Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 4:8
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:8-9
They will believe the voice of the latter sign.
The paralysis of doubt
A man needs not to be a thorough unbeliever, overtly renouncing all allegiance to revealed truth, in order to become useless in the pulpit and religiously powerless in society. He needs only to put a note of interrogation after some of the articles of his creed. That is enough, without absolutely erasing them. The hesitant is as impotent for spiritual good as the heretic. The man who is shooting for the Queens cup may as well attempt to hold his rifle with a paralysed arm as take aim with a trembling hand. That tremor will be fatal to success in hitting the mark. Truth uttered questioningly and apologetically will prove an arrow of conviction to no mans soul. This, it seems to me, rather than absolute and pronounced infidelity, is the bane and weakness of the age. It pervades the pulpit and the pew. From the former, doctrines may be still propounded with logical accuracy, with great precision of definition, with much beauty and felicity of illustration, but with not enough of conviction to drive them forcibly home. The rifle is a beautiful piece of mechanism, but there is something amiss with the powder. (J. Halsey.)
The Divine treatment of human doubt
I. The Divine being recognizes the probability that men will not welcome the truth upon its first presentation to them. Yet the message proclaimed by Moses was–
1. Adapted to their condition Announcing freedom. The tendency of all unbelief is to intensify slavery of moral nature.
2. Wonderfully simple.
3. Divinely authenticated. Miracles will not convince a sceptic.
II. The Divine being mercifully makes provision for the conviction and persuasion of men in reference to the reality of the truth proclaimed, notwithstanding their confirmed unbelief. This method of treatment is–
1. Considerate. Every facility given for complete investigation.
2. Merciful. Sign after sign.
3. Condescending.
III. The persistent unbelief of men is likely to awaken evidences of truth indicative of the divine displeasure (Exo 4:9).
1. Evidences that recall past sorrows. Reminding of murder of children in river.
2. Evidences prophetic of future woe. Indicating a strange and unhappy change in their condition, if they embraced not the message of Moses. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The voice of the first sign
1. It speaks of the thraldom of man.
2. It speaks of the inability of man to liberate himself therefrom.
3. It speaks of the agency that God has provided for the freedom of man.
4. It speaks of the strange unwillingness of man to credit the tidings of freedom. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Miracles
1. Miracles at first may miss their end, and not persuade men to faith.
2. Second miracles may do that which the first failed to effect.
3. Gods word and promise alone can make miracles themselves effectual means of faith.
4. Miracles have voices which should command faith and obedience. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Ministers exposed to unbelief
That a true minister, notwithstanding–
1. His call.
2. His spiritual preparation.
3. His knowledge of the Divine name.
4. His supreme moral power, and–
5. Intimate communion with God–is exposed to the unbelief of those whom he seeks to benefit. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The obstinacy of unbelief
It will reject the truth.
1. In opposition to the word of him by whom it is brought.
2. In opposition to the Divine power by which it is accompanied.
3. In opposition to the benevolent design it contemplates.
4. In opposition to accumulative demonstration. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The folly of rejecting the gospel of emancipation
One can hardly conceive a poor wayworn wretch, as he lies on the arid waste, punting with blackened lips and swollen tongue, striking the kind travellers flask from his hand, and spilling the precious water among the blistering sands. The slave boy–now an African bishop–exulted gleefully when a British cruiser snapped the fetters from his youthful limbs and bore him to free Liberia. Can folly surpass that insensate madness which makes the sinner spurn the clear, cool, crystal drops of life, and perversely traverse the wilds of sin? Can madness outrival that supreme folly which leads the hapless bondsman of sin to hug the chains of condemnation, and obstinately kiss the fetters of wrath?
