Exodus 4 · Verse 14

Exodus 4:14

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
Exodus 4:14, King James Version

Exodus 4:14 in other translations

BSBThen the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
WEBThe LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
ASVAnd the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
YLTAnd the anger of Jehovah burneth against Moses, and He saith, ‘Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he speaketh well, and also, lo, he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen thee, then he hath rejoiced in his heart,
DARBYThen the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also behold, he goeth out to meet thee; and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart.
BBEAnd the Lord was angry with Moses, and said, Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? To my knowledge he is good at talking. And now he is coming out to you: and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
WebsterAnd the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

What does Exodus 4:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses--The Divine Being is not subject to ebullitions of passion; but His displeasure was manifested by transferring the honor of the priesthood, which would otherwise have been bestowed on Moses, to Aaron, who was from this time destined to be the head of the house of Levi (1Ch 23:13). Marvellous had been His condescension and patience in dealing with Moses; and now every remaining scruple was removed by the unexpected and welcome intelligence that his brother Aaron was to be his colleague. God knew from the beginning what Moses would do, but He reserves this motive to the last as the strongest to rouse his languid heart, and Moses now fully and cordially complied with the call. If we are surprised at his backwardness amidst all the signs and promises that were given him, we must admire his candor and honesty in recording it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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 Exo 4:13, did pray for the immediate mission of the Messiah, and that God gives him here a reason why this could not be, because the Levitical priesthood was to precede the priesthood of our Lord. Is not Aaron the Levite, etc. Must not the ministry of Aaron be first established, before the other can take place? Why then ask for that which is contrary to the Divine counsel? From the opinion of so great a critic as Houbigant no man would wish to dissent, except through necessity: however, I must say that it does appear to me that his view of these verses is fanciful, and the arguments by which he supports it are insufficient to establish his point. I know that he can speak well - ידעתי כי דבר ידבר הוא yadati ki dabber yedabber hu, I know that in speaking he will speak. That is, he is apt to talk, and has a ready utterance. He cometh forth to meet thee - He shall meet thee at my mount, (Exo 4:27), shall rejoice in thy mission, and most heartily co-operate with thee in all things. A necessary assurance, to prevent Moses from suspecting that Aaron, who was his elder brother, would envy his superior call and office.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 4:10-17

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…

Read the full comment on Exodus 4:10-17 →

Exodus 4:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּֽחַר\־vai.yi.char-and it burnedH2734
אַ֨ף'af[the] anger ofH639
יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahwehH3068
בְּמֹשֶׁ֗הbe.mo.Shehon MosesH4872
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
הֲלֹ֨אha.Lo'¿ notH3808
אַהֲרֹ֤ן'a.ha.Ron[is] AaronH175
אָחִ֙יךָ֙'a.Chi.khabrother yourH251
הַלֵּוִ֔יha.le.Vithe LeviteH3881
יָדַ֕עְתִּיya.Da'.tiI knowH3045
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
דַבֵּ֥רda.Berwell <speak>H1696
יְדַבֵּ֖רye.da.Berhe speaksH1696
ה֑וּאHu'heH1931
וְגַ֤םve.Gamand alsoH1571
הִנֵּה\־hi.neh-there!H2009
הוּא֙hu'heH1931
יֹצֵ֣אyo.Tze'[is] coming outH3318
לִקְרָאתֶ֔ךָlik.ra.Te.chato meet youH7122
וְרָאֲךָ֖ve.ra.'a.Khaand he will see youH7200
וְשָׂמַ֥חve.sa.Machand he will be gladH8055
בְּלִבּֽוֹ\׃be.li.Boin heart hisH3820

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 4:14

  • Mark 14:13-15

    And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:7

    And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.

  • Exodus 4:27

    And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:6-7

    Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

  • Philippians 2:21

    For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

  • Acts 15:28

    For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

  • 1 Kings 11:9

    And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7

    But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

  • Exodus 4:17

    And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

  • 1 Samuel 10:1-7

    Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth–el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. …

  • 2 Corinthians 2:13

    I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

  • 2 Samuel 6:7

    And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
anger.
2Sa 6:7; 1Ki 11:9; 1Ch 21:7; Lu 9:59,60; Ac 15:28; Php 2:21
cometh.
17; 1Sa 10:1-7; Mr 14:13-15; 2Co 2:13; 7:6,7; 1Th 3:6,7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 4:13

    And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

  • Exodus 4:14

    And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

  • Exodus 4:15

    And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

Read all of Exodus 4

Exodus 4:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces Jehová se enojó contra Moisés, y dijo: ¿No conozco yo á tu hermano Aarón, Levita, y que él hablará? Y aun he aquí que él te saldrá á recibir, y en viéndote, se alegrará en su corazón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Alors la colère de l’ Éternel s’embrasa contre Moïse, et il dit: Aaron, le Lévite, n’est-il pas ton frère? Je sais qu’il parlera très bien; et aussi le voici qui sort à ta rencontre, et quand il te verra, il se réjouira dans son cœur.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da entbrannte der Zorn Jehovas wider Mose, und er sprach: Ist nicht Aaron, der Levit, dein Bruder? Ich weiß, daß er reden kann; und siehe, er geht auch aus, dir entgegen; und sieht er dich, so wird er sich freuen in seinem Herzen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Iratus Dominus in Moysen, ait: Aaron frater tuus Levites, scio quod eloquens sit: ecce ipse egreditur in occursum tuum, vidensque te lætabitur corde.