Exodus 4:16

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 became angry with Moses, and he said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well. Moreover, he is coming to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart. 15“So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And as for me, I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what you must do. He will speak for you to the people, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were his God. 17You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs.” 18So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

Exodus 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.

• And he shall be thy spokesmanדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• he shall be to thee instead of a mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• and thou shalt be to him instead of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Exodus 4:16

• Exodus 7:1So the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
• Exodus 18:19Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God;
• Psalms 82:6I thought, ‘You are gods; all of you are sons of the Most High.’
• John 10:34Jesus answered, “Is it not 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

• Aaron
• Call
• Communion
• Condescension of God
• Faith
• Israel

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Bosom
• Dead
• Leprous
• Slow
• Spokesman
• Aaron
• Egypt
• Exodus, the

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