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 8. If they will not believe – the voice of the first sign, c.] Probably intimating that some would be more difficult to be persuaded than others: some would yield to the evidence of the first miracle others would hesitate till they had seen the second; and others would not believe till they had seen the water of the Nile turned into blood, when poured upon the dry land; Ex 4:9.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To the voice of the first sign; to the voice or word of God delivered and confirmed by the first sign. For Moses did not make dumb shows before them, but acquainted them with the mind of God therein. Or he saith
the voice, to note that Gods works have a voice to speak to us, which we must diligently observe. See Mic 6:9.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee,…. Will not give credit to the commission he had from God, but question the truth of it:
neither hearken to the voice of the first sign; which miracle wrought, spoke plain enough that he that wrought it, or for whose sake it was wrought, must be one come from God, or such a miracle would never be wrought by him or for him; but should any of the Israelites be still incredulous, it is supposed,
that they will believe the voice of the latter sign; which had a voice in it commanding belief that he was a messenger of God; the first sign respects his rod, the other his hand.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee. In these words God took away from Moses every handle for doubt; as much as to say, that he was sufficiently provided and strengthened to overcome the stubbornness of the people; and yet, heaping up the measure to overflowing, he afterwards added a third sign, from whence Moses might attain full confidence, and that no further hinderance should oppose his pious desires. This, too, is a remarkable evidence of the kindness of God, that he deigned so liberally to add sign to sign, and to contend with the evil heart of the people, until with a strong hand he drew them out of their torpor of incredulity. Surely, if they neglected the first miracle, they were unworthy to have another proof of his power set before them by God. It was, then, a wonderful exercise of longsuffering still to persevere in arresting their dullness. With equal clemency does He now overlook our sluggishness of heart; because, when with far less reverence than we ought we receive the testimonies whereby He manifests His grace, He avenges not our foul ingratitude, but rather adds new remedies for the cure of our unbelief. As by the two former miracles God shewed the power which he willed to exercise by the hand of Moses, so in this third He taught them what would be His dealings with the Egyptians. And then, both from within and from without, Moses was confirmed before all the people. The conclusion is, then, that when God should lift up His hand against the Egyptians, so far would they be from having strength to resist, that the very strongholds in which they proudly trusted should be felt to be adverse and injurious to them. We know how many and various were the advantages they derived from the Nile. Their land, on one side, was rendered, by its opposing barrier, safe and invincible; its many ports enriched their nation by their convenience for the importation and exportation of merchandise; the fertility of their fields arose from its inundations; in a word, Egypt attributed the chief part of its prosperity to the Nile. But now God gives warning not only that it should not profit the Egyptians, but that it was in His power to turn all its advantages into injuries; nay, that the very stream which used to fertilize their land by its irrigation, should cover and defile it with blood. With respect to the words, the “voice of the sign” is figuratively applied to mean a demonstration of the power of God, by which the Israelites might be taught that Moses was sent them by God as their deliverer. For although the rod turned into a serpent could not speak, yet very loudly, indeed, did it announce, that what the Israelites deemed altogether impossible, would not be difficult to God. Others thus resolve the particle את, (51) “If they will not believe your voice, because of the sign;” but the former interpretation is more correct. The meaning of the expression, however, is added soon afterwards, in this distinction — “If they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice;” as though God had said, that His power cried out, or thundered in His miracles, to obtain a hearing for the teaching of His servant.
(51) את the noun substantive translated a sign, and את the particle indicating an accusative case, are the same word in Hebrew, if points are not used. Hence Calvin has called the את here a particle, though avowedly commenting upon its purport as a noun. — W
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) The voice of the first sign.Not the voice of Moses witnessed to by the first sign (Rosenmller), but the voice, which the sign itself might be regarded as uttering. (Comp. Psa. 105:27, where Moses and Aaron are said to have proclaimed the words of Gods signs.) A miracle speaks to men.
