Exodus 4:24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

◄ Exodus 4:24 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

English Standard Version
At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

New American Standard Bible
Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

King James Bible
And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the LORD confronted him and sought to put him to death.

International Standard Version
But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was in his journey, in the inn, the Lord met him, and would have killed him.

Darby Bible Translation
And it came to pass on the way, in the inn, that Jehovah came upon him, and sought to slay him.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass in the way, in a lodging place, that Jehovah meeteth him, and seeketh to put him to death;

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

4:24-31 God met Moses in anger. The Lord threatened him with death or sent sickness upon him, as the punishment of his having neglected to circumcise his son. When God discovers to us what is amiss in our lives, we must give all diligence to amend it speedily. This is the voice of every rod; it calls us to return to Him that smites us. God sent Aaron to meet Moses. The more they saw of God's bringing them together, the more pleasant their interview was. The elders of Israel met them in faith, and were ready to obey them. It often happens, that less difficulty is found than was expected, in such undertakings as are according to the will of God, and for his glory. Let us but arise and try at our proper work, the Lord will be with us and prosper us. If Israel welcomed the tidings of their deliverance, and worshipped the Lord, how should we welcome the glad tidings of redemption, embrace it in faith, and adore the Redeemer!

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

24. inn—Hebrew, "a halting place for the night."

the Lord met him, and sought to kill him—that is, he was either overwhelmed with mental distress or overtaken by a sudden and dangerous malady. The narrative is obscure, but the meaning seems to be, that, led during his illness to a strict self-examination, he was deeply pained and grieved at the thought of having, to please his wife, postponed or neglected the circumcision of one of his sons, probably the younger. To dishonor that sign and seal of the covenant was criminal in any Hebrew, peculiarly so in one destined to be the leader and deliverer of the Hebrews; and he seems to have felt his sickness as a merited chastisement for his sinful omission. Concerned for her husband's safety, Zipporah overcomes her maternal feelings of aversion to the painful rite, performs herself, by means of one of the sharp flints with which that part of the desert abounds, an operation which her husband, on whom the duty devolved, was unable to do, and having brought the bloody evidence, exclaimed in the painful excitement of her feelings that from love to him she had risked the life of her child [Calvin, Bullinger, Rosenmuller].