Exodus 4:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

NIV: The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.

NASB: Now the Lord said to Aaron, 'Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.' So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

CSB: Now the Lord had said to Aaron, "Go and meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

NLT: Now the Lord had said to Aaron, 'Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.' So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.

Moses has survived an odd event which nearly cost him his life (Exodus 4:24–26). Now he returns to his mission (Exodus 3:10) which involves returning to Egypt (Exodus 4:19–23). The Lord had already noted that Aaron, Moses' brother, would meet him (Exodus 4:14). Some interpreters believe that the prior incident was a sidenote, and that Moses and Aaron met before Moses began his travels.

In either case, Scripture does not indicate how Aaron received this call from the Lord. In some way, he is told that he needs to meet Moses. The mountain in question is Sinai (Exodus 3:1; 18:5). This would be where God delivered His commandments to Israel (Exodus 19:1–3) and also the site of Aaron's greatest failure (Exodus 32:1–6).

The "kiss" depicted here refers to a sign of friendship and respect (Genesis 27:26; 33:4; Luke 22:48). This is probably given mention because of what it meant to Moses. We're not told how long it's been since he communicated with Aaron (Exodus 2:15). Nor are we told what the relationship was like. The fact that Aaron kisses Moses when they meet signifies a positive relationship right from the beginning. Moses seemed hesitant to take on this task (Exodus 4:13), so this friendly greeting would help ease his nerves.

Exodus 4:27–31 recounts Moses' first encounter with the Israelites upon his return from exile. First he meets Aaron, sent to meet him in the wilderness by God. The two men gather Israel's leaders. The elders respond to Mo-ses' story and signs with belief. Knowing that the Lord is acting to remove their suffering, the men worship.

While speaking with God in the form of a supernaturally burning bush, Moses expresses a lack of confidence. God gives Moses several miraculous signs so he can prove the source of his message. Moses is still unsure because of his poor speech. Though irritated, God appoints Moses' brother, Aaron, to be the spokesman while Moses relays the words of God. Moses returns to Egypt. Along the way, he nearly dies due to God's anger over some issue related to circumci-sion. After meeting his brother, Moses convinces the elders of Israel that his mission is genuine.

Moses, born an Israelite (Exodus 2:1) but raised by an Egyptian princess (Exodus 2:10) fled into exile after killing an abu-sive Egyptian taskmaster (Exodus 2:14–15). Later, Moses meets God (Exodus 3:6) and receives the initial command to challenge Pharaoh for the freedom of the Israelites (Exodus 3:18–20). In this chapter, Moses makes excuses about his public speaking and nearly dies because of an uncircumcised son. Israel's elders believe Moses' story. But in the next chapter, Moses' early confrontation with Pharaoh goes poorly; the people are worked even hard-er (Exodus 5:5–9) and they begin to turn against Moses (Exodus 5:20–21).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.