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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Exodus 4:16

He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aaron;   Call;   Communion;   Condescension of God;   Faith;   Israel;   Scofield Reference Index - Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Unity-Strife;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Mouth;   Sinai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Aaron;   Moses;   Prophecy, prophet;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Aaron;   Leadership;   Prayer;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Miriam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Exodus;   Holy Spirit;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Authority in Religion;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Aaron;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Exodus, the;   Priesthood, the;   On to Canaan;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Aaron;   God;   Moses;   Mouth;   Peter, the First Epistle of;   Plagues of Egypt;   Revelation;   Spice;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aaron;   Miracle;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And he will speak for you to the people, and then he will be to you as a mouth, and you will be to him as a god.
New Century Version
Aaron will speak to the people for you. You will tell him what God says, and he will speak for you.
New English Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
"Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; he will act as a mouthpiece for you, and you will be as God to him [telling him what I say to you].
New American Standard Bible
"He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he shall be thy spokesman vnto the people: and he shall be, euen he shall be as thy mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.
Legacy Standard Bible
Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will become as a mouth for you, and you will become as God to him.
Complete Jewish Bible
Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God.
Darby Translation
And he shall speak for thee unto the people; and it shall come to pass that he shall be to thee for a mouth, and thou shalt be to him for God.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Aaron will speak for you. Like God, you will speak to him, and he will tell the people what you say.
English Standard Version
He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.
George Lamsa Translation
And he shall be your spokesman to the people; and he shall be an interpreter for you, and you shall be to him instead of God.
Good News Translation
He will be your spokesman and speak to the people for you. Then you will be like God, telling him what to say.
Literal Translation
And he shall speak for you to the people. And it shall be, he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be a god for him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& he shall speake vnto the people for the. He shal be thy mouth, & thou shalt be his God.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And he will do the talking for you to the people: he will be to you as a mouth and you will be to him as God.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he shalbe thy spokesman vnto the people, and he shalbe [euen] he shalbe to thee in steade of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him, in steade of God.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 in God's stead.
King James Version (1611)
And he shal be thy spokesman vnto the people: and he shall be, euen hee shall be to thee in stead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him in stead of God.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he shall speak for thee to the people, and he shall be thy mouth, and thou shalt be for him in things pertaining to God.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He schal speke for thee to the puple, and he schal be thi mouth; forsothe thou schalt be to him in these thingis, that perteynen to God.
Young's Literal Translation
and he, he hath spoken for thee unto the people, and it hath come to pass, he -- he is to thee for a mouth, and thou -- thou art to him for God;
Update Bible Version
And he shall be your spokesman to the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to you a mouth, and you shall be to him as God.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall speak for thee to 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.
World English Bible
He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.
New Life Bible
He will speak to the people for you. He will be a mouth for you. And you will be as God to him.
New Revised Standard
He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he, shall speak for thee unto the people, - so shall it come to pass that he shall become thy mouth, and thou shalt become to him as God.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall speak in thy stead to the people, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be to him in those things that pertain to God.
Revised Standard Version
He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

Contextual Overview

10But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.” 11The Lord said to him, “Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” 13Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” 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. 16He 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.”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 7:1, Exodus 7:2, Exodus 18:19, Psalms 82:6, John 10:34, John 10:35

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:7 - a prophet Exodus 4:28 - told Aaron Exodus 4:30 - And Aaron 1 Samuel 28:13 - gods ascending Job 33:6 - in Job 36:2 - I have yet to speak Jeremiah 1:9 - Behold Jeremiah 15:19 - as my Jeremiah 36:32 - who Ezekiel 3:8 - General Luke 1:64 - his mouth

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 4:14
Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”
Exodus 20:18
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance.
2 Kings 13:23
but the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and turned toward them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was not willing to destroy them. Even now he has not banished them from his presence.
2 Kings 24:20
Because of the Lord’s anger, it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Job 1:12
“Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
Job 2:7
So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Job 20:17
He will not enjoy the streams,the rivers flowing with honey and curds.
Psalms 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;let them shout for joy forever.May you shelter them,and may those who love your name boast about you.
Psalms 68:2
As smoke is blown away,so you blow them away.As wax melts before the fire,so the wicked are destroyed before God.

Gill's Notes on the 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, in confirmation of it:

and he shall be, [even] he shall be to thee instead of a mouth; or an interpreter, as all the Targums explain it, and so Jarchi; as he was an orator and master of language, he should speak to the people for Moses, and explain his sense and meaning, and put it into plain, proper, easy language, to be understood by the people; and this may be done where a different language is not spoken, but the same in plainer words, in more pertinent expressions, and better pronounced, and this is repeated for the certainty of it:

and thou shall be to him instead of God; Aaron was to stand between Moses and the people, and speak for him; and Moses was to stand between God and Aaron, and in God's stead, and tell him what orders he had received from him, and which he should communicate; and so some Jewish writers a interpret it of his being to him instead of a master or teacher, one that received doctrine from the Lord, and instructed him in it, and taught him the mind and will of God: or, as Onkelos paraphrases it; "for a prince", and so Jarchi, a civil magistrate, one that had the power of life and death; the administration of civil affairs belonged to Moses, and Aaron, though the elder brother, was subject to him; and in this sense Moses was a god to him; and so in after times, the judges of Israel, they that sat in Moses's chair, were called gods, Psalms 82:1.

a Targum Jon. Jerus. & Abendana in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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 the people; and thou shalt be to him instead of God - thou shalt deliver to him what I communicate to thee.


 
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