Exodus 4:14-16 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:10-17

Moses still continues backward to the service for which God had designed him, even to a fault; for now we can no longer impute it to his humility and modesty, but must own that here was too much of cowardice, slothfulness, and unbelief in it. Observe here, I. How Moses endeavours to excuse himself from the work. 1. He pleads that he was no good spokesman: O my Lord! I am not eloquent, Exod. 4:10. He was a great philosopher, statesman, and divine, and yet no orator; a man of a clear head, great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:14

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses ,.... For the objections, excuses, and delays he made with respect to his mission. In what way this anger was expressed is not easy to say, whether by not removing the impediment of his speech, or not giving him the priesthood, which Jarchi thinks he otherwise would have had, and Aaron been only a Levite, as he is called in the next clause; or whether it was by joining Aaron to him, and so lessening his honour in this embassy, though that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:15

And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth ,.... Or "things" F26 את הדברים . , the matter and substance of what he should say, who being a man of words, an eloquent man, and a good spokesman, would put them into proper language, and express them fluently: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do ; or speak what Moses should say to Aaron, and what Aaron should say to Pharaoh, and to the people of Israel; so that as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:16

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses - Surely this would not have been the case had he only in modesty, and from a deep sense of his own unfitness, desired that the Messiah should be preferred before him. But the whole connection shows that this interpretation is unfounded. Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? - Houbigant endeavors to prove from this that Moses, in Exodus 4:13 , did pray for the immediate mission of the Messiah, and that God gives him here a reason why... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:15

I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth - Ye shall be both, in all things which I appoint you to do in this business, under the continual inspiration of the Most High. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

Verse 14 14.And the anger of the Lord was kindled. This passage confirms, by opposition, that expression, that there is no better sacrifice than to obey the voice of the Lord, (1 Samuel 15:22,) since God is so grievously offended with the hesitation of Moses, in spite of his specious excuses. But nothing is more pleasing to God than to maintain the authority of his word, and that men should suffer themselves to be guided by this rein. God had pardoned His servant’s slowness and unwillingness to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:16

Verse 16 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 the arrangement, that while He yields to His servant’s prayer, He yet confers honor upon him in spite of himself. The offices are thus divided — Moses is to have the authority, Aaron is to be the interpreter. Thus Moses is set before his brother, from no respect to his own dignity; because... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 4:1-17

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. God had promised that he would succeed; but he did not see how he could succeed, either with the people or with Pharaoh. It was not enough for him that God had declared, "They (the people) shall hearken unto thy voice" ( Exodus 3:18 ); he does not, cannot believe this, and replies: "Behold, they will not... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 4:10-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 4:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:16

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 4:16

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 4:1-17

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