Exodus 17:4
New International Version
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

New Living Translation
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

English Standard Version
So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”

King James Bible
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

New King James Version
So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”

New American Standard Bible
So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!”

NASB 1995
So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.”

NASB 1977
So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.”

Amplified Bible
So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”

American Standard Version
And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.

Contemporary English Version
Then Moses prayed to the LORD, "What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!"

English Revised Version
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Moses cried out to the LORD, "What should I do with these people? They're almost ready to stone me!"

Good News Translation
Moses prayed earnestly to the LORD and said, "What can I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

International Standard Version
So Moses cried out to the LORD: "What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they'll stone me."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, ?What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!?

NET Bible
Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What will I do with this people?--a little more and they will stone me!"

New Heart English Bible
Moses cried to the LORD, saying, "What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, What shall I do to this people? they are almost ready to stone me.

World English Bible
Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Moses cries to YHWH, saying, “What do I do to this people? Yet a little, and they have stoned me.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses crieth to Jehovah, saying, 'What do I to this people? yet a little, and they have stoned me.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses will cry to Jehovah, saying, What shall I do to this people? yet a little and they will stone me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses cried to the Lord, saying: What shall I do to this people? Yet a little more and they will stone me.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, saying: “What shall I do with this people? A little while more and they will stone me.”

New American Bible
So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!”

New Revised Standard Version
So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Moses prayed to the LORD, saying. What shall I do with this people? They were almost ready to stone me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe prayed before LORD JEHOVAH and he said, “What shall I do for this people, for in a little bit they will stone me?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying: 'What shall I do unto this people? they are almost ready to stone me.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses cried to the Lord, saying, What shall I do to this people? yet a little while and they will stone me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Water from the Rock
3But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” 4Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!” 5And the LORD said to Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take along in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.…

Cross References
Numbers 20:3-5
The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! / Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? / Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”

Numbers 14:2-4
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! / Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” / So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 1:26-28
But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. / You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated. / Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”

Psalm 106:32-33
At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them. / For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

Numbers 11:11-15
So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid upon me the burden of all these people? / Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth, so that You should tell me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries an infant,’ to the land that You swore to give their fathers? / Where can I get meat for all these people? For they keep crying out to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ...

Numbers 16:41
The next day the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”

Numbers 21:5
and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”

Deuteronomy 9:22-24
You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah. / And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him. / You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.

Psalm 78:19-20
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.

Matthew 17:17
“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”

John 6:41-43
At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” / They were asking, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” / “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.

Acts 7:39
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.

Hebrews 3:7-11
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. ...

1 Corinthians 10:10
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.


Treasury of Scripture

And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, What shall I do to this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

cried

Exodus 14:15
And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

Exodus 15:25
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Numbers 11:11
And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

almost

Numbers 14:10
But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Numbers 16:19
And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

1 Samuel 30:6
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

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Exodus 17
1. The people murmur for water to Rephidim
6. God send them for water to the rock in Horeb
7. The place is called Massah and Meribah
8. Amalek is overcome by Joshua, while Moses holds up his hand
14. Amalek is doomed to destruction; and Moses builds the altar Jehovah-nissi














So Moses cried out
The phrase "cried out" in Hebrew is "צָעַק" (tsa'aq), which conveys a deep, urgent plea for help. This is not a mere request but a desperate call from Moses, reflecting his intense distress and reliance on God. Historically, this moment captures Moses' leadership challenges as he navigates the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. His cry signifies a leader's vulnerability and the necessity of divine intervention in times of crisis.

to the LORD
The term "LORD" here is the tetragrammaton "יהוה" (YHWH), the sacred and personal name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This name signifies God's eternal presence and covenant faithfulness. Moses' direct appeal to YHWH underscores the intimate relationship between God and His chosen leader, highlighting the unique privilege Moses had in communicating directly with the Almighty.

What should I do
This phrase reveals Moses' uncertainty and the burden of leadership. The Hebrew root "עָשָׂה" (asah) means "to do" or "to make," indicating Moses' search for a practical solution. It reflects the human aspect of leadership, where even the most faithful servants of God seek divine guidance when faced with overwhelming challenges.

with these people?
The term "these people" refers to the Israelites, who were often described as a "stiff-necked" people (Exodus 32:9). This phrase captures the tension between Moses and the Israelites, who frequently complained and rebelled despite witnessing God's miracles. It highlights the recurring theme of human disobedience and the need for patience and perseverance in leadership.

A little more
This expression suggests the imminence of danger. The Hebrew word "מְעַט" (me'at) implies that the situation is on the brink of escalation. It conveys the urgency of Moses' plea and the precariousness of his position as a leader facing potential violence from his own people.

and they will stone me!
Stoning was a common form of capital punishment in ancient Israel, reserved for severe transgressions. The threat of stoning indicates the severity of the Israelites' frustration and their readiness to resort to violence. This phrase underscores the gravity of the situation Moses faced and the extent of the people's desperation and lack of faith. It serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by those who lead God's people and the importance of steadfast faith in God's provision and protection.

(4) They be almost ready to stone me.--Heb., Yet a little and they will stone me. On tumultuary stoning, see the second Note on Exodus 8:26.

Verse 4. - And Moses cried unto the Lord. It is one of the most prominent traits of the character of Moses, that, at the occurrence of a difficulty, he always carries it straight to God. (See Exodus 15:25; Exodus 24:15; Exodus 32:30; Exodus 33:8; Numbers 11:2, 11; Numbers 12:11; Numbers 14:13-19, etc.) They be almost ready to stone me. This is the first which we hear of stoning as a punishment. It is naturally one of the easiest modes of wreaking popular vengeance on an obnoxious individual, and was known to the Greeks as early as the time of the Persian war (Herod. 9:5), to the Macedonians (Q. Curt. Vit. Alex. 6:11, 38), and others. There is, however, no trace of it among the Egyptians.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Moses
מֹשֶׁה֙ (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

cried out
וַיִּצְעַ֤ק (way·yiṣ·‘aq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6817: To shriek, to proclaim

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD,
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

“What
מָ֥ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

should I do
אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה (’e·‘ĕ·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

with these
הַזֶּ֑ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

people?
לָעָ֣ם (lā·‘ām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

A little more
ע֥וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

and they will stone me!”
וּסְקָלֻֽנִי׃ (ū·sə·qā·lu·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 5619: To stone, put to death by stoning


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OT Law: Exodus 17:4 Moses cried to Yahweh saying What shall (Exo. Ex)
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