The Meaning of Exodus 4:18 Explained

Exodus 4:18

KJV: 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 brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

YLT: And Moses goeth and turneth back unto Jethro his father-in-law, and saith to him, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I turn back unto my brethren who are in Egypt, and I see whether they are yet alive.' And Jethro saith to Moses, 'Go in peace.'

Darby: And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, that I may see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

ASV: 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 brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 brethren  which [are] in Egypt,  and see  whether they be yet  alive.  And Jethro  said  to Moses,  Go  in peace. 

What does Exodus 4:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Moses" pessimism concerning the welfare of the Israelites comes out in his request that Jethro (Reuel of Exodus 2:18; cf. Exodus 3:1) let him return to Egypt. Moses apparently concluded, even after his experience at the burning bush, that there was no hope for the Israelites.
This section makes it possible for us to gain great insight into Moses" feelings about God"s promises to his forefathers and about his own life. Moses had become thoroughly disillusioned. He regarded himself as a failure, the objects of his ministry as hopeless, and God as unfaithful, uncaring, and unable to deliver His people. He had learned his own inability to deliver Israel, but he did not yet believe in God"s ability to do so. Even the miraculous revelation of God at the burning bush and the miracles that God enabled Moses to perform did not convince him of God"s purpose and power.
One supernatural Revelation , even one involving miracles, does not usually change convictions that a person has built up over years of experience. We not only need to believe in our own inability to produce supernatural change, as Moses did, but we also need to believe in God"s ability to produce it. Moses had not yet learned the second lesson, which God proceeded to teach him.

Context Summary

Exodus 4:18-31 - Moses And Aaron Announce God's Purpose To Israel
So often the keenest tests of a man's fitness for his life-work are furnished by his behavior in his home. It may be that Zipporah had resisted the earlier imposition on her son of the initial rite of the Jewish faith and her proud soul had to yield. No man who has put his hand to God's plow can take counsel with flesh and blood, or look back. At whatever cost we must set our own house in order, before we can emancipate a nation.
When God designs it, He will contrive for us to meet the man, or men, who are to help us in our life mission. Our paths meet in the Mount of God. When the Alps were bored for the railway track, the work started on either side, and the workers met in the middle. Help is coming to you from unexpected quarters, and will meet you when you need it most. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 4

1  Moses's rod is turned into a serpent
6  His hand is leprous
10  He loathes his calling
13  Aaron is appointed to assist him
18  Moses departs from Jethro
21  God's message to Pharaoh
24  Zipporah circumcises her son
27  Aaron is sent to meet Moses
29  The people believe them

What do the individual words in Exodus 4:18 mean?

So went Moses and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him let me go please and return my brothers who [are] in Egypt and see whether they are still alive Jethro to Moses go in peace
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ מֹשֶׁ֜ה וַיָּ֣שָׁב ׀ אֶל־ יֶ֣תֶר חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אֵ֣לֲכָה נָּ֗א וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אַחַ֣י אֲשֶׁר־ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה הַעוֹדָ֣ם חַיִּ֑ים יִתְר֛וֹ לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה לֵ֥ךְ לְשָׁלֽוֹם

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ  So  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מֹשֶׁ֜ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
וַיָּ֣שָׁב ׀  and  returned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יֶ֣תֶר  Jethro 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִתְרֹו  
Sense: father-in-law of Moses; also ‘Jether’.
חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ  his  father-in-law 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חָתַן 
Sense: to become a son-in-law, make oneself a daughter’s husband.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לוֹ֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אֵ֣לֲכָה  let  me  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נָּ֗א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙  and  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אַחַ֣י  my  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם  in  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְאֶרְאֶ֖ה  and  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַעוֹדָ֣ם  whether  they  are  still 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine plural
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
חַיִּ֑ים  alive 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
יִתְר֛וֹ  Jethro 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִתְרֹו  
Sense: father-in-law of Moses; also ‘Jether’.
לְמֹשֶׁ֖ה  to  Moses 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
לֵ֥ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לְשָׁלֽוֹם  in  peace 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.