Exodus

Exodus 4:3–5

³“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake,^a and he ran from it.

⁴“Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ⁵“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob — has appeared to you.”

Footnotes

a 4:3 Hebrew nachash, in contrast to Aaron’s staff, which became a tanninin Exodus 7:10|EXO 7:10

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 4:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Throw	הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣הוּ	haš·lî·ḵê·hū	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7993 throw, fling, cast
it on the ground	אַ֔רְצָה	’ar·ṣāh	Noun - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H776 earth, land
said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
So	וַיַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ	way·yaš·lî·ḵê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H7993 throw, fling, cast
it on the ground	אַ֖רְצָה	’ar·ṣāh	Noun - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and it became	וַיְהִ֣י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a snake	לְנָחָ֑שׁ	lə·nā·ḥāš	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H5175 serpent
and	מֹשֶׁ֖ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
ran	וַיָּ֥נָס	way·yā·nās	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5127 flee, escape
from it	מִפָּנָֽיו׃	mip·pā·nāw	Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6440 face, before

Exodus 4:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Stretch out	שְׁלַח֙	šə·laḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7971 send
your hand	יָֽדְךָ֔	yā·ḏə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
and grab it	וֶאֱחֹ֖ז	we·’ĕ·ḥōz	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H270 grasp, take hold, take possession
by the tail	בִּזְנָב֑וֹ	biz·nā·ḇōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2180 tail, also (figurative) end, stump
the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Moses	מֹשֶׁ֔ה	mō·šeh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H4872 Moses
reached out	וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח	way·yiš·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
his hand	יָדוֹ֙	yā·ḏōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand
and caught	וַיַּ֣חֲזֶק	way·ya·ḥă·zeq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
and it turned back	וַיְהִ֥י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
into a staff	לְמַטֶּ֖ה	lə·maṭ·ṭeh	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
in his hand	בְּכַפּֽוֹ׃	bə·ḵap·pōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan

Exodus 4:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This is so that	לְמַ֣עַן	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
they may believe	יַאֲמִ֔ינוּ	ya·’ă·mî·nū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H539 confirm, support
that	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֣י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of their fathers	אֲבֹתָ֑ם	’ă·ḇō·ṯām	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H1 father
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֧י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֛ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֥י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Isaac	יִצְחָ֖ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
and the God	וֵאלֹהֵ֥י	wê·lō·hê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Jacob	יַעֲקֹֽב׃	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
has appeared	נִרְאָ֥ה	nir·’āh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7200 see
to you	אֵלֶ֛יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to

Cross-references

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

Exodus 4:5 Exodus 19:9 · Genesis 48:3 · Genesis 18:1 · Genesis 26:2 · Genesis 12:7 · Exodus 3:15 · Exodus 4:31 · John 11:42

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.