Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible
THE MESSAGE
Exodus 4:2
So God said, "What's that in your hand?" "A staff."
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.'
King James Version (1611)
And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hand? and hee said, A rod.
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.
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."
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 Moses objected, "They won't trust me. They won't listen to a word I say. They're going to say, ‘ God ? Appear to him? Hardly!'" 2 So God said, "What's that in your hand?" "A staff." 3 "Throw it on the ground." He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast! 4 God said to Moses, "Reach out and grab it by the tail." He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again. "That's so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 6 God then said, "Put your hand inside your shirt." He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow. 7 He said, "Put your hand back under your shirt." He did it, then took it back out—as healthy as before. 8"So if they don't trust you and aren't convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn't, if even after these two signs they don't trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground."
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 God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.
So God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they'd been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.
Genesis 4:25
Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed." And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God .
Adam slept with his wife again. She had a son whom she named Seth. She said, "God has given me another child in place of Abel whom Cain killed." And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God .
Genesis 9:20
Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backward and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.
Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backward and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.
Exodus 3:1
Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.
Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.
Psalms 127:3
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.
Don't you see that children are God 's best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.
1 John 3:12
We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
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. — ××ª× 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.
