MOSES’ SPOKESMAN: "AARON THY BROTHER SHALL BE THY PROPHET" (EXODUS 7:1) · EXODUS & WILDERNESS

Aaron. Spoke the words the LORD gave Moses, to the elders of Israel and to Pharaoh.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophet

ERA

Exodus & wilderness c. 1450–1400 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

Pharaoh of the Exodus · Moses

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW THE WORD CAME

Exodus 4 · Named at the bush

THE CALL

Called, as three accounts tell it

“Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well.”

Exodus 4:14 (KJV) →

HOW THE WORD KEPT COMING

  • The word came to Aaron through Moses: "thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth". "Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses". Exodus 4:15–16 Exodus 4:28–30
  • Scholars' viewKeil reads Exodus 4:16 and 7:1 together: "Aaron would stand in the same relation to Moses, as a prophet to God: the prophet only spoke what God inspired him with"; at 7:1 Aaron is "the prophet of Moses, as being the person who would announce to Pharaoh the revelations of Moses."[1][2]
  • From the textOur count in the KJV: the LORD speaks to Aaron alone in five places (Exodus 4:27; Leviticus 10:8; Numbers 18:1, 18:8, 18:20), and to Moses and Aaron together in 17 verses. Exodus 4:27 Leviticus 10:8 Numbers 18:1 Numbers 18:8 Numbers 18:20
  • As high priest he was to bear the breastplate of judgment, with "the Urim and the Thummim", upon his heart before the LORD, and Moses put them in the breastplate; later his son Eleazar was to ask counsel "after the judgment of Urim". Exodus 28:29–30 Leviticus 8:8 Numbers 27:21
  • From the textExodus 7:1 is the only verse that calls Aaron a prophet, and there he is the prophet of Moses. Exodus 7:1

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before two rulers

KING OF EGYPT (NOT NAMED IN SCRIPTURE)

Pharaoh of the Exodus

“Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.”

Exodus 7:2 (KJV) →

LEADER OF ISRAEL, LAWGIVER AND PROPHET

Moses

“Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.”

Numbers 12:11 (KJV) →

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

Let my people go

“The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God”

Exodus 5:3 (KJV) →

The blessing

“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

Numbers 6:24–26 (KJV) →

Teaching the statutes

“that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses”

Leviticus 10:11 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL

“And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.”

Exodus 4:30 (KJV) →

TO THE PEOPLE, AT THE GOLDEN CALF

“To morrow is a feast to the LORD.”

Exodus 32:5 (KJV) →

TO MOSES (WITH MIRIAM)

“Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us?”

Numbers 12:2 (KJV) →

SIGNS

Signs and wonders

WONDER

The rod before Pharaoh

WONDER

Blood, frogs and lice

SIGN-ACT

Between the dead and the living

WONDER

The rod that budded

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with him, and against him

Moses

Miriam

Hur

Eleazar

Korah

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • Because "ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah", Aaron was not to enter the land. On mount Hor Moses stripped him of his garments and put them on Eleazar, "and Aaron died there in the top of the mount"; Israel mourned him thirty days. Numbers 20:23–29
  • Numbers gives the date and age: he died "in the fortieth year" after the Exodus, "in the first day of the fifth month", aged 123. Numbers 33:38–39
  • Deuteronomy has a different place name: "to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried". Deuteronomy 10:6
  • Later Scripture remembers him as "Aaron whom he had chosen" and "Aaron the saint of the LORD", and Hebrews says no man takes the priestly honour "but he that is called of God, as was Aaron". Psalms 105:26 Psalms 106:16 Hebrews 5:4

TRADITION SAYS

No tradition is recorded here.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

Both: Mosera was the camp below mount Hor

Keil (1871)

Keil holds that the camp "is called Mosera in Deut. x. 6, and Moseroth" in Numbers 33, and lay in the Arabah near mount Hor, though "altogether unknown to us"; the camp took the mountain’s name because Aaron died and was buried there.[6]

Two different traditions

Driver (1895)

Driver notes that Numbers 33 lists the stations in another order and has Aaron die on mount Hor "not at Moserah". He thinks the difference is due to "divergent traditions", and that the itinerary in Deuteronomy 10 is likely "not part of the original text" of the book. He calls Keil’s reconciliation possible but not probable.[22]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 25

