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Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026
the Third Week after Easter
the Third Week after Easter
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Read the Bible
King James Version (1611 Edition)
Exodus 4:2
And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hand? and hee said, A rod.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedDevotionals:
- EveryParallel Translations
Hebrew Names Version
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
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.
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."
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."
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."
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."
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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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."
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.
And the LORD said to him, What is that in your hand? He said, A staff.
Good News Translation
So the Lord asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered.
So the Lord asked him, "What are you holding?" "A walking stick," he answered.
Christian Standard Bible®
The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.'
And the LORD said unto him: 'What is that in thy hand?' And he 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.
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.
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.
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.
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;'
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.
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.
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."
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."
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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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 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."
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."
The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."
Contextual Overview
1 And Moses answered, and said, But behold, they will not beleeue mee, nor hearken vnto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared vnto thee. 2 And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hand? and hee said, A rod. 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. 4 And the Lord said vnto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the taile: And he put foorth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may beleeue that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob hath appeared vnto thee. 6 And the Lord said furthermore vnto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosome. And he put his hand into his bosome: and when hee tooke it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snowe. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosome againe. And hee put his hand into his bosome againe, and plucked it out of his bosome, and behold, it was turned againe as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to passe, if they wil not beleeue thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first signe, that they will beleeue the voice of the latter signe. 9 And it shall come to passe, if they will not beleeue also these two signes, neither hearken vnto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the riuer, and powre it vpon the drie land: and the water which thou takest out of the riuer, shall become blood vpon the drie land.
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
Therefore the LORD God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence he was taken.
Therefore the LORD God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence he was taken.
Genesis 4:25
And Adam knew his wife againe, and she bare a sonne, & called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed mee another seed in stead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
And Adam knew his wife againe, and she bare a sonne, & called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed mee another seed in stead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call vpon the Name of the LORD.
And to Seth, to him also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call vpon the Name of the LORD.
Genesis 9:20
And Noah began to bee an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.
And Noah began to bee an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.
Genesis 37:13
And Israel saide vnto Ioseph, Doe not thy brethren feed the flocke in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee vnto them: & he said to him, Here am I.
And Israel saide vnto Ioseph, Doe not thy brethren feed the flocke in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee vnto them: & he said to him, Here am I.
Genesis 47:3
And Pharaoh said vnto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said vnto Pharaoh, Thy seruants are shepheards, both wee and also our fathers.
And Pharaoh said vnto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said vnto Pharaoh, Thy seruants are shepheards, both wee and also our fathers.
Exodus 3:1
Nowe Moses kept the flocke of Iethro his father in law, the Priest of Midian: and hee led the flocke to the backeside of the desert, and came to the mountaine of God, euen to Horeb.
Nowe Moses kept the flocke of Iethro his father in law, the Priest of Midian: and hee led the flocke to the backeside of the desert, and came to the mountaine of God, euen to Horeb.
Psalms 127:3
Loe, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the wombe is his reward.
Loe, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the wombe is his reward.
Amos 7:15
And the Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke, and the Lord said vnto me, Goe, prophecie vnto my people Israel.
And the Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke, and the Lord said vnto me, Goe, prophecie vnto my people Israel.
Luke 11:51
From the blood of Abel vnto the blood of Zacharias, which perished betweene the Altar and the Temple: Uerely I say vnto you, it shall be required of this generation.
From the blood of Abel vnto the blood of Zacharias, which perished betweene the Altar and the Temple: Uerely I say vnto you, it shall be required of this generation.
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.
