Exodus 4:24

ESV At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.

NIV At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.

NASB But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met Moses, and sought to put him to death.

CSB On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and intended to put him to death.

NLT On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him.

KJV And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.

NKJV And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.

What does Exodus 4:24 mean?

This begins one of the most obscure passages in the Old Testament (Exodus 4:25–26). God has commissioned Moses to demand the release of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 3:10). Moses has obtained permission to leave his extended family (Exodus 4:18). coming with him are his wife, Zipporah (Exodus 2:21) and sons Gershom (Exodus 2:22) and Eliezer (Exodus 18:4).

Abruptly, the text indicates that God threatened Moses' life. No details are given; this might have been a serious illness. Upcoming verses will mention circumcision of one of Moses' sons; this ends the threat. Scholars speculate that Moses had not circumcised one of the sons, possibly because Zipporah objected. Given a mission to speak the words of God (Exodus 4:12), it would have been hypocritical for Moses to ignore a fundamental command (Genesis 17:10).

Others note a parallel between Moses facing death before crossing into Egypt and Jacob's brush with danger before crossing the Jabbok river (Genesis 32:22–26).

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