Exodus

Exodus 4:18–20

¹⁸Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro^d 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.

¹⁹Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.” ²⁰So 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.

Footnotes

d 4:18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18|EXO 2:18.

Read all of Exodus 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 4:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Moses	מֹשֶׁ֜ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
went	וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
back	וַיָּ֣שָׁב׀	way·yā·šāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his father-in-law	חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ	ḥō·ṯə·nōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2859 wife's father
Jethro	יֶ֣תֶר	ye·ṯer	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3500 Jether
and said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to him	לוֹ֙	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
Please	נָּ֗א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
let me return	וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙	wə·’ā·šū·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H7725 turn back, return
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
my brothers	אַחַ֣י	’a·ḥay	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H251 brother
in Egypt	בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם	bə·miṣ·ra·yim	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
to see	וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה	wə·’er·’eh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular	H7200 see
if they are still	הַעוֹדָ֣ם	ha·‘ō·w·ḏām	Adverb; third person masculine plural	H5750 a going round, continuance
alive	חַיִּ֑ים	ḥay·yîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
Go	לֵ֥ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
in peace	לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃	lə·šā·lō·wm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
replied	וַיֹּ֧אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say

Exodus 4:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now the LORD	יְהוָ֤ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Moses	מֹשֶׁה֙	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
in Midian	בְּמִדְיָ֔ן	bə·miḏ·yān	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4080 Midjan
Go	לֵ֖ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
back	שֻׁ֣ב	šuḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to Egypt	מִצְרָ֑יִם	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
for	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the men	הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים	hā·’ă·nā·šîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H582 man, mankind
who sought	הַֽמְבַקְשִׁ֖ים	ham·ḇaq·šîm	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural	H1245 seek
to kill you	נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃	nap̄·še·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
are dead	מֵ֙תוּ֙	mê·ṯū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H4191 die

Exodus 4:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Moses	מֹשֶׁ֜ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
took	וַיִּקַּ֨ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
his wife	אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ	’iš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
and sons	בָּנָ֗יו	bā·nāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H1121 son
put them	וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙	way·yar·ki·ḇêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H7392 mount and ride, ride
on	עַֽל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
a donkey	הַחֲמֹ֔ר	ha·ḥă·mōr	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2543 heap
and headed back	וַיָּ֖שָׁב	way·yā·šāḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to Egypt	מִצְרָ֑יִם	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
And	מֹשֶׁ֛ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
took	וַיִּקַּ֥ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
the staff	מַטֵּ֥ה	maṭ·ṭêh	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
of God	הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
in his hand	בְּיָדֽוֹ׃	bə·yā·ḏōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Exodus 4:18 Exodus 3:1

Exodus 4:19 Matthew 2:20 · Exodus 2:15 · Exodus 2:23

Exodus 4:20 Exodus 17:9 · Numbers 20:8–9 · Numbers 20:11 · Exodus 18:3–4 · Exodus 4:2

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.