The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 104

EXPOSITION. way (vers. 24---26), is met by Aaron and tak8!1 CHAPTER IV him into his counsels, summons the elders and Vere. 1-17.-The reluctance of Moses to un- exhibif8 before them his miraculous powers, dertake the part of leader, indicated by his first persuades them, and is finally accepted as reply at his first calling, " Who am I that I having, with Aaron, a mission from God, both should go?" etc. ( eh. ill. 11 ), was not yet over- by the elders and the people. come. God had promised the.the would succeed; Ver. 1.-Behold, they will not believe. but he did not see how he could succeed, either AttempfB have been made to soften down this contradiction of God's words in eh. iii. 18, and with the people or with Pharaoh. It was not to represent Moses as merely saying, "What enough for him that God had declared, " They if the people will not hearken, etc. What (the people) shall hearken unto thy voice" shall I do then?" (So the LX.X., Geddes, ( i"b. 18); he does not, cannot believe this, and Boothroyd, and others.) But the phrase is replies : " Behold, they will not believe, nei- really emphatic and peremptory. As Rosen- ther hearken unto my voice" ( eh. iv. 1). This miiller says: " Vox est negantis et detrac- t.antis officium." The Lord hath not appeared was plain want of faith ; but not unnatural, to thee. It is quite probable that the Israel- and not, in God's sight, inexcusable. God ites would have so spoken, if Moses had had therefore condescended to the human weakness no sign to show. There had been no appear- of his servant, and proceeded to show him hO'ID ance of Jehovah to anyone for above four hun- he intended that he should persuade the people dred years. Alid the Israelites, who bad not seen Moses for forty years, would not know of his mission. He should persuade them by whether he was a veracious person or not. producing the credentials of miracles (vers. Ver. 2.-A rod. Or "a staff." Some sup- 2-9). But the laggard heart finds yet a fur- pose the ordinary shepherd's staff, or crook:, to ther objection. Moses feels that he labours be meant; but it is objected that this would under a personal defect, which (he thinks) is have been an unfit object to have brought into the presence of Pharaoh (Kalisch), being un- an absolute disqualification. He is "slow of suitable for a court, and emblematic of an oc- speech and of a slow tongue" (ver. 10), has cupation which the Egyptians lo ..thed (Gen. always been wanting in eloquence, and does xlvi. 34); and the suggestion is therefore not find himself any the more eloquent since made, that it was the baloo or long stick God has been speaking with him. In vain commonly carried by Egyptians of good posi- tion and especially by persons in authority. does Jehovah promise to "be with his mouth " But Moses in Midian, forty years after he (ver. 12) ; Moses' last word indicates all the old quitted Egypt, is not likely to have possessed feeling of self-distrust. " Send, I pray thee, such an article; nor, if he had possessed it, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send " ( ver. would he have taken it with him when shep- 13). Then at last the anger of the Lord is herding. Probably a simple staff, the natural support of a man of advanced years, is meo.nt. kindled against Moses, and God in.8icf8 on him Ver. 3.-It bec&me a B8I'J)ent. The word here a sort of punishment-degrades him, as it were nsed for "serpent," nakhCU1h, is a generic word ~eposes him from the position of sole leader, applicable to any species of snake. We can- and associates Aaron with him in such sort not assume that the cobra is the serpent meant, that Aaron must have appeared, both to the though no doubt Moses, when he 11.ed from before it, believed it to be a venomous serpent. Israelites and to the Pharaoh, os the chief Various reasons for God's choice of this particular leader rather than· Moses. (See eh. iv. 30; sign have been given. Perhaps the best is, that vii. 2, 10, 19; viii. 6, 17, etc.) a trick of the kind was known to the Egyptian At this point the interview between Moses conjurors, who would be tempted to exhibit it and Jehovah ends, and the action of the Ex- in order to discredit Moses, and would then be discredited themselves by his stick swallowing odas commences. Moses obtains leave to quit theirs. (See eh. vii. 10-12.) It is fanciful to Midian, and quifB it - returns to Egypt, after suppose a reference either to the serpent of escaping from a dangerous sickness on the Qen. iii, (Keil and Delitzsch) or to the une\111  S!i THE BOOK OF EXODUS. [on:. IV, 4-10,