They will believe, i.e., most of them. Accustomed to the tricks of the serpent charmers (see Exo. 7:11 and comment ad loc.), the Israelites might be unmoved by the sight of the first miracle. They were then to be shown the second, which would be much more astonishing to them, having no parallel in their experience. This would persuade the greater number. As some, however, might still doubt, a third sign was provided. God is patient with all reasonable doubt.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. First sign latter sign These signs are God’s voiceless but visible words to the people . But, like all other words, they may be heard or not, at the hearer’s option . No conceivable miracle can compel conviction . When Christ arose “some doubted . ”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 4:8. That they will believe the voice of the latter sign This perhaps might be better rendered, they MAY believe; for GOD doth not so much foretel what will happen, as what is the purpose and design of these miracles: asserting, that, if the first do not prevail with some, the second may: against both which, however, if any should stand out, he enables Moses to work a third, which shall prove more convincing than the others. There is great beauty in the expression, the voice of the sign. Bishop Warburton observes on this passage, that, in the first ages of the world, men being obliged to supply the deficiencies of language by significant signs; mutual converse was upheld by a mixed discourse of words and actions. Hence came the Eastern phrase of the voice of the sign; and use and custom, as in most other affairs of life, improving what had arisen out of necessity into ornament, this practice subsisted long after the necessity was over; especially among the Eastern people, whose natural temperament inclined them to a mode of conversation, which so well exercised their vivacity by motion, and so much gratified it by a perpetual representation of material images. See Div. Leg. b. 4: sect. 4: p. 95. But, separate from all this, the voice of the sign may be well understood, and is very energetic. The voice of Nature is a common figure in all languages: every object in nature, ordinary as well as extraordinary, may be well said to utter forth a voice, and to speak in the ear of reason concerning their great God and Master. Pro dii immortales, says Cicero, speaking of some prodigies which happened in his time, qui magis nobiscum loqui possitis, si essetis versaremenique nobiscum? How, ye immortal gods, could you speak more plainly to us, if you were conversant with us? See Gen 4:10. Psa 19:3.
REFLECTIONS.1. Moses, from a diffidence of himself, and perhaps too from some sinful distrust of God, suggests his fears of the people’s unbelief. God had assured him of the contrary; but how hard is it to rest upon God’s word against human probabilities, and our own past experience!
2. We have God’s answer. The miracles should speak for his mission, and gain him credit in his message to the Hebrews. Two are performed immediately, for his own satisfaction; a third is promised, if needful, for theirs. When Jesus came, the multitude and the nature of his miracles, to a demonstration proved him sent from God. If Israel had been inexcusable to have refused these evidences, what must we be, who are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses, if we disbelieve or reject HIM?
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mic 6:9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Ver. 8. The voice of the first sign. ] God’s signs have a voice, and words. Psa 105:27 They speak not only to our eyes, but ears; as those many prodigies did before the last desolation of Jerusalem; as the terrible tempest at Rome in 1516, – the same year that Luther began to stir, – that so struck the church where Pope Leo was creating his cardinals, that it removed the child Jesus out of the lap of his mother, and the keys out of St Peter’s hand. So the two suns seen in London at the coming in of King Philip on Feb. 15, 1553: the new star in Cassiopeia in 1572: the prodigious comet a in 1618, &c.
a O .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
voice. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia (App-6), by which the “sign” is personified.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
if they: Exo 4:30, Exo 4:31, Isa 28:10, Joh 12:37
that they: Deu 32:39, 2Ki 5:7, Job 5:18
Reciprocal: Exo 4:28 – told Aaron 1Sa 10:7 – signs 1Ki 13:3 – General Joh 6:30 – What
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 4:8. The voice of the first sign The expression here is peculiarly proper and forcible; for Gods works have a voice as well as his word, to which we ought diligently to attend. And these miracles spoke aloud in the ear of reason, and said, Believe in him whom God hath sent. Bishop Warburton observes here (see Divine Legation, book 4, sect. 4) that in the first ages of the world, men being obliged to supply the deficiencies of language by significant signs, mutual converse was carried on by a mixed discourse of words and actions. Hence came the eastern phrase of the voice of the sign; and use and custom improving what had arisen out of necessity into ornament, this practice subsisted long after the necessity was over, especially in the East, the natural temperament of the people in that part of the world inclining them to a mode of conversation which exercised their vivacity by motion, and gratified it by a perpetual representation of material images.