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Aaron

An imagined portrait of Aaron in the style of a tinted engraving
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In Exodus to Numbers, Moses's brother and spokesman and Israel's first high priest; he also makes the golden calf.

See Exodus 4:14, Exodus 4:16, Exodus 28:1, Exodus 32:4.

A staff in bloom marks Aaron in the reading view: his staff that budded, blossomed and bore almonds (Numbers 17:8).

A realistic AI imagining of Aaron

The same AI portrait re-imagined as a photograph. It is no more accurate than the stylized version: no one knows what Aaron looked like.

Mentioned in 331 verses across 16 books, first in Exodus 4:14. The verses below are the ones linked to this person (the Theographic dataset, with our sourced corrections).

In these stories

In the Bible

All 109 verses in Exodus, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.

Exodus

  • Exodus 4:14

    Then 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.

  • Exodus 4:27

    Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.

  • Exodus 4:28

    And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.

  • Exodus 4:29

    Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,

  • Exodus 4:30

    and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,

  • Exodus 5:1

    After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

  • Exodus 5:4

    But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

  • Exodus 5:20

    When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

  • Exodus 6:13

    Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

  • Exodus 6:20

    And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

  • Exodus 6:23

    And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

  • Exodus 6:25

    Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.

  • Exodus 6:26

    It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.”

  • Exodus 6:27

    Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

  • Exodus 7:1

    The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

  • Exodus 7:2

    You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.

  • Exodus 7:6

    So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.

  • Exodus 7:7

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

  • Exodus 7:8

    The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

  • Exodus 7:9

    “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”

  • Exodus 7:10

    So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

  • Exodus 7:12

    Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

  • Exodus 7:19

    And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”

  • Exodus 7:20

    Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.

  • Exodus 8:5

    And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”

  • Exodus 8:6

    So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

  • Exodus 8:8

    Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”

  • Exodus 8:12

    After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.

  • Exodus 8:16

    Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”

  • Exodus 8:17

    This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

  • Exodus 8:25

    Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

  • Exodus 9:8

    Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air.

  • Exodus 9:27

    Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

  • Exodus 10:3

    So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

  • Exodus 10:8

    So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”

  • Exodus 10:16

    Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

  • Exodus 11:10

    Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

  • Exodus 12:1

    Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

  • Exodus 12:28

    And the Israelites went and did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

  • Exodus 12:31

    Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.

  • Exodus 12:43

    And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner is to eat of it.

  • Exodus 12:50

    Then all the Israelites did this—they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

  • Exodus 15:20

    Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.

  • Exodus 16:2

    And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

  • Exodus 16:6

    So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

  • Exodus 16:9

    Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”

  • Exodus 16:10

    And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.

  • Exodus 16:33

    So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come.”

  • Exodus 16:34

    And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

  • Exodus 17:10

    Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

  • Exodus 17:12

    When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

  • Exodus 18:12

    Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

  • Exodus 19:24

    And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.”

  • Exodus 24:1

    Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.

  • Exodus 24:9

    Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,

  • Exodus 24:14

    And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here with you. Whoever has a dispute can go to them.”

  • Exodus 27:21

    In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites for the generations to come.

  • Exodus 28:1

    “Next, have your brother Aaron brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, to serve Me as priests.

  • Exodus 28:2

    Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.

  • Exodus 28:3

    You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make garments for Aaron’s consecration, so that he may serve Me as priest.

  • Exodus 28:4

    These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.

  • Exodus 28:12

    Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.

  • Exodus 28:29

    Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he shall bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment, as a continual reminder before the LORD.

  • Exodus 28:30

    And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.

  • Exodus 28:35

    Aaron must wear the robe whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters or exits the sanctuary before the LORD, so that he will not die.

  • Exodus 28:38

    And it will be worn on Aaron’s forehead, so that he may bear the iniquity of the holy things that the sons of Israel consecrate with regard to all their holy gifts. It shall always be on his forehead, so that they may be acceptable before the LORD.

  • Exodus 28:40

    Make tunics, sashes, and headbands for Aaron’s sons, to give them glory and splendor.

  • Exodus 28:41

    After you put these garments on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them so that they may serve Me as priests.

  • Exodus 28:43

    Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. This is to be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants.

  • Exodus 29:4

    Then present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

  • Exodus 29:5

    Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastplate. Fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband.

  • Exodus 29:9

    Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.

  • Exodus 29:10

    You are to present the bull at the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head.

  • Exodus 29:15

    Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.

  • Exodus 29:19

    Take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head.

  • Exodus 29:20

    Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.

  • Exodus 29:21

    And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. Then he and his garments will be consecrated, as well as his sons and their garments.

  • Exodus 29:24

    Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering.

  • Exodus 29:26

    Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion.

  • Exodus 29:27

    Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination.

  • Exodus 29:28

    This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings.

  • Exodus 29:29

    The holy garments that belong to Aaron will belong to his sons after him, so they can be anointed and ordained in them.

  • Exodus 29:32

    At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket.

  • Exodus 29:35

    This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all that I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them.

  • Exodus 29:44

    So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests.

  • Exodus 30:7

    And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.

  • Exodus 30:8

    When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.

  • Exodus 30:10

    Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”

  • Exodus 30:19

    with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.

  • Exodus 30:30

    Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.

  • Exodus 31:10

    as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests,

  • Exodus 32:1

    Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

  • Exodus 32:2

    So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

  • Exodus 32:3

    Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

  • Exodus 32:5

    When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”

  • Exodus 32:21

    “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

  • Exodus 32:22

    “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

  • Exodus 32:25

    Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.

  • Exodus 32:35

    And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.

  • Exodus 34:30

    Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him.

