Exodus 4

“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before…” Naming Cast and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it…” Naming Moses and Put keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…” Naming Abraham keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and…” Naming Put keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his…” Naming Put keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And Moses said unto the LORD , O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy…” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” The line’s distinctive content terms include mouth, teach. Its relationship to verses 11 and 13 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.” The line’s distinctive content terms include hand, signs. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my…” Naming Jethro and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.” Naming Egypt and Midian keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took…” Naming Moses and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD , Israel is my son, even my firstborn:” Naming Israel and Pharaoh keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy…” The line’s distinctive content terms include firstborn, refuse, serve. Its relationship to verses 22 and 24 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.

“Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a…” Naming Surely and Zipporah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and…” Naming Aaron keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:” Naming Aaron and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.” Naming Aaron and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.