Exodus 4:14-31

Aaron to Be Moses' Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, 1he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 "You are to speak to him and 2put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.
16 "Moreover, 3he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.
17 "You shall take in your hand 4this staff, 5with which you shall perform the signs."
18 Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro 6his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for 7all the men who were seeking your life are dead."
20 So Moses took his wife and his 8sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the 9staff of God in his hand.
21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all 10the wonders which I have put in your power; but 11I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
22 "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "12Israel is My son, My firstborn.
23 "So I said to you, '13Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, 14I will kill your son, your firstborn.""'
24 Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and 15sought to put him to death.
25 Then Zipporah took 16a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me."
26 So He let him alone. At that time she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood "-because of the circumcision.
27 17Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the 18mountain of God and kissed him.
28 19Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and 20all the signs that He had commanded him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and 21assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;
30 and 22Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the 23signs in the sight of the people.
31 So 24the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD 25was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then 26they bowed low and worshiped.

Exodus 4:14-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 4

This chapter is a continuation of the discourse that passed between God and Moses; and here Moses makes other objections to his mission; one is taken from the unbelief of the people of Israel, which is removed by giving him power to work miracles, by turning the rod in his hand into a serpent, and then into a rod again; and by putting his hand into his bosom at one time, when it became leprous, and again into the same place, when it became sound and whole, and by turning the water of the river into blood, Ex 4:1-9, another objection is formed from his want of eloquence, which is answered with an assurance, that God, that made man's mouth, would be with his mouth, and teach him what to say; and besides, Aaron his brother, who was an eloquent man, should be his spokesman, Ex 4:10-17 upon which he returned to Midian, and having obtained leave of his father-in-law to depart from thence, he took his wife and his sons, and returned to Egypt, Ex 4:18-20 at which time he received some fresh instructions from the Lord what he should do before Pharaoh, and what he should say unto him, Ex 4:21-23 then follows an account of what befell him by the way, because of the circumcision of his son, Ex 4:24-26 and the chapter is closed with an account of the meeting of Moses and Aaron, and of their gathering the elders of Israel together, to whom the commission of Moses was opened, and signs done before them, to which they gave credit, and expressed their joy and thankfulness, Ex 4:27-31.

Cross References 26

  • 1. Exodus 4:27
  • 2. Exodus 4:12, 30; Exodus 7:1; Num 23:5, 12, 16; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 1:9
  • 3. Exodus 7:1, 2
  • 4. Exodus 4:2, 20; Exodus 17:9
  • 5. Exodus 7:9-20; Exodus 14:16
  • 6. Exodus 2:21; Exodus 3:1
  • 7. Exodus 2:15, 23
  • 8. Exodus 18:3, 4; Acts 7:29
  • 9. Exodus 4:17; Exodus 17:9; Num 20:8, 9, 11
  • 10. Exodus 3:20; Exodus 11:9, 10
  • 11. Exodus 7:3, 13; Exodus 9:12, 35; Exodus 10:1, 20, 27; Exodus 14:4, 8; Deuteronomy 2:30; Joshua 11:20; 1 Samuel 6:6; Isaiah 63:17; John 12:40; Romans 9:18
  • 12. Isaiah 63:16; Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 31:9; Hosea 11:1; Romans 9:4
  • 13. Exodus 5:1; Exodus 6:11; Exodus 7:16
  • 14. Exodus 11:5; Exodus 12:29; Psalms 105:36; Psalms 135:8; Psalms 136:10
  • 15. Numbers 22:22
  • 16. Genesis 17:14; Joshua 5:2, 3
  • 17. Exodus 4:14
  • 18. Exodus 3:1; Exodus 18:5; Exodus 24:13
  • 19. Exodus 4:15
  • 20. Exodus 4:8
  • 21. Exodus 3:16
  • 22. Exodus 4:15, 16
  • 23. Exodus 4:1-9
  • 24. Exodus 3:18; Exodus 4:8; Exodus 19:9
  • 25. Genesis 50:24; Exodus 3:16
  • 26. Genesis 24:26; Exodus 12:27; 1 Chronicles 29:20

Footnotes 8

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