  • Exodus 34:31

    But Moses called out to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them.

  • Exodus 35:19

    and the woven garments for ministering in the holy place—both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.”

  • Exodus 38:21

    This is the inventory for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, as recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

  • Exodus 39:1

    From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

  • Exodus 39:27

    For Aaron and his sons they made tunics of fine linen, the work of a weaver,

  • Exodus 39:41

    and the woven garments for ministering in the sanctuary, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.

  • Exodus 40:12

    Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

  • Exodus 40:13

    And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest.

  • Exodus 40:31

    and from it Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet.

Events

Events the dataset lists Aaron as taking part in. Dates follow its Ussher–Jones reckoning (one of several traditional counts), not established history.

  1. c. 1491 BC
    Exodus from EgyptExodus 6:7–13:17 · at Egypt
  2. c. 1491 BC

Dictionary

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. The entry is for the name and can describe more than one person who bore it. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.

Read Easton’s entry

The eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi (Ex. 6:20). Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three years before his brother Moses, and a number of years after his sister Miriam (2:1, 4; 7:7). He married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab of the house of Judah (6:23; 1 Chr. 2:10), by whom he had four sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. When the time for the deliverance of Isarael out of Egypt drew nigh, he was sent by God (Ex. 4:14, 27-30) to meet his long-absent brother, that he might co-operate with him in all that they were required to do in bringing about the Exodus. He was to be the “mouth” or “prophet” of Moses, i.e., was to speak for him, because he was a man of a ready utterance (7:1, 2, 9, 10, 19). He was faithful to his trust, and stood by Moses in all his interviews with Pharaoh.

When the ransomed tribes fought their first battle with Amalek in Rephidim, Moses stood on a hill overlooking the scene of the conflict with the rod of God in his outstretched hand. On this occasion he was attended by Aaron and Hur, his sister’s husband, who held up his wearied hands till Joshua and the chosen warriors of Israel gained the victory (17:8-13).

Afterwards, when encamped before Sinai, and when Moses at the command of God ascended the mount to receive the tables of the law, Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, along with seventy of the elders of Israel, were permitted to accompany him part of the way, and to behold afar off the manifestation of the glory of Israel’s God (Ex. 19:24; 24:9-11). While Moses remained on the mountain with God, Aaron returned unto the people; and yielding through fear, or ignorance, or instability of character, to their clamour, made unto them a golden calf, and set it up as an object of worship (Ex. 32:4; Ps. 106:19). On the return of Moses to the camp, Aaron was sternly rebuked by him for the part he had acted in this matter; but he interceded for him before God, who forgave his sin (Deut. 9:20).

On the mount, Moses received instructions regarding the system of worship which was to be set up among the people; and in accordance therewith Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the priest’s office ([Lev. 8](/lev#Lev.8); [9](/lev#Lev.9)). Aaron, as high priest, held henceforth the prominent place appertaining to that office.

When Israel had reached Hazeroth, in “the wilderness of Paran,” Aaron joined with his sister Miriam in murmuring against Moses, “because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married,” probably after the death of Zipporah. But the Lord vindicated his servant Moses, and punished Miriam with leprosy ([Num. 12](/num#Num.12)). Aaron acknowledged his own and his sister’s guilt, and at the intercession of Moses they were forgiven.

Twenty years after this, when the children of Israel were encamped in the wilderness of Paran, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram conspired against Aaron and his sons; but a fearful judgment from God fell upon them, and they were destroyed, and the next day thousands of the people also perished by a fierce pestilence, the ravages of which were only stayed by the interposition of Aaron ([Num. 16](/num#Num.16)). That there might be further evidence of the divine appointment of Aaron to the priestly office, the chiefs of the tribes were each required to bring to Moses a rod bearing on it the name of his tribe. And these, along with the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi, were laid up overnight in the tabernacle, and in the morning it was found that while the other rods remained unchanged, that of Aaron “for the house of Levi” budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds (Num. 17:1-10). This rod was afterwards preserved in the tabernacle (Heb. 9:4) as a memorial of the divine attestation of his appointment to the priesthood.

Aaron was implicated in the sin of his brother at Meribah (Num. 20:8-13), and on that account was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. When the tribes arrived at Mount Hor, “in the edge of the land of Edom,” at the command of God Moses led Aaron and his son Eleazar to the top of that mountain, in the sight of all the people. There he stripped Aaron of his priestly vestments, and put them upon Eleazar; and there Aaron died on the top of the mount, being 123 years old (Num. 20:23-29. Comp. Deut. 10:6; 32:50), and was “gathered unto his people.” The people, “even all the house of Israel,” mourned for him thirty days. Of Aaron’s sons two survived him, Eleazar, whose family held the high-priesthood till the time of Eli; and Ithamar, in whose family, beginning with Eli, the high-priesthood was held till the time of Solomon. Aaron’s other two sons had been struck dead (Lev. 10:1, 2) for the daring impiety of offering “strange fire” on the alter of incense.

The Arabs still show with veneration the traditionary site of Aaron’s grave on one of the two summits of Mount Hor, which is marked by a Mohammedan chapel. His name is mentioned in the Koran, and there are found in the writings of the rabbins many fabulous stories regarding him.

He was the first anointed priest. His descendants, “the house of Aaron,” constituted the priesthood in general. In the time of David they were very numerous (1 Chr. 12:27). The other branches of the tribe of Levi held subordinate positions in connection with the sacred office. Aaron was a type of Christ in his official character as the high priest. His priesthood was a “shadow of heavenly things,” and was intended to lead the people of Israel to look forward to the time when “another priest” would arise “after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:20).

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