Exodus 4 · Verse 2

Exodus 4:2

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

Exodus 4:2 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
WEBThe LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto him, ‘What is this in thy hand?' and he saith, ‘A rod;'
DARBYAnd Jehovah said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A staff.
BBEAnd the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.

What does Exodus 4:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. the Lord said, ... What is that in thine hand?--The question was put not to elicit information which God required, but to draw the particular attention of Moses. A rod--probably the shepherd's crook--among the Arabs, a long staff, with a curved head, varying from three to six feet in length.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 A rod - מתה matteh, a staff, probably his shepherd's crook; see Lev 27:32. As it was made the instrument of working many miracles, it was afterwards called the rod of God; see Exo 4:20.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 4:1-9

Moses objects, that the people would not take his word, unless he showed them some sign. God gives him power to work miracles. But those who are now employed to deliver God's messages to men, need not the power to work miracles: their character and their doctrines are to be tried by that word of God to which they appeal. These miracles especially referred to the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ. It belonged to Him…

Read the full comment on Exodus 4:1-9 →

Exodus 4:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֵלָ֛יו'e.Lavto himH413
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
מַה־זֶּ֣הmah-zeh-what [is] this?H4100
בְיָדֶ֑ךָve.ya.De.kha[is] in hand yourH3027
וַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
מַטֶּֽה\׃ma.Teha staffH4294

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 4:2

  • Exodus 4:20

    And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

  • Exodus 4:17

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

  • Psalms 110:2

    The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

  • Isaiah 11:4

    But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

  • Genesis 30:37

    And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

  • Leviticus 27:32

    And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.

  • Micah 7:14

    Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a rod.
17,20; Ge 30:37; Le 27:32; Ps 110:2; Isa 11:4; Mic 7:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 4:1

    And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

  • Exodus 4:2

    And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

  • Exodus 4:3

    And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

Read all of Exodus 4

Exodus 4:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová dijo: ¿Qué es eso que tienes en tu mano? Y él respondió: Una vara.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel lui dit: Qu’est-ce que tu as dans ta main? Et il dit: Une verge.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Jehova zu ihm: Was ist das in deiner Hand? Und er sprach: Ein Stab.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo ad eum: Quid est quod tenes in manu tua? Respondit: Virga.