Bible Strands
Exodus 4:5
“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Moses immediately after the serpent-to-staff sign, just before commanding the leprous hand sign. This exchange occurs during their confrontation with Pharaoh’s demands.
The words — The Hebrew לְמַ֣עַן (le.ma.'an) translates to "so that," and יַאֲמִ֔ינוּ (ya.'a.mi.nu) translates to "they may believe." The text states these words frame the sign’s purpose: that the Israelites may believe the LORD, the God of the patriarchs, has appeared to Moses.
The thread — The declaration that God "has appeared" aligns with Genesis 12:7 and Genesis 18:1, where Yahweh manifests to the patriarchs to confirm covenant promises. Exodus 19:9 tracks this same pattern of divine appearance intended to secure communal belief.
Why it lands — The verse demands that the community recognize the continuity between the God of the patriarchs and the present deliverer. It requires Moses to perform the sign to validate that specific identity to the people.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
Cross-references
- Exodus 19:9 The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said.
- Genesis 12:7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 18:1 Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
- Genesis 26:2 The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.
- Genesis 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
- Exodus 3:15 God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
- Exodus 4:31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
- John 11:42 I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”
- Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- Exodus 3:6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.