Exodus 4 Exodus 5 Exodus 6 Exodus 7 Exodus 8 Exodus 17 Exodus 28 Exodus 32 Leviticus 10 Numbers 6 Numbers 12 Numbers 16 Numbers 17 Numbers 18 Numbers 20 Numbers 33 Deuteronomy 9 Deuteronomy 10 Psalms 99 Psalms 105 Psalms 106 Micah 6 Acts 7 Hebrews 5 Hebrews 9

PASSAGES · 29

Exodus 4:14–31 Exodus 5:1–5 Exodus 6:26–7:13 Exodus 7:19–20 Exodus 8:5–19 Exodus 17:10–12 Exodus 28:29–30 Exodus 32:1–6 Exodus 32:21–25 Exodus 32:35 Leviticus 10:8–11 Numbers 6:22–27 Numbers 12:1–15 Numbers 16:1–11 Numbers 16:46–48 Numbers 17:1–10 Numbers 18:1–20 Numbers 20:10–13 Numbers 20:23–29 Numbers 33:38–39 Deuteronomy 9:20 Deuteronomy 10:6 Psalms 99:6 Psalms 105:26 Psalms 106:16 Micah 6:4 Acts 7:40 Hebrews 5:4 Hebrews 9:4

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture records no prophecy of the future given through Aaron; his recorded words as a speaker are the words given to Moses.
  • Exodus does not record any word of the LORD to Aaron about the calf; Deuteronomy 9:20 says the LORD "was very angry with Aaron" and that Moses prayed for him.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 1 (Genesis; Exodus 1–11) (1864), pp. 451–452 (Exodus 4:14–16).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 1 (Genesis; Exodus 1–11) (1864), p. 472 (Exodus 6:28–7:7).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 2 (1872 printing) (1872), p. 56 (Exodus 15:19–21).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 70–71 (Numbers 11:24–30).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 75–76 (Numbers 12:1–3).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 136 (Numbers 20:22–29); pp. 244–245 (Numbers 33:30–33 and Deuteronomy 10:6).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 158–161 (Balaam and his prophecies, introduction).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 165 (Numbers 22:5).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 168–169 (Numbers 22:20–22).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 192–194 (Numbers 24:17–18).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), pp. 394–396 (Deuteronomy 18:15–19).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch, vol. 3 (1871 printing) (1871), p. 492 (Deuteronomy 32:48–52); pp. 517–518 (Concluding remarks on the composition of the Pentateuch).
  • C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, tr. James Martin, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth (1872 printing of the 1865 translation) (1872), p. 308 (Judges 5:1).
  • George Foot Moore, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Judges (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 130–132 (Judges 5, the date and author of the song).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), p. xlvi (Introduction §15).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 113–115 (Numbers 11:25–29).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 120–121 (Numbers 12:1).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 325–326 (Numbers 22:5).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 332–333 (Numbers 22:22).
  • George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers (International Critical Commentary) (1903), pp. 369–371 (Numbers 24:17–18).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), p. xxvii (Introduction §3) and pp. xlv–xlvi (Introduction §4, the date of Deuteronomy).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 119–120 (Deuteronomy 10:6–7).
  • S. R. Driver, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Deuteronomy (International Critical Commentary) (1895), pp. 228–229 (Deuteronomy 18:15–19).
  • A. F. Kirkpatrick, The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Bible for Schools) (1884), Introduction, ch. I, §§2–4 (the title, the author and the sources).
  • A. F. Kirkpatrick, The First Book of Samuel (Cambridge Bible for Schools) (1884), p. 219 (note on 28:11) and Appendix, Note VIII, pp. 244–245.
  • Origen, tr. Frederick Crombie, Against Celsus, book 1 (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), 1.59–60.
  • Origen, tr. Frederick Crombie, De Principiis (On First Principles), book 3 (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 4) (1885), 3.2.1.
  • Tertullian, tr. Peter Holmes, A Treatise on the Soul (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3) (1885), ch. 57.
  • Jerome, tr. W. H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W. G. Martley, Against Vigilantius (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 6) (1893), ch. 5.
  • J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer (eds. and trs.), The Apostolic Fathers (one-volume edition): The Shepherd of Hermas (1891), introduction, pp. 293–294; Vision 2.3, p. 409.

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