Exodus 4:16-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
16 He will speak to the people for you: he will be your spokesman,[a] and you will be as God to him.(A) 17 Take this staff[b] in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs.
Moses’ Return to Egypt. 18 After this Moses returned to Jethro[c] his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my kindred in Egypt, to see whether they are still living.” Jethro replied to Moses, “Go in peace.”
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- 4:16 Spokesman: lit., “mouth”; Aaron was to serve as a mouthpiece for Moses, as a prophet does for God; hence the relation between Moses and Aaron is compared to that between God and his prophet: Moses “will be as God to,” i.e., lit., “will become God for him.” Cf. 7:1.
- 4:17 This staff: probably the same as that of vv. 2–4; but some understand that a new staff is now given by God to Moses.
- 4:18 Jethro: the Hebrew text has “Jether,” apparently a variant form of “Jethro” found in the same verse. To see whether they are still living: Moses did not tell his father-in-law his main reason for returning to Egypt.
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