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Exodus 4:16

in Exodus 4

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

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Exodus 4

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

He shall be thy spokesman - Literally, He shall speak for thee (or in thy stead) to the people. He shall be to thee instead of a mouth - He shall convey every message to the people; and thou shalt be to him instead of God - thou shalt deliver to him what I communicate to thee.

This site's exposition

put words in his mouth

on Exodus 4:15-16

The arrangement made here is the shape of prophecy stated in miniature, one man receiving the word and another carrying it. Exodus 7:1 says it outright, that Moses is made a god to Pharaoh and Aaron his brother shall be his prophet. Matthew Henry reads the concession as a loss rather than a gift, since Moses now speaks through a mouth he does not govern, and Aaron is the man who makes the calf in chapter 32.

This site's exposition

He will be your spokesman

The verse sets the order of speech for the mission. God gives the word to Moses, Moses gives it to Aaron, and Aaron speaks it to the people, so that Moses stands toward Aaron as God stands toward a prophet. Adam Clarke explains that Moses would deliver to Aaron what God told him, and Aaron would carry every message to the people.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

QUESTIONS ON EXODUS 17 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

One should notice that when Moses is sent to the people, God does not say to him, "Behold, I gave you as a god to the people, and your brother will be your prophet," but he says, "[Your brother] will speak to the people for you." For Scripture had said, "He will be your mouth, and you will be to him as God." It did not say, "You are god to him." But to Pharaoh Moses is said to be given as god, and according to analogy, Aaron is a prophet of Moses, but to Pharaoh. Here it is suggested to us that prophets of God say what they hear from him. A prophet of God is nothing but one who speaks the words of God to men—those who either cannot hear God or do not deserve to.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Christ sent his disciples two and two, and some of the couples were brothers. (3.) Aaron was the elder brother, and yet he was willing to be employed under Moses in this affair, because God would have it so. (4.) Aaron could speak well, and yet was far inferior to Moses in wisdom.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Instead of a mouth - We may bear in mind Aaron’s unbroken habitude of speaking Hebrew and his probable familiarity with Egyptian. Instead of God - The word “God” is used of persons who represent the Deity, as kings or judges, and it is understood in this sense here: “Thou shalt be to him a master.”

The words behind it

14 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְדִבֶּר־and he will speak

    vediber-H1696 →1141 times

  • ה֥וּאhe

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • לְךָ֖for <the> you

    lekha

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָעָ֑םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • וְהָ֤יָהand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • הוּא֙he

    hu'H1931 →1879 times

  • יִֽהְיֶה־he will become

    yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times

  • לְּךָ֣of you

    lekha

  • לְפֶ֔ה<into> a mouth

    lepehH6310 →498 times

  • וְאַתָּ֖הand you

    veatahH859 →1094 times

  • תִּֽהְיֶה־you will become

    tihyeh-H1961 →3559 times

  • לּ֥וֹof him

    lo

  • לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃<into> a god

    lelohimH430 →2601 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

John 10:34Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?26 worksExodus 7:1–2The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.5 worksPsalms 82:6I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’3 worksExodus 18:19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.3 worksMicah 6:4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery. I sent Moses before you, as well as Aaron and Miriam.3 worksGenesis 20:7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”2 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Exodus 4:30and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,2 worksJob 33:6I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.2 works1 Samuel 28:13“Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.2 worksJob 36:2“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 82:6

    I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’

    it leads to

    • John 10:34–36

      Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?

    • Psalms 82:1

      God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:

    • Exodus 22:28

      You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

  • Through

    Exodus 18:19

    Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their causes to Him.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 27:5

      So Moses brought their case before the LORD,

    • Genesis 39:2

      And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.

    • Deuteronomy 5:5

      At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.…

    • Exodus 3:12

      “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will…

    • Exodus 20:19

      “Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies2

On this verse

On this chapter

About Exodus

The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Exodus: the study guide →Read Exodus 4 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON EXODUS 17; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Exodus 4 →