And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This wasn't just any shepherd's staff; God specifically instructed Moses to take "this rod" – the very one he'd just witnessed transform into a serpent. This wasn't a new tool being given, but a familiar object now imbued with divine power, a tangible reminder of God's miraculous presence.
And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is commissioning Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses expresses deep reluctance due to his lack of eloquence. God addresses this by appointing Aaron as Moses's spokesman and giving Moses a shepherd's staff, which will be used to perform miraculous signs. This staff becomes a tangible symbol of God's power, empowering Moses for the monumental task ahead.
Moses was a shepherd, not a king or a general. Yet, God chose a simple shepherd's staff to be the instrument of His mighty power.
Before Moses could lead a nation, he was a shepherd, tending his flock in the wilderness. God commanded him to take his everyday shepherd's staff, the very tool he used for guiding sheep, and use it for performing miracles.
This wasn't just any staff; it was the same one that had already transformed into a serpent (as seen in the previous verses). Now, it was to be the focus of divine power, a symbol of God's authority and ability to work through the ordinary and overlooked.
God deliberately chose Moses's humble shepherd's staff. It wasn't a symbol of earthly royalty or military might. Instead, it represented God's power to elevate the humble, to use what seems insignificant in the world's eyes to accomplish His grand purposes.
This simple rod wasn't just for show; it was a tangible sign of God's direct command and Moses's delegated authority.
The staff in Moses's hand was more than just an object; it was a symbol. It represented God's direct commission to Moses and the authority God was granting him to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites.
Think of it as a badge of office, but divinely issued. Just as a scepter signifies a king's rule, this staff symbolized Moses's role as God's representative. It was the tangible proof that Moses wasn't acting on his own accord, but was empowered by the Almighty.
This authority was to be used for 'signs' – not mere tricks, but powerful demonstrations of God's sovereignty over Egypt and His people. The staff was the conduit through which these divine interventions would be displayed.
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Understand the original words
matteh · Hebrew Noun
A long, slender rod used for support while walking, as a shepherd’s tool, or as a symbol of authority, power, or divine intervention. In Scripture, it often represents the instrument through which God performs miraculous signs.
oth · Hebrew Noun
In this context, it refers to the miraculous wonders or authenticating acts performed by God through His servants to demonstrate His authority, validate His message, and reveal His power to both believers and unbelievers.
This command to Moses regarding his staff is directly tied to the miraculous events God will perform through him to liberate His people from Egyptian bondage. The rod, a humble shepherd's tool, becomes a potent symbol of God's power and authority, confounding earthly rulers and vindicating His chosen servant.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses's Call at the Burning Bush
God calls Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses expresses reluctance due to his lack of eloquence. God reassures Moses and appoints Aaron as his spokesman.
c. 1446 BC
First Plague: Water to Blood
Moses, using his staff, strikes the Nile River, turning it to blood and demonstrating God's power over Egypt.
c. 1446 BC
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
A series of devastating plagues are unleashed upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites, culminating in the Exodus.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
The Israelites, led by Moses and Aaron, depart from Egypt after 400 years of bondage, marking a pivotal moment in their history.
This passage directly shows Moses' rod being used for signs, as Pharaoh demands a miracle and Aaron's rod turns into a serpent, just as God promised Moses in Exodus 4:17.
Numbers 20:8-11Here, God instructs Moses to 'speak to the rock' but Moses, in frustration, strikes it twice with his rod, showing the rod as an instrument of action, echoing the divine power entrusted to it in Exodus 4:17.
1 Kings 17:8-16In this story, Elijah uses his robe to perform a miracle, similar to how Moses' rod becomes a tool for divine signs, illustrating how God uses ordinary objects associated with His prophets for extraordinary purposes.
Zechariah 11:10-14This prophetic passage uses the imagery of shepherds and their staffs, reflecting on the rod used by Moses and later by the Messiah as symbols of authority and a means through which God interacts with His people.
gillExodus 4:17: "And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."
And thou shall take this rod in thine hand,.... Which he then had in his hand, and was no other than his shepherd's staff: wherewith thou shall do signs: wondrous things, meaning the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt.
clarkeExodus 4:17: "And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."
Thou shalt take this rod - From the story of Moses's rod the heathens have invented the fables of the thyrsus of Bacchus, and the caduceus of Mercury. Cicero reckons five Bacchuses, one of which, according to Orpheus, was born of the river Nile; but, according to the common opinion, he was born on the banks of that river. Bacchus is expressly said to have been exposed on the river Nile, hence he is called…
This wasn't just any shepherd's staff; God specifically instructed Moses to take "this rod" – the very one he'd just witnessed transform into a serpent. This wasn't a new tool being given, but a familiar object now imbued with divine power, a tangible reminder of God's miraculous presence.
God is commissioning Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses expresses deep reluctance due to his lack of eloquence. God addresses this by appointing Aaron as Moses's spokesman and giving Moses a shepherd's staff, which will be used to perform miraculous signs. This staff becomes a tangible symbol of God's power, empowering Moses for the monumental task ahead.
God is commissioning Moses to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Moses expresses deep reluctance due to his lack of eloquence. God addresses this by appointing Aaron as Moses's spokesman and giving Moses a shepherd's staff, which will be used to perform miraculous signs. This staff becomes a tangible symbol of God's power, empowering Moses for the monumental task ahead.
"And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”" — This wasn't just any shepherd's staff; God specifically instructed Moses to take "this rod" – the very one he'd just witnessed transform into a serpent. This wasn't a new tool being given, but a fami…
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Last reviewed October 2026