Exodus 7:7 Meaning Explained

Exodus 7:7

Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

English Standard Version (ESV)

It's easy to overlook that Moses and Aaron were in their eighties when they confronted Pharaoh. This wasn't a young Moses, fresh off the mountain; God waited until they were advanced in years, highlighting that His timing and chosen vessels are often unexpected, bringing glory to Him rather than human strength.

What Exodus 7:7 means

God has just commissioned Moses and Aaron, assuring them He will empower them to confront Pharaoh and bring about the plagues. This verse highlights their advanced age, emphasizing that eighty and eighty-three years old were men of experience, not young upstarts, as they stepped onto the world stage to face the most powerful ruler in the known world. This significant detail underscores their reliance on divine authority rather than youthful vigor as they embark on this daunting, divinely appointed mission.

Divine Timing for Crucial Missions

Ever felt too old or too young for a big task? Moses and Aaron were facing down a superpower at ages most people consider 'retirement'.

The age of Moses (80) and Aaron (83) when they confronted Pharaoh isn't just a historical detail; it's a testament to God's perfect timing.

Decades in the Making

Moses had spent 40 years in exile after fleeing Egypt, then another 40 years in the wilderness tending sheep. His 'preparation' was long and seemingly uneventful.
Aaron was also of an advanced age, having lived through the same history.

God's Unconventional Call

God's calling often comes when we least expect it, and in ways that defy human logic. These weren't young, eager revolutionaries, but seasoned men.
Their age emphasized that the power wasn't theirs, but God's. It highlighted God's patience with Egypt, allowing decades of suffering before intervention.
It also showcases their fitness for the task: men of experience, wisdom, and gravitas, ready to stand before a king.

God's Authority, Human Vessels

God called Moses 'a god to Pharaoh.' How can a human be called a god, and what does this say about our role as His messengers?

When God appointed Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh, He gave them an authority that transcended their human limitations.

A God to Pharaoh

Moses was told, 'See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh' (Exodus 7:1). This doesn't mean Moses was divine, but that God would empower him with supreme authority and power to confront the tyrannical king.
This was a way for God to bolster Moses' courage, assuring him that his strength came from God, not himself.

Aaron, The Prophet

Understand the original words

Original language

Pharaohפַּרְעֹה

Par‘oh · Hebrew Proper Noun

The supreme ruler of ancient Egypt, viewed by the Egyptians as a god-king, who here represents the oppressive power of the world system in opposition to God's authority.

Historical context

Written: Likely around 13th Century BC.
Author: Traditionally understood to be Moses, though some scholars suggest a later compilation.
Location: Written from the wilderness of Sinai, shortly after the Exodus.
Genre: Narrative, employing dialogue and historical recounting to convey God's actions and commands.

Historical background

The advanced age of Moses (80) and Aaron (83) when they confronted Pharaoh highlights God's sovereign timing and His willingness to use the elderly, drawing on their life experience and the profound patience He had cultivated in them.

c. 1577 BC
New Kingdom Egypt established
The expulsion of the Hyksos marked the beginning of Egypt's New Kingdom period, a time of strong pharaonic rule and expansion. This period saw significant interactions with foreign peoples, including the Hebrews who had settled in the land.
c. 1527 BC
Hebrews begin to be enslaved
As Hebrew population grew, a new Pharaoh, who 'knew not Joseph,' feared they would ally with Egypt's enemies and began to oppress them with forced labor and taskmasters.
c. 1447 BC
Moses flees Egypt
After killing an Egyptian overseer who was brutalizing a Hebrew slave, a 40-year-old Moses fled Egypt and lived as a shepherd in Midian for 40 years.
c. 1407 BC
Moses called by God
At age 80, while tending his flock in Midian, Moses encountered God in a burning bush and was commissioned to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.

Key themes

01God's timing and preparation
02Elderly strength in service
03Divine authority given to man

Cross-references

Acts 7:23

This passage directly references Moses' age of forty when he first attempted to deliver his people, highlighting the long waiting period before God's appointed time in Exodus 7:7.

Hebrews 11:24-26

This chapter speaks of Moses choosing to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin, emphasizing the faith and purpose behind his actions, even at an advanced age in Exodus 7:7.

Romans 1:1

Paul identifies himself as an apostle set apart for the gospel, a calling that parallels the divine appointment of Moses and Aaron for their monumental task, despite their age, in Exodus 7:7.

Isaiah 40:31

This verse promises that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, offering a spiritual perspective on how Moses and Aaron, though elderly, could undertake such a demanding mission, as seen in Exodus 7:7.

Scholarly commentary

Exodus 7:7: "And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh."

And Moses was eighty years old,.... At this time, which is observed partly to show how long Israel had been afflicted in Egypt; for their great troubles and miseries began about the time of the birth of Moses, or a little before, as appears from the above history; and partly to show the patience and forbearance of God with the Egyptians, and how just and righteous were his jud…
gill

Exodus 7:7: "And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh."

Exodus 7:7 . Moses was fourscore years old — Joseph, who was to be only a servant to Pharaoh, was preferred at thirty years old; but Moses, who was to be a god to Pharaoh, was not so dignified till he was eighty years old. It was fit he should long wait for such an honour, and be long in preparing for such a service.
benson

Frequently asked questions

What does Exodus 7:7 mean?

Explain the meaning of Exodus 7:7

What is the context of Exodus 7:7?

Study this verse in Sola

Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.

Open in Sola app Get the app

Ask a follow-up

Ask Sola about this verse

Ask Sola things like:

“What does "Pharaoh" mean in the original Hebrew?”
“Why did Traditionally understood to be Moses, though some scholars suggest a later compilation. write Exodus 7:7?”
“How does god's timing and preparation show up in Exodus 7:7?”

Ask in the Sola app Get the app

Live chat about Exodus 7:7 is available in the Sola app.

This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.

What Exodus 7:7 means

Historical background

c. 1577 BC

New Kingdom Egypt established

The expulsion of the Hyksos marked the beginning of Egypt's New Kingdom period, a time of strong pharaonic rule and expansion. This period saw significant interactions with foreign peoples, including the Hebrews who had settled in the land.

c. 1527 BC

Hebrews begin to be enslaved

As Hebrew population grew, a new Pharaoh, who 'knew not Joseph,' feared they would ally with Egypt's enemies and began to oppress them with forced labor and taskmasters.

c. 1447 BC

Moses flees Egypt

After killing an Egyptian overseer who was brutalizing a Hebrew slave, a 40-year-old Moses fled Egypt and lived as a shepherd in Midian for 40 years.

c. 1407 BC

Moses called by God

At age 80, while tending his flock in Midian, Moses encountered God in a burning bush and was commissioned to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.