Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, May 1st, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Exodus 4:2

So the Lord asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Call;   Communion;   Condescension of God;   Israel;   Miracles;   Moses;   Sign;   Token;   Thompson Chain Reference - Instrumentalities, Weak;   Moses' Rod;   Power;   Rod;   Small Things God Uses;   Weak;   Weakness-Power;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles;   Prophets;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Sinai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Snake;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Rod;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, Prophets;   Rod, Staff;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Moses;   Prayer;   Rod;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Exodus, the;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Moses;   Rod;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aaron's Rod;   Miracle;   Moses;   Staff;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 9;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
King James Version
And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Lexham English Bible
And Yahweh said to him, "What is this in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
New Century Version
The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" Moses answered, "It is my walking stick."
New English Translation
The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
Amplified Bible
And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
New American Standard Bible
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hande? And he answered, A rod.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh said to him, "What is this in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
Contemporary English Version
The Lord answered, "What's that in your hand?" "A walking stick," Moses replied.
Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai answered him, "What is that in your hand?" and he said, "A staff."
Darby Translation
And Jehovah said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A staff.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the Lord said to Moses, "What is that you have in your hand?" Moses answered, "It is my walking stick."
English Standard Version
The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to him, What is that in your hand? He said, A staff.
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
Literal Translation
And Jehovah said to him, What is this in your hand? And he said, A staff.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The LORDE sayde vnto him: What is yt, that thou hast in thine hande? He saide a staff.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.
Bible in Basic English
And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the Lorde sayde vnto him: What is that [which is] in thine hande? He aunswered: a rodde.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the LORD said unto him: 'What is that in thy hand?' And he said: 'A rod.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hand? and hee said, A rod.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to him, What is this thing that is in thine hand? and he said, A rod.
English Revised Version
And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the Lord seide to hym, What is this that thou holdist in thin hond? Moises answeride, A yerde.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith unto him, `What [is] this in thy hand?' and he saith, `A rod;'
Update Bible Version
And Yahweh said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to him, What [is] that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.
World English Bible
Yahweh said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
New King James Version
So the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
New Living Translation
Then the Lord asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied.
New Life Bible
The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" Moses said, "A stick."
New Revised Standard
The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Yahweh said unto him - What is this in thy hand? And he said - A staff.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he said to him: What is that thou holdest in thy hand? He answered: A rod.
Revised Standard Version
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
THE MESSAGE
So God said, "What's that in your hand?" "A staff."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."

Contextual Overview

1 Then Moses answered the Lord , "But suppose the Israelites do not believe me and will not listen to what I say. What shall I do if they say that you did not appear to me?" 2 So the Lord asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered. 3 The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." When Moses threw it down, it turned into a snake, and he ran away from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach down and pick it up by the tail." So Moses reached down and caught it, and it became a walking stick again. 5 The Lord said, "Do this to prove to the Israelites that the Lord , the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to you." 6 The Lord spoke to Moses again, "Put your hand inside your robe." Moses obeyed; and when he took his hand out, it was diseased, covered with white spots, like snow. 7 Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your robe again." He did so, and when he took it out this time, it was healthy, just like the rest of his body. 8 The Lord said, "If they will not believe you or be convinced by the first miracle, then this one will convince them. 9 If in spite of these two miracles they still will not believe you, and if they refuse to listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the ground. The water will turn into blood."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a rod: Exodus 4:17, Exodus 4:20, Genesis 30:37, Leviticus 27:32, Psalms 110:2, Isaiah 11:4, Micah 7:14

Reciprocal: Exodus 4:30 - did the Exodus 7:9 - Take Exodus 7:15 - the rod Exodus 14:16 - lift Exodus 17:9 - the rod Numbers 17:2 - twelve rods Numbers 20:8 - the rod Numbers 22:9 - What men 2 Kings 13:17 - The arrow

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden and made them cultivate the soil from which they had been formed.
Genesis 4:25
Adam and his wife had another son. She said, "God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed." So she named him Seth.
Genesis 4:26
Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord 's holy name in worship.
Genesis 9:20
Noah, who was a farmer, was the first man to plant a vineyard.
Genesis 37:13
Jacob said to Joseph, "I want you to go to Shechem, where your brothers are taking care of the flock." Joseph answered, "I am ready."
Genesis 47:3
The king asked them, "What is your occupation?" "We are shepherds, sir, just as our ancestors were," they answered.
Exodus 3:1
One day while Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, he led the flock across the desert and came to Sinai, the holy mountain.
Psalms 127:3
Children are a gift from the Lord ; they are a real blessing.
Amos 7:15
But the Lord took me from my work as a shepherd and ordered me to come and prophesy to his people Israel.
Luke 11:51
from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will be punished for them all!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the Lord said unto him,.... Not reproving him for contradicting him, or showing any diffidence of what he had said; but rather as approving the hint he gave of having some sign or miracle wrought, to command from the Israelites an assent unto him, as commissioned of God to deliver them:

what [is] that in thine hand? which question is put, not as being ignorant of what it was, but to lead on to what he had further to say, and to the working of the miracle:

and he said, a rod; or staff, such as shepherds use in the management of their flocks, for Moses was now feeding the flock of his father-in-law; but Aben Ezra seems rather to think it was a walking staff, such as ancient men lean upon, since Moses did not go to Pharaoh after the manner of a shepherd; yea, it may be added, he went with the authority of a prince or ruler of Israel, and even with the authority of the ambassador of the King of kings.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A rod - The word seems to denote the long staff which on Egyptian monuments is borne by men in positions of authority. It was usually made of acacia wood.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile