Focused Passage

Exodus 4:18-23

Signs, Reluctance, Covenant Blood, and Return to Egypt

The LORD answers Moses' objections with signs and provision, sends him back to Egypt with Aaron, confronts covenant disobedience in Moses' household, and brings Israel's elders to believe and worship.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.

19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”

20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

21 The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

22 Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

23 and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 18

Original words

Then Moses מֹשֶׁ֜ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular went וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular back וַיָּ֣שָׁב׀ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his father-in-law חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ H2859 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Jethro יֶ֣תֶר H3500 Noun - proper - masculine singular and said וַיֹּ֤אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to him לוֹ֙ Preposition | third person masculine singular Please נָּ֗א H4994 Interjection let me return וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular . . . אֵ֣לֲכָה H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition my brothers אַחַ֣י H251 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative in Egypt בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular to see וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular if they are still הַעוֹדָ֣ם H5750 Adverb | third person masculine plural alive חַיִּ֑ים H2416 Adjective - masculine plural Go לֵ֥ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular in peace לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ H7965 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular [Jethro] replied וַיֹּ֧אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . יִתְר֛וֹ H3503 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה H4872 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18.
Verse 19

Original words

Now the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular had said וַיֹּ֨אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁה֙ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular in Midian בְּמִדְיָ֔ן H4080 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular Go לֵ֖ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular back שֻׁ֣ב H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular to Egypt מִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular for כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the men הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים H582 Article | Noun - masculine plural who sought הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֖ים H1245 Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker to kill you נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular are dead מֵ֙תוּ֙ H4191 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Verse 20

Original words

So Moses מֹשֶׁ֜ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker took וַיִּקַּ֨ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular his wife אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and sons בָּנָ֗יו H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular put them וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙ H7392 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural on עַֽל־ H5921 Preposition a donkey הַחֲמֹ֔ר H2543 Article | Noun - masculine singular and headed back וַיָּ֖שָׁב H7725 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular vvv אַ֣רְצָה H776 Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular to Egypt מִצְרָ֑יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular And [he] מֹשֶׁ֛ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker took וַיִּקַּ֥ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the staff מַטֵּ֥ה H4294 Noun - masculine singular construct of God הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural in his hand בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 21

Original words

The LORD יְהוָה֮ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition instructed וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Moses מֹשֶׁה֒ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular When you go בְּלֶכְתְּךָ֙ H1980 Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular back לָשׁ֣וּב H7725 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct to Egypt מִצְרַ֔יְמָה H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular see that רְאֵ֗ה H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular you perform וַעֲשִׂיתָ֖ם H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural before לִפְנֵ֣י H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct Pharaoh פַרְעֹ֑ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the wonders הַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ H4159 Article | Noun - masculine plural that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative I have put שַׂ֣מְתִּי H7760 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular within your power בְיָדֶ֔ךָ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular But I וַאֲנִי֙ H589 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular will harden אֲחַזֵּ֣ק H2388 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker his heart לִבּ֔וֹ H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular so that he will not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle let the people הָעָֽם׃ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular go יְשַׁלַּ֖ח H7971 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker

BSB notes

  • Or stiffen or strengthen
Verse 22

Original words

Then tell וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition Pharaoh [that] פַּרְעֹ֑ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular this is what כֹּ֚ה H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Israel יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular is My firstborn בְכֹרִ֖י H1060 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular son בְּנִ֥י H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Verse 23

Original words

and I told you וָאֹמַ֣ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular . . . אֵלֶ֗יךָ H413 Preposition | second person masculine singular to let My son בְּנִי֙ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular go שַׁלַּ֤ח H7971 Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker so that he may worship Me וְיַֽעַבְדֵ֔נִי H5647 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular But [since] you have refused וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן H3985 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular to let him go לְשַׁלְּח֑וֹ H7971 Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular behold הִנֵּה֙ H2009 Interjection I אָנֹכִ֣י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular will kill הֹרֵ֔ג H2026 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker your firstborn בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃ H1060 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular son בִּנְךָ֖ H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.