Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
- KJV And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
- NKJV So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
- NASB So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!”
- NLT Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses cried out to Yahweh, fearing the people were ready to stone him. The faithful leader turned to God amid threat.
Overview
Caught between a rebellious people and his own helplessness, Moses brings his distress to the Lord in prayer. His turning to God models the right response of a leader under pressure: dependence rather than retaliation. Moses, mediating between God and a hostile people, foreshadows Christ, who intercedes for those who oppose him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Sam 30:6And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.
- Num 14:10But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.
- John 8:59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
- Acts 14:19Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
- John 10:31At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him.
- Exod 15:25And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,
- Num 16:19When Korah had gathered his whole assembly against them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole congregation.
- Acts 7:50Has not My hand made all these things?’
- Num 11:11So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid upon me the burden of all these people?
- Exod 14:15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.