Exodus 4 · Verse 20

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 4:20, King James Version

Exodus 4:20 in other translations

BSBSo 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.
WEBMoses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTand Moses taketh his wife, and his sons, and causeth them to ride on the ass, and turneth back to the land of Egypt, and Moses taketh the rod of God in his hand.
DARBYAnd Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them riding upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
BBEAnd Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on an ass and went back to the land of Egypt: and he took the rod of God in his hand.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Exodus 4:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass--Septuagint, "asses." Those animals are not now used in the desert of Sinai except by the Arabs for short distances. returned--entered on his journey towards Egypt. he took the rod of God--so called from its being appropriated to His service, and because whatever miracles it might be employed in performing would be wrought not by its inherent properties, but by a divine power following on its use. (Compare Ac 3:12).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 His wife and his sons - Both Gershom and Eliezer, though the birth of the latter has not yet been mentioned in the Hebrew text. See Clarke's note on Exo 2:22. Set them upon an ass - The Septuagint reads the word in the plural, εκι τα ὑποζυγια, upon asses, as it certainly required more than one to carry Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer. The rod of God - The sign of sovereign power, by which he was to perform all his miracles; once the badge of his shepherd's office, and now that by which he is to feed, rule, and protect his people Israel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 4:18-23

After God had appeared in the bush, he often spake to Moses. Pharaoh had hardened his own heart against the groans and cries of the oppressed Israelites; and now God, in the way of righteous judgment, hardens his heart against the teaching of the miracles, and the terror of the plagues. But whether Pharaoh will hear, or whether he will forbear, Moses must tell him, Thus saith the Lord. He must demand a discharge for…

Read the full comment on Exodus 4:18-23 →

Exodus 4:20 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.

וַיִּקַּ֨חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
מֹשֶׁ֜הmo.ShehMosesH4872
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ'ish.Towife hisH802
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בָּנָ֗יוba.Navsons hisH1121
וַיַּרְכִּבֵם֙vai.yar.ki.Vemand he made ride themH7392
עַֽל\־'al-onH5921
הַחֲמֹ֔רha.cha.Morthe donkeyH2543
וַיָּ֖שָׁבvai.Ya.shovand he returnedH7725
אַ֣רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] land of towardsH776
מִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714
וַיִּקַּ֥חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
מֹשֶׁ֛הmo.ShehMosesH4872
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
מַטֵּ֥הma.Teh[the] staff ofH4294
הָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430
בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Doin hand hisH3027

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

Cross references for Exodus 4:20

  • Exodus 17:9

    And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

  • Numbers 20:8-9

    Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

  • Exodus 4:2

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

  • Exodus 18:3-4

    And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:

  • Numbers 20:11

    And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

  • Exodus 4:17

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

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the rod of God.
2,17; 17:9; Nu 20:8,9

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

Context

  • Exodus 4:19

    And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

  • 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 4:21

    And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

Read all of Exodus 4

Exodus 4:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Moisés tomó su mujer y sus hijos, y púsolos sobre un asno, y volvióse á tierra de Egipto: tomó también Moisés la vara de Dios en su mano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Moïse prit sa femme et ses fils, et les fit monter sur un âne, et retourna au pays d’Égypte. Et Moïse prit la verge de Dieu dans sa main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Mose nahm sein Weib und seine Söhne und ließ sie auf Eseln reiten und kehrte in das Land Ägypten zurück; und Mose nahm den Stab Gottes in seine Hand.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tulit ergo Moyses uxorem suam, et filios suos, et imposuit eos super asinum: reversusque est in Ægyptum, portans virgam Dei in manu sua.