the people perform at Exodus 12:27 on the night the passover is commanded. The belief recorded here does not hold past chapter five, where these same people turn on Moses once Pharaoh doubles the work.
This site's exposition
they bowed down and worshiped
Moses feared in verse 1 that the people would refuse him; here they believe. When they hear that the LORD has seen their affliction, they bow down and worship, the fitting response to God's visitation. Adam Clarke describes the eastern posture behind the phrase, bowing the head low, kneeling and touching the earth with the forehead.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
18 ), knowing that no man could do those works that they did, unless God were with him. They gave glory to God: They bowed their heads and worshipped, therein expressing not only their humble thankfulness to God, who had raised them up and sent them a deliverer, but also their cheerful readiness to observe orders, and pursue the methods of their deliverance.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And the people believed,....
It was a very great honour that Moses was called to when God commissioned him to bring Israel out of Egypt; yet he is with difficulty persuaded to accept the commission, and does it at last with great reluctance, which we should rather impute to a humble diffidence of himself and his own sufficiency than to any unbelieving distrust of God and his word and power.
And here Moses, having a special commission given him as a judge and lawgiver to Israel, has this seal affixed to his commission, and comes supported by these credentials. The rod in his hand is made the subject of a miracle, a double miracle: it is but thrown out of his hand and it becomes a serpent; he resumes it and it becomes a rod again,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Moses and Aaron went--towards Egypt, Zipporah and her sons having been sent back. (Compare Ex 18:2). gathered . . . all the elders--Aaron was spokesman, and Moses performed the appointed miracles--through which "the people" (that is, the elders) believed (1Ki 17:24;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ן | vaiyaamen | and it believed | H539 → | 106 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּ | vaiyishmeu | and they heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| פָקַ֨ד | fakad | he had observed | H6485 → | 303 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְכִ֤י | vekhi | and that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רָאָה֙ | raah | he had seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עָנְיָ֔ם | ʾaneyam | affliction their | H6040 → | 36 times |
| וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ | vaiyikedu | and they bowed low | H6915 → | 15 times |
| וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃ | vaiyishtachavu | and they bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
וַֽיַּאֲמֵ֖ןand it believed
vaiyaamenH539 →106 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֡וּand they heard
vaiyishmeuH8085 →1159 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
פָקַ֨דhe had observed
fakadH6485 →303 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְכִ֤יand that
vekhiH3588 →4482 times
רָאָה֙he had seen
raahH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עָנְיָ֔םaffliction their
ʾaneyamH6040 →36 times
וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּand they bowed low
vaiyikeduH6915 →15 times
וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ׃and they bowed down
vaiyishtachavuH7812 →172 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 2:25God saw the Israelites and took notice.
it leads to
- Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
- Exodus 3:7–8
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
- Psalms 1:6
For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
- Matthew 7:23
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
- Psalms 55:22
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
Genesis 24:26Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
it leads to
- Genesis 24:48
Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother…
- Genesis 24:48
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.