And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.
- BSB Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing:
- NKJV And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.
- NASB Then Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds; for it is not my doing.
- NLT And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own.
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 said the coming event would prove the LORD had sent him and that he had not acted on his own. God would vindicate his servant by a sign.
Overview
Moses stakes his entire ministry on God's response, declaring that the outcome will prove his divine commission. He claims no self-appointed authority but acts as God's sent messenger. His vindication by God prefigures the Father's vindication of Christ, the one truly sent, attested by mighty works (Acts 2:22).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- John 6:38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
- Exod 3:12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
- John 5:36But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
- John 14:11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
- Jer 23:16Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
- Ezek 13:17Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
- Exod 4:1–9And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
- 1 Kgs 18:36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
- Zech 2:9For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
- John 11:42And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
- John 5:30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
- Deut 18:22When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
- Exod 7:9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
- Zech 4:9The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
- Num 24:13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 16:28 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
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