The conjunction But may also be understood as “Then.” Put out your hand in this case means “Reach down” (Good News Translation), since the snake was on the ground. Some languages will retain the word hand here; for example “Reach your hand down and….” Take it by the tail really means catching the snake and holding it firmly; “pick it up by the tail” (Good News Translation) may wrongly suggest a careless handling of the snake. So another way to express this is “grab its tail and hold it firmly.” Experienced snake handlers normally grab a snake right behind its head. So Yahweh’s command could suggest a further test of Moses’ obedience.

So he put out his hand and caught it is set off with a dash (—) because it begins a narrative interruption of the LORD’s words, which continue in verse 5. In English it is more naturally handled with a full stop as in Good News Translation. The suggestion is that Moses obeyed the command in verse 4a before the LORD continued to speak in verse 5. He put out his hand uses the same words as 4.4a; and caught it uses a different word, but it means the same thing.

And it became a rod in his hand means that the snake was changed back into the same rod as before, and this change took place after the snake was in his hand.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach your hand down and grab it firmly by its tail.” So Moses reached down his hand and grabbed the tail of the snake. It became a walking stick again.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .