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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Exodus 4:16

He shall be thy spokesman. — Heb.,He shall speak for thee.

He shall be, even he shall be. — Rather, it shall come to pass that he shall be, &c.

Instead of God. — God did not speak to Aaron directly, but only through Moses. Aaron was to recognise in Moses God’s mouthpiece, and to consider what Moses told him as coming from God. Moses had still, therefore, the higher position.

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See also Exodus 4:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Exodus 4:16. _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 th...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4:1-28 MOSES' OBJECTIONS, JEHOVAH'S ANSWER AND THE RETURN TO EGYPT _ 1. The first objection (Exodus 4:1)_ 2. The two signs and Jehovah's assurance (Exodus 4:2) 3. The second objection (Exod...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EXODUS 4:10 J. MOSES'S FOURTH DIFFICULTY slowness of speech. This is met by a promise of prophetic inspiration, the fulfilment of which not only Deuteronomy 34:10, but the whole representation of J, e...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HE SHALL BE. Figure of speech _Repetitio_ (App-6), for emphasis. thy spokesman. In Exodus 7:1. " thy prophet": hence God's prophet is God's spokesman, "the man of God" (Deuteronomy 33.Psalms 90, Title...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Exodus 3:1 TO EXODUS 4:17. Moses commissioned by Jehovah at Horeb to deliver His people. The dialogue between Jehovah and Moses, as in other cases (cf. Delitzsch on Genesis 12:1), must be pictured, no...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HE SHALL BE TO THEE INSTEAD OF A MOUTH; AND THOU SHALT BE TO HIM INSTEAD OF GOD.— The meaning of this is very evident from the context, without recourse to those subtleties and vain distinctions which...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 4 And Mo-ses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Je-ho-vah hath not appeared unto thee. (2) And Je-ho...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD, O MY LORD, I AM NOT ELOQUENT, NEITHER HERETOFORE, NOR SINCE THOU HAST SPOKEN UNTO THY SERVANT: BUT I AM SLOW OF SPEECH, AND OF A SLOW TONGUE._ I am not eloquent. It is...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Cp. EXODUS 7:1. INSTEAD OF GOD] Because Aaron would receive God's message at the mouth of Moses....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SIGNS ATTESTING THE COMMISSION OF MOSES. HIS RETURN TO EGYPT Moses still hesitates, and now objects that the péople will not believe him when he tells them that Jehovah has sent him. He is granted th...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION THE *ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT EXODUS CHAPTER S 1 TO 18 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 4 THE *LORD GIVES GREAT POWER TO MOSES – VERSES 1-9 God shows his po...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ דִבֶּר ־ה֥וּא לְךָ֖ אֶל ־הָ עָ֑ם

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER IV. _ MOSES HESITATES._ Exodus 4:1. Holy Scripture is impartial, even towards its heroes. The sin of David is recorded, and the failure of Peter. And so is the reluctance of Moses to accept...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S PROMISES OVERCOME MOSES' RELUCTANCE Exodus 4:10 To Moses' _second misgiving_ God made a promise of exceeding beauty, which all who speak for God should consider. Compare Exodus 4:12 with Jeremi...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    A further difficulty was now declared. The man who first doubted himself and then doubted because of his ignorance of God now doubted because of the people to whom he was to be sent. God had told him...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    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 (g) God. (g) Meaning, as a wise counsellor and full...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _To God. Hebrew, "thou shalt be to him in the place of God." He shall hear and obey thee, explaining to the people the instructions thou shalt give him. I have established thee the god of Pharao, and...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    1 Corinthians 1:27....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is hardly a book of the Old Testament that stands out in more decided contrast with the book of Genesis than the one which follows it most closely. And this is the more striking, because God emp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    16._And he shall be thy spokesman. _God destroys the pretext for his exemption, by assigning to his brother the office of spokesman, and yet does He not put the other in his place; nay, so merciful is...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Moses still raises difficulties, and God gives him again signs, remarkable signs. The two first seem to me in their character-types, the first, of sin and of its healing; the second, of power, which,...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND HE SHALL BE THY SPOKESMAN UNTO THE PEOPLE,.... And open to them Moses's commission from God, and the end of his mission into Egypt, and to them, and declare what signs had been, and would be done,...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 16. _And he shall be thy spokesman._] God...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth_ Even Aaron that could _speak well_, yet could not speak to purpose, unless God were _with his mouth;_ without the constant aids of divine grace, the best...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Moses rod is turned into a Serpent. 6 His hand is leprous. 10 He is loath to bee sent. 14 Aaron is appointed to assist him. 18 Moses departeth from Iethro. 21 Gods message to Pharaoh. 24 Zippo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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, to make known to him both the form and the content...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE FEARS OF MOSES REPROVED...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    Exodus 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto 2thee. And Jehovah said unto him, What _is_...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    God's message to Moses has been so clear that it cannot be mistaken. He has made no secret of the opposition of Pharaoh, but has declared positively that He would enable Israel to triumph over this an...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-17 Moses continued backward to the work God designed him for; there was much of cowardice, slothfulness, and unbelief in him. We must not judge of men by the readiness of their discourse. A great...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    To teach and command him. See EXODUS 7:1....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We are still called to linger at the foot of Mount Horeb, at "the backside of the desert;" and, truly, the air of this place is most healthful for the spiritual constitution. Man's unbelief and God's...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 4:16 spokesman H1696 (H8765) people H5971 mouth H6310 God H430 Exodus 7:1-2,...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    MOSES CONTINUES HIS RESISTANCE AND YAHWEH BECOMES ANGRY (EXODUS 4:10). Moses is naturally appalled at the hugeness of the responsibility that Yahweh is seeking to place on him and desperately tries t...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Moses' objections. Unbelief of the people and Moses' lack of eloquence. Return to Egypt. Message delivered to elders. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Aaron, Jethro, Zipporah, elders. CONCLUSION: U...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 4:1. _They will not believe me._ Then the Lord directed him to work a miracle, the most convincing evidence of divine authority, for the removal of unbelief. Exodus 4:2. _A rod._ Milton has dis...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He shall be thy spokesman._ MUTUAL AID IN RELIGIOUS WORK I. That sometimes great men are called to undertake a work against the performance of which they imagine themselves to have a natural impedi...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 4:16 HE SHALL SPEAK. A prophet is to speak _only_ what God reveals, and _all_ of what God reveals (see Exodus 7:1;...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 4:14_ MUTUAL AID IN RELIGIOUS WORK I. THAT SOMETIMES GOOD MEN ARE CALLED TO UNDERTAKE A WORK, AGAINST THE PERFORMANCE OF WHICH THEY IMAGINE THEMSELVES TO HA...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EXODUS 4:1 The reluctance of Moses to undertake the part of leader, indicated by his first reply at his first calling, "Who am I that I should go?" etc. (Exodus 3:11), was not yet overcome...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me (Exodus 4:1), Now he's not convinced. They're gonna say, "Who sent you?" "All right", God said, "Tell them Jehovah God, the God of y...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 7:1 Exodus 7:2 Exodus 18:19 Psalms 82:6 John 10:34...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    SLOW TO OBEY Exodus 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS Not for one moment would we take from Moses the honor which is his. He was a great man and a man faithful unto God. However, the Word of God in painting a...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Instead of God — To teach and to command him....

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