Exodus 4 · Verse 8

Exodus 4:8

And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exodus 4:8, King James Version

Exodus 4:8 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.
WEB“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
ASVAnd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
YLT‘--and it hath come to pass, if they do not give credence to thee, and hearken not to the voice of the first sign, that they have given credence to the voice of the latter sign.
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the other sign.
BBEAnd if they do not have faith in you or give ear to the voice of the first sign, they will have faith in the second sign.
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

What does Exodus 4:8 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 If they will not believe - the voice of the first sign, etc. - Probably intimating that some would be more difficult to be persuaded than others: some would yield to the evidence of the first miracle; others would hesitate till they had seen the second; and others would not believe till they had seen the water of the Nile turned into blood, when poured upon the dry land; Exo 4:9.

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 4:8 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.

וְהָיָה֙ve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
אִם\־'im-ifH518
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יַאֲמִ֣ינוּya.'a.Mi.nuthey will believeH539
לָ֔ךְLakh<to> <the> you
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִשְׁמְע֔וּyish.me.'Uthey will listenH8085
לְקֹ֖לle.Kolto [the] voice ofH6963
הָאֹ֣תha.'Otthe signH226
הָרִאשׁ֑וֹןha.ri.Shon<the> formerH7223
וְהֶֽאֱמִ֔ינוּve.he.'e.Mi.nuand they will believeH539
לְקֹ֖לle.Kol<to> [the] voice ofH6963
הָאֹ֥תha.'Otthe signH226
הָאַחֲרֽוֹן\׃ha.'a.cha.Ron<the> latterH314

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

Cross references for Exodus 4:8

  • Isaiah 28:10

    For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

  • Deuteronomy 32:39

    See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

  • Exodus 4:30-31

    And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

  • 2 Kings 5:7

    And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

  • Job 5:18

    For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
if they.
30,31; Isa 28:10; Joh 12:37
that they.
De 32:39; 2Ki 5:7; Job 5:18

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

Context

  • Exodus 4:7

    And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

  • Exodus 4:8

    And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

  • Exodus 4:9

    And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

Read all of Exodus 4

Exodus 4:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sí aconteciere, que no te creyeren, ni obedecieren á la voz de la primera señal, creerán á la voz de la postrera.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arrivera que, s’ils ne te croient pas et n’écoutent pas la voix du premier signe, ils croiront la voix de l’autre signe.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es wird geschehen, wenn sie dir nicht glauben und nicht auf die Stimme des ersten Zeichens hören, so werden sie der Stimme des anderen Zeichens glauben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si non crediderint, inquit, tibi, neque audierint sermonem signi prioris, credent verbo signi sequentis.