Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 4:16
16He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him.
Exodus 4:16 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.
Context of Exodus 4:16
14Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.” 18Then Moses went back to his father-in-law, Jethro, and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
Read all of Exodus 4Exodus 4:16 word by word
וְדִבֶּר־ה֥וּא לְךָ֖ אֶל־הָעָ֑ם וְהָ֤יָה הוּא֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ֣ לְפֶ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּ֥וֹ לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 4:16
- Exodus 7:1The Lord answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.
- Exodus 18:19Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.
- Psalms 82:6I said, “You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.
- John 10:34Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, I said, you are gods?
Commentaries on Exodus 4:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16He 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.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Instead 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.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-17Verses 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 deal of wisdom and true worth may be with a slow tongue. God sometimes makes choice of those as his messengers, who have the least of the advantages of art or nature, that his grace in them may appear the more glorious. Christ's disciples were no…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-17God 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311. But, behold--Hebrew, "If," "perhaps," "they will not believe me."--What evidence can I produce of my divine mission? There was still a want of full confidence, not in the character and divine power of his employer, but in His presence and power always accompanying him. He insinuated that his communication might be rejected and he himself treated as an impostor.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 4:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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