Exodus 4:16

The Appointment of Aaron · Exodus 4:10–17
Read Exodus 4

Translations

Modern
He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.
Traditional
And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
Literal
And he will speak for you to the people. And it shall come to pass that he shall be to you as a mouth, and you shall be to him as God.
Latin
Ipse loquetur pro te ad populum, et erit os tuum: tu autem eris ei in his quæ ad Deum pertinent.

Original

Hebrew
English
He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.

Notes

God did not allow Moses to avoid his responsibility. However, he responded to the concern of Moses by appointing his brother Aaron to speak for him (14:16). Aaron would serve as the mouthpiece of Moses before Pharaoh and the people.

As the story continues, the text records fewer occasions when Aaron speaks on behalf of Moses. Moses increasingly speaks directly.

This suggests that the speaking difficulty of Moses may not have been as severe as he feared. It may also be that his confidence and ability grew with experience.

The fourth and final protest of Moses was that he could not speak well. He seemed desperate to avoid this difficult task.

God was becoming angry at Moses for refusing to accept the truth. The outcome did not depend on the ability of Moses. Instead, it depended on his willingness to let God's power work through him.

Moses, in his response to God, presented four reasons why he was not the one to fulfill God’s call. Although each reason supposedly relates to Moses and his ability, God’s answers show that they were really questions about God.

This section describes the mission God gave Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. It is divided into two parts, 3:1–4:17 and 4:18–28.

The first part describes God's call. The second part describes the full consequences of accepting that call. Moses not only experienced a career change, but he also had to completely change his life.

Glossary

Aaron Book of Exodus Bronze Snake, Bronze Serpent Deuteronomy, Book of History of Israel Joshua, Book of Prophecy Prophet, Prophetess

Topics

Aaron: Meets Moses in the Wilderness and is Made Spokesman for Moses Call: To Special Religious Duty: Aaron and his Sons Call: To Special Religious Duty: Moses Communion: Moses Condescension of God: Reasons with Moses Faith: Trial of Moses, when Sent to Pharaoh Israel: Moses Commissioned As the Deliverer