Exodus 4:14

ESV Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

NIV Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.

NASB Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, 'Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be overjoyed.

CSB Then 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.

NLT Then the Lord became angry with Moses. 'All right,' he said. 'What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you.

KJV 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.

NKJV So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

What does Exodus 4:14 mean?

This reveals two aspects of God's divine nature. First, He can experience anger. Throughout the Old Testament the "anger of the Lord" is mentioned more than thirty times, as a response to human sin or stubbornness. Even heroic figures like Moses are not immune to the Lord's irritation.

Second, God reveals His "providence," which means His power to arrange circumstances according to His will. Moses' brother, Aaron, is either already headed Moses' way, or will meet him shortly. The Hebrew phrasing can mean either something happening in the near future, or a suggestion that this is already happening.

Aaron was approximately three years older than Moses (Exodus 7:7) and apparently born prior to Pharaoh's command to throw newborn Jewish sons into the Nile (Exodus 1:22). Their family were Levites (Exodus 2:1). Aaron would later become the first high priest of the Jews as a member of this priestly tribe. That he was coming to meet Moses implied God had led Aaron as well. That Aaron would be glad to see his brother suggests a level of care and concern.

According to the Lord, Aaron could speak well. This trait would serve as an important aspect of Aaron's work before Pharaoh and later in his role as priest. In fact, most of the words "spoken" by Moses in public settings would have been delivered by Aaron (Exodus 4:15–16).

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