Exodus 4:17
New International Version
But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

New Living Translation
And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you.”

English Standard Version
And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Berean Standard Bible
But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

King James Bible
And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

New King James Version
And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

New American Standard Bible
And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

NASB 1995
“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

NASB 1977
“And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Amplified Bible
You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs [the miracles which prove I sent you].”

Christian Standard Bible
And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”

American Standard Version
And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

Contemporary English Version
Now take this walking stick and use it to perform miracles.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt take in thine hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Take that shepherd's staff with you, and use it to do the miraculous signs."

Good News Translation
Take this walking stick with you; for with it you will perform miracles."

International Standard Version
Now pick up that staff with your hand. You'll use it to perform the signs."

Majority Standard Bible
But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

NET Bible
You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs."

New Heart English Bible
You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."

Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt take this rod in thy hand, with which thou shalt perform signs.

World English Bible
You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you take this rod in your hand, with which you do the signs.”

Young's Literal Translation
and this rod thou dost take in thy hand, with which thou doest the signs.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And this rod shalt thou take in thy hand, with which thou shalt do signs.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Also, take this staff into your hand; with it you will accomplish the signs.”

New American Bible
Take this staff in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs.

New Revised Standard Version
Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And you shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall do signs.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And take this staff in your hand to do signs with it.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And this rod that was turned into a serpent thou shalt take in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt work miracles.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Appointment of Aaron
16He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him. 17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

Cross References
Exodus 7:9-10
“When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.” / So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

Exodus 14:16
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

Numbers 20:8-11
“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.” / So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded. / Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ...

Psalm 77:20
You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 106:9
He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; He led them through the depths as through a desert.

Isaiah 11:15-16
The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. / There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 51:9-10
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon? / Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Isaiah 63:12
who sent His glorious arm to lead them by the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to gain for Himself everlasting renown,

Acts 7:36
He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness.

Hebrews 11:29
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

John 2:11
Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 4:48
Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”

John 20:30-31
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. / But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

Mark 16:17-18
And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; / they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do signs.

Exodus 4:2
And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

Exodus 7:9,19
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent…

1 Corinthians 1:27
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

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Hand Miraculous Perform Rod Signs Staff Wherewith
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Hand Miraculous Perform Rod Signs Staff Wherewith
Exodus 4
1. Moses's rod is turned into a serpent.
6. His hand is leprous.
10. He loathes his calling.
13. Aaron is appointed to assist him.
18. Moses departs from Jethro.
21. God's message to Pharaoh.
24. Zipporah circumcises her son.
27. Aaron is sent to meet Moses.
29. The people believe them.














But take
The directive "But take" signifies a command from God to Moses, emphasizing the necessity of obedience. In Hebrew, the word for "take" is "laqach," which implies not just a physical action but an acceptance of responsibility and authority. This command is a pivotal moment where Moses is called to actively participate in God's plan, highlighting the importance of human agency in divine missions.

this staff
The "staff" in Hebrew is "matteh," a term that can denote a branch, rod, or scepter. Historically, a staff was a symbol of authority and leadership, often used by shepherds to guide and protect their flock. In the context of Moses, the staff becomes a tangible representation of God's power and presence. It is through this ordinary object that extraordinary acts will be performed, illustrating how God can use the mundane to achieve the miraculous.

in your hand
The phrase "in your hand" underscores personal involvement and readiness. The hand, in biblical symbolism, often represents power, action, and possession. By instructing Moses to hold the staff in his hand, God is empowering him to act as His representative. This act of holding signifies readiness to execute God's will and the personal commitment required to fulfill divine tasks.

so you can perform
The purpose clause "so you can perform" indicates the intended outcome of Moses taking the staff. The Hebrew root "asah" for "perform" means to do, make, or accomplish. This suggests that the actions Moses will undertake are not of his own power but are enabled by God. It is a reminder that while humans are instruments, the efficacy of their actions is dependent on divine empowerment.

signs with it
The "signs" refer to miraculous acts that serve as evidence of God's power and authority. In Hebrew, the word "oth" is used, which can mean a sign, token, or miracle. These signs are not mere wonders but are purposeful, serving to authenticate Moses' mission and to demonstrate God's sovereignty to both the Israelites and the Egyptians. The staff, therefore, becomes a conduit for God's intervention in human history, showcasing His ability to transcend natural laws for His purposes.

(17) This rod, i.e., "the rod that had been changed into a serpent," as the LXX. paraphrase.

(18) Signs.--Rather, "the signs" (?? ??????, LXX.); i.e., the signs which thou wilt have to perform, as already implied in Exodus 3:20.

Verse 17. - Thou shalt take this rod. Not any rod, but the particular one which had already once become a serpent. Wherewith thou shalt do signs. Rather, "the signs," i.e. the signs which thou wilt have to do, as already declared in Exodus 3:20. It is quite gratuitous to suppose that God had already particularised them

CHAPTER 4:18-25

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

take
תִּקַּ֣ח (tiq·qaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

this
הַזֶּ֖ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

staff
הַמַּטֶּ֥ה (ham·maṭ·ṭeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4294: A staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe

in your hand
בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ (bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

so that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you can perform
תַּעֲשֶׂה־ (ta·‘ă·śeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

signs with it.”
הָאֹתֹֽת׃ (hā·’ō·ṯōṯ)
Article | Noun - common plural
Strong's 226: A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence


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OT Law: Exodus 4:17 You shall take this rod in your (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 4:16
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