This is a rod. A what? A snake.

(1) But Moses spoke up and said, “What if they do not believe me and do not listen to me, but say: The LORD did not appear to you?”(2) The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he replied, “A rod.”(3) God said, “Cast it on the ground.” He cast it on the ground and it became a snake; and Moses recoiled from it.(4) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and grasp it by the tail”—he put out his hand and seized it, and it became a rod in his hand—(5) “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did appear to you.”(6) The LORD said to him further, “Put your hand into your bosom.” He put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, his hand was encrusted with snowy scales!(7) And God said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.”—He put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out of his bosom, there it was again like the rest of his body.—(8) “And if they do not believe you or pay heed to the first sign, they will believe the second.(9) And if they are not convinced by both these signs and still do not heed you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and it—the water that you take from the Nile—will turn to blood on the dry ground.”

What questions can you ask about verses 2-4?

(1) מזה בידך, “what is this in your hand?” The absence of the letter hey ה in the word מזה meezeh instead of mah zeh מה זה, is an allusion to the fact that only five out of the plagues would be performed by means of Moses’ staff. They were: the snake, the hail, the locust, the darkness, the splitting of the sea of Reeds. All the other miracles did not involve Moses’ staff as an instrument. Some of the other plagues were initiated by G’d personally, some by Aaron.

What question(s) does Rabbeinu Bahya answer?

(1) מזה בידך WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND? —The reason why the words מה זה (mah zeh) are written here as one word is to afford the opportunity to explain it thus: on account of this (meezeh - מִזֶּה) that is in thine hand thou wilt make thyself liable to punishment because thou hast harboured suspicion about worthy persons (Exodus Rabbah 3:12).

The contextual meaning, however, is that it is a question such as one puts to their fellow: “You admit that this object in front of you is a stone?” The other replies, “Yes”. The former says, “Well, I’ll turn it into wood”.

Why do you think Rashi gives two explanations here?

This does not contradict the Midrashic explanation [which preceded]. Rather, it is its own explanation, as if he [Rashi] had said, "Don't be surprised that God asked What is in your hand?", because it appears that God did not know what was in Moses' hand, but actually, it's like Rashi explains. God does not ask this question so as to begin entering into conversation with Moses, like in Where are you? (Gen. 3:9), or Where is Abel your brother (Gen. 4:9) or Who are these men with you? (Num. 22:9), because they are all the beginnings of conversations, and here it is not that.

And the Lord said. This sign was not given to Moses so that he would believe, because God had already given him the sign of the bush. God performed this sign for Moses so that Moses would imitate it before the children of Israel. It is therefore written, that they may believe, which means, "thus shall you do before them." God gave Moses a sign via an object that was always with him, the staff, Moses' walking stick, as is the custom with elders. Moses would not appear as a shepherd before Pharaoh.

What question(s) does Ibn Ezra answer here?

(1) I did not understand why Hashem had to do miracles for Moshe, because Moshe trusted that it was Hashem speaking to him, (why did he have to prove himself.) It would have been appropriate to say, the stick that you are holding in your hand, throw down in front of them and it will become a snake. So too for the second sign, it should have been done the way it was done in the third: take the water when you're in front of them. And therefore the rabbis say that the first one was a sign that he was speaking slander and the second one was to punish him for it. And that is the reason Moshe ran away from the snake because he was scared that he might be punished and the snake would bite him, and most people run away from things that are harmful to them. Even though, he knew that if it is so by God's will, there is nothing that can save him from it. And maybe, even though Hashem the creator of the world came to him, Hashem wanted to show these symbols in the change of nature. In order to strengthen the matter and the belief in Moshe's heart. And he should know truthfully that only via G-d's hand that new things will happen in this world. And it was enough for Moshe to just show him two things and there was no water there, so therefore God commanded that the sign should be done when there is water, in the eyes of the Jewish people.

How does this comment integrate both Rashi's and Ibn Ezra's comments?

What does Ramban add?

(1) מה זה בידך?, here is a staff which is an inert object, and the hand which is something very much alive. I will demonstrate that I can kill that which is alive and bring to life that which is dead. I will make your hand useless and your staff will suddenly come alive.

What question(s) does Sforno answer?

WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND? A STAFF (MATEH). Now a staff or rod may be denoted by three different words: maqel (stick), mateh (staff), and mishenet, a cane for the infirm and the elderly to lean upon... A maqel, on the other hand, is for striking with, such as carried by shepherds for use on the sheep and the dogs and against predatory animals. While a mateh is an emblem of distinction signifying the rank, occupation and status of a particular clan — for instance, 'mateh' (generic: tribe) of Levi, and, 'mateh' of his fathers.

Since Moshe was already old, the "verse might have had mishenet, and since he was a shepherd, maqel, too, would have been appropriate, as would mateh, corresponding to his distinguished lineage and family. But his reply to, What is that in your hand? was: "It is not a maqel, nor is it a mishenet, but a mateh," the verse stressing the stature of Moshe, his personality and greatness.

What question(s) does Malbim answer?