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Sunday, August 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Myles Coverdale Bible

Exodus 4:3

He sayde: Cast it from the vpon the grounde. And he cast it fro him: then was it turned to a serpent. And Moses fled fro it.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Call;   Communion;   Condescension of God;   Israel;   Miracles;   Moses;   Serpent;   Sign;   Token;   Scofield Reference Index - Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Serpents;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles;   Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;   Prophets;   Serpents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Miracle;   Sinai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Snake;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Divination;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, Prophets;   Rod, Staff;   Serpent;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Exodus;   Moses;   Prayer;   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 - Bel and the Dragon (2);   Dragon;   Moses;   Serpent;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dragon;   Miracle;   Moses;   Serpent;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moshe ran away from it.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And he said, "Throw it onto the ground." And he threw it onto the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses fled from it.
New Century Version
The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from the snake,
New English Translation
The Lord said, "Throw it to the ground." So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran from it.
Amplified Bible
Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a [living] serpent [like the royal symbol on the crown of Pharaoh]; and Moses ran from it.
New American Standard Bible
Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said he, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it on the grounde, and it was turned into a serpent: and Moses fled from it.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
Contemporary English Version
"Throw it down!" the Lord commanded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.
Complete Jewish Bible
He said, "Throw it on the ground!" and he threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moshe recoiled from it.
Darby Translation
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then God said, "Throw your walking stick on the ground." So Moses threw his walking stick on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it,
English Standard Version
And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
Good News Translation
The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." When Moses threw it down, it turned into a snake, and he ran away from it.
Christian Standard Bible®
“Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it.
Literal Translation
And He said, Throw it to the ground. And he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake. And Moses fled before it.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Put it down on the earth. And he put it down on the earth and it became a snake; and Moses went running from it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde: Cast it on the grounde. And he cast it on the grounde, and it became a serpent: and Moyses fled fro the syght of it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
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.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
"Throw it on the ground," said the Lord. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide, Caste it forth into erthe; and he castide forth, and it was turned in to a serpent, so that Moises fledde.
Young's Literal Translation
and He saith, `Cast it to the earth;' and he casteth it to the earth, and it becometh a serpent -- and Moses fleeth from its presence.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
New King James Version
And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
New Living Translation
"Throw it down on the ground," the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.
New Life Bible
Then the Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. And Moses ran from it.
New Revised Standard
And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said he - Cast it to the earth. And he cast it to the earth, and it became a serpent, - and Moses fled from the face thereof.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into a serpent, so that Moses fled from it.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
THE MESSAGE
"Throw it on the ground." He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

Contextual Overview

1 Moses answered, & sayde: Beholde, they shall not beleue me, ner heare my voyce, but shal saye: The LORDE hath not appeared vnto the. 2 The LORDE sayde vnto him: What is yt, that thou hast in thine hande? He saide a staff. 3 He sayde: Cast it from the vpon the grounde. And he cast it fro him: then was it turned to a serpent. And Moses fled fro it. 4 But ye LORDE saide vnto him: Stretch forth thine hande, & take it by the tayle. Then stretched he forth his hande, and toke it, and it became a staff agayne in his hande. 5 Therfore shal they beleue that ye LORDE God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac ye God of Iacob hath appeared vnto the. 6 And the LORDE sayde furthermore vnto him: Thrust thine hade in to yi bosome. And he thrust it in to his bosome, & toke it out: beholde, the was it leper like snowe. 7 And he saide: Put it in to yi bosome agayne. And he put it agayne in to his bosome, & toke it out: beholde, the was it turned againe as his flesh. 8 Yf they wil not beleue the, ner heare ye voyce of the first token, yet shal they beleue the voyce of the seconde token. 9 But yf they wil not beleue these two tokens ner heare thy voyce, then take of the water of the ryuer, and poure it vpon the drye londe: so shall the same water yt thou hast take out of ye ryuer, be turned vnto bloude vpo ye drye londe.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

it became: Exodus 4:17, Exodus 7:10-15, Amos 5:19

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 13:3 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Morouer Adam laye with Heua his wyfe, which coceaued & bare Cain, and sayde, I haue opteyned ye man of the LORDE.
Genesis 4:11
And now shalt thou be cursed vpon the earth, which hath opened hir mouth, and receaued thy brothers bloude of thine hande.
Numbers 18:12
All the fat of the oyle, and all ye fat of the wyne and corne of their firstlinges, that they geue vnto the LORDE, haue I geuen vnto ye.
1 Kings 17:7
And it fortuned after cerayne dayes, that the riuer was dryed: vp for there was no rayne in the lode.
Nehemiah 13:6
But in all this was not I at Ierusalem: for in ye two and thirtieth yeare of Artaxerses kynge of Babilon, came I vnto the kynge, and after certayne dayes optayned I lycence of the kynge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, cast it on the ground,.... That is, the rod or staff:

and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; not in appearance only, but in reality, it was changed into a real living serpent; for God, who is the author of nature, can change the nature of things as he pleases; nor is it to be supposed that he would only make it look to the sight as if it was one, by working upon the fancy and imagination to think it was one, when it was not; no doubt but it was as really turned into a true serpent, as the water was turned really and truly into wine by our Lord; this was the first miracle that ever was wrought, that we know of. Dr. Lightfoot h observes, that as a serpent was the fittest emblem of the devil, Genesis 3:1 so was it a sign that Moses did not these miracles by the power of the devil, but had a power over and beyond him, when he could thus deal with the serpent at his pleasure, as to make his rod a serpent, and the serpent a rod, as he saw good:

and Moses fled from before it; the Jews say i it was a fiery serpent, but for this they have no warrant: however, without supposing that it might be terrible and frightful, inasmuch as a common serpent is very disagreeable to men, and such an uncommon and extraordinary one must be very surprising, to see a staff become a serpent, a living one, crawling and leaping about, and perhaps turning itself towards Moses, whose staff it had been. Philo the Jew k says, it was a dragon, an exceeding large one.

h Works, vol. 1. p. 702. i Pirke Eliezer, c. 40. k De Vita Mosls, l. 1. 614.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A serpent - This miracle had a meaning which Moses could not mistake. The serpent was probably the basilisk or Uraeus, the Cobra. This was the symbol of royal and divine power on the diadem of every Pharaoh. The conversion of the rod was not merely a portent, it was a sign, at once a pledge and representation of victory over the king and gods of Egypt!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 4:3. A serpent — Of what sort we know not, as the word נחש nachash is a general name for serpents, and also means several other things, see Genesis 3:1: but it was either of a kind that he had not seen before, or one that he knew to be dangerous; for it is said, he fled from before it. Some suppose the staff was changed into a crocodile; Exodus 7:10.


 
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