Exodus 4:6 records a second sign God gave Moses before sending him to Pharaoh. Moses is told to put his hand inside his cloak, and when he takes it out, it is diseased, white with leprosy, and then, by God’s power, restored. The verse is God speaking to Moses at the burning bush, during a conversation in which Moses has doubted that the Israelites or Pharaoh will believe he was sent by the LORD.
The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
Exodus 4:6 (WEB)
What Exodus 4:6 Means
The phrase “The LORD said furthermore to him” shows that this was not a one-time event but an ongoing conversation. Moses has already objected several times, and God answers patiently by giving him something concrete to see rather than simply repeating a command. The word “furthermore” suggests God is building the case step by step, the way a teacher adds a second example after the first one has been shown.
“Put your hand inside your cloak” is a simple, ordinary instruction, which is part of its force. Nothing grand is required of Moses. When he pulls out his hand, it is “leprous, as white as snow,” a sudden and frightening change. The sign is meant to show that the power working through Moses is not his own and that the God who speaks is able to bring harm and healing alike.
The verse does not promise that Moses will never struggle, that Pharaoh will easily yield, or that Moses will feel confident. It shows God meeting a reluctant man where he is, with evidence his fears can rest on. The sign is given so that the people “may believe,” and the verse itself is more about God’s willingness to reassure than about any guarantee of personal comfort.
The Context of Exodus 4:6
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells the story of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the covenant at Sinai, and the building of the tabernacle. The first chapters present a people who have suffered for generations and a leader who is hesitant to accept the task God assigns. Chapter 4 belongs to the commissioning of Moses, and the surrounding verses, 3 through 9, form a sequence of signs.
Just before verse 6, Moses has seen his staff become a snake and then return to a staff in his hand. Just after, the second sign is intensified by a third, in which water from the Nile turns to blood. Read in this sequence, the leprous hand is one of three escalating demonstrations, and it teaches Moses and the reader that God’s authority reaches over life and death, health and sickness, and even the great river of Egypt.
Key Phrases in Exodus 4:6
Exodus 4:10
Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
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Moses responds to God’s call with a plea about his speech, and God answers by reminding him who made human mouths. The reply connects directly to the theme of God’s power over the body and the ability of people to speak and act at his direction.
Hebrews 11:24-26
24 By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; 26 accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
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The writer of Hebrews presents Moses as a model of faith who chose hardship with God’s people over the comforts of Egypt. The passage shows the faith that Exodus 4:6 is meant to strengthen, a trust that holds steady when the path ahead looks uncertain.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 4:6
Lord, you are patient with those who hesitate and generous with the signs that help us believe. I bring you the places where I feel unready or unsure, and I ask you to meet me there as you met Moses. Give me the trust to take the next step, even when I do not yet see the whole path. Help me to rest in your power rather than my own strength. Amen.
