Exodus 7:7

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Moses was fourscore years old.—Compare Deuteronomy 34:7; Acts 7:23; Acts 7:30. The air of Egypt. and, probably, still more that of the desert, was favourable to longevity; and the Egyptian monuments show many cases of officials actively employed after they were a hundred years old.

Benson Commentary

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.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:1-7 God glorifies himself. He makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them, and the Egyptians by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Moses, as the ambassador of Jehovah, speaking in his name, laid commands upon Pharaoh, denounced threatenings against him, and called for judgments upon him. Pharaoh, proud and great as he was, could not resist. Moses stood not in awe of Pharaoh, but made him tremble. This seems to be meant in the words, Thou shalt be a god unto Pharaoh. At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wonders - A word used only of portents performed to prove a divine interposition; they were the credentials of God's messengers.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7. Moses was fourscore years old—This advanced age was a pledge that they had not been readily betrayed into a rash or hazardous enterprise, and that under its attendant infirmities they could not have carried through the work on which they were entering had they not been supported by a divine hand.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

1491 The ages of Moses and Aaron here, as of Levi and Kohath Exodus 6:16,18, and before them of Jacob and Joseph, are so exactly set down, that thence we may, understand the accomplishment of God’s prediction, Genesis 15:13, and the time of Israel’s being in Egypt.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 judgments on them; with this perfectly agrees Stephen's account of the age of Moses, Acts 7:23 and Aaron eighty three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh; so that they were men that had had a large experience of things, and had been long training up for the service designed to be done by them; they were men of wisdom and prudence, of sedate and composed countenances, and fit to appear before a king, whose age and venerable aspect might command attention to them. Aben Ezra observes, that"in all the Scripture there is no mention of any prophets that prophesied in their old age but these, because their excellency was greater than all the prophets.''By this it appears that Aaron was three years older than Moses. A Jewish chronologer says (n), that it is affirmed in an exposition of theirs, that Aaron prophesied to the Israelites in Egypt eighty years, which is making him to be a very young prophet when he first entered into the office. The Arabic writers (o) say, Miriam was at this time eighty seven, so was seven years older than Moses, and four years older than Aaron; see Exodus 2:4.

(n) Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 7. 1.((o) Patricides, p. 26. apud Hottinger. p. 415.

Geneva Study Bible

And Moses was {c} fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

(c) Moses lived in affliction and banishment forty years before he commanded his office to deliver God's people.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. The ages of the two brothers at the time of their dealings with the Pharaoh. The sentence is again of a form which often recurs in P: see Genesis 12:4 b, Genesis 16:16, Genesis 17:24-25, Genesis 21:5, Genesis 25:26 b (cf. 20), Genesis 41:46, Deuteronomy 34:7 a. The ages themselves (which are only given by P) are, upon general grounds, higher than is probable, especially if 40 years in the wilderness have to be added to them; nor do they agree with the representation of J, according to which (see on Exodus 2:23 a) the Pharaoh of the exodus came to the throne no long time after Moses’ flight into Midian.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - Fourscore years old. This age is confirmed by the statement (in Deuteronomy 31:2; Deuteronomy 34:7) that Moses was a hundred and twenty at his death. It is also accepted as exact by St. Stephen (Acts 7:23, 30). Moderns are surprised that at such an age a man could undertake and carry through a difficult and dangerous enterprise; but in Egypt one hundred and ten years was not considered a very exceptionally long life, and men frequently retained their full vigour till seventy or eighty. Exodus 7:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

את־ידי ונתתּי: "I will lay My hand on Egypt," i.e., smite Egypt, "and bring out My armies, My people, the children of Israel." צבאות (armies) is used of Israel, with reference to its leaving Egypt equipped (Exodus 13:18) and organized as an army according to the tribes (cf. Exodus 6:26 and Exodus 12:51 with Numbers 1 and 2), to contend for the cause of the Lord, and fight the battles of Jehovah. In this respect the Israelites were called the hosts of Jehovah. The calling of Moses and Aaron was now concluded. Exodus 7:6 and Exodus 7:7 pave the way for the account of their performance of the duties consequent upon their call.