Exodus 7:7

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

And Moses {H4872} was fourscore {H8084} years {H8141} old {H1121}, and Aaron {H175} fourscore {H8084} and three {H7969} years {H8141} old {H1121}, when they spake {H1696} unto Pharaoh {H6547}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Moshe was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Exodus 7:7 precisely records the advanced ages of Moses, eighty, and Aaron, eighty-three, at the pivotal moment they first confronted Pharaoh. This detail underscores the divine timing and God's sovereign choice to use seasoned leaders, not based on youthful vigor or human strength, but on His perfect appointment and equipping, to initiate the miraculous liberation of Israel from centuries of Egyptian bondage.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse serves as a crucial chronological marker within the unfolding narrative of the Exodus, immediately preceding the commencement of the ten plagues. Following God's definitive call to Moses at the burning bush in [Exodus 3](/exodus/3 "Exodus 3 - The Burning Bush and God's Call"), and the initial, somewhat disheartening, encounter with Pharaoh in [Exodus 5](/exodus/5 "Exodus 5 - First Confrontation with Pharaoh"), the narrative has been building towards this decisive confrontation. The preceding verses in [Exodus 6](/exodus/6 "Exodus 6 - God Renews His Promise") detail God's reaffirmation of His covenant promises to Moses and Aaron, preparing them for the monumental task ahead. [Exodus 7:1-6](/exodus/7-1-6 "Exodus 7:1-6 - God's Commission to Moses and Aaron") specifically outlines God's commission to Moses as "God to Pharaoh" and Aaron as his "prophet," setting the stage for their direct challenge to the Egyptian monarch. Thus, [Exodus 7:7](/exodus/7-7 "Exodus 7:7 - Ages of Moses and Aaron at Confrontation") functions as a final, significant detail before the divine judgment begins to fall upon Egypt.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ancient Egypt was the preeminent superpower of the ancient Near East, characterized by a highly centralized government, a powerful pharaoh considered a divine king, and a sophisticated religious system. The Israelites had been enslaved for centuries, their labor crucial to the Egyptian economy. To challenge Pharaoh was to challenge the very fabric of Egyptian power, religion, and national identity. In this context, the ages of Moses and Aaron are particularly striking. In a society that often valued youthful strength for leadership and warfare, the appointment of two octogenarians to confront the world's most powerful ruler would have been highly unusual and counter-cultural. This detail emphasizes that their authority did not stem from conventional human qualifications but from a divine source, contrasting sharply with the human-centric power structures of Egypt.

* **Key Themes:** Exodus 7:7 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Exodus and the broader Pentateuch. It powerfully illustrates **God's sovereignty and perfect timing**, demonstrating that His plans unfold according to His divine timetable, not human expectations or limitations. The advanced ages of Moses and Aaron underscore the theme of **divine equipping and enablement**, highlighting that God does not call the equipped but equips the called, often using instruments that appear weak or unlikely by human standards to display His immense power. This verse also reinforces the theme of **obedience and faith**, as Moses and Aaron, despite their age and the daunting nature of their task, faithfully respond to God's command. Furthermore, it foreshadows the recurring biblical motif that **God's strength is perfected in human weakness**, a principle echoed throughout the biblical narrative, from Gideon's small army in [Judges 7](/judges/7 "Judges 7 - Gideon's Victory") to Paul's declaration in [2 Corinthians 12:9-10](/2_corinthians/12-9-10 "2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - God's Power in Weakness").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **fourscore (Hebrew, _shᵉmônîym'_):** This word directly translates to "eighty" or "eightieth." Its inclusion here precisely quantifies Moses' age at the time of this crucial confrontation. The repetition of "fourscore" for both Moses and Aaron emphasizes their advanced years, setting a deliberate tone for the narrative that follows.
* **years old (Hebrew, _shâneh'_ and _bên'_):** The phrase "years old" combines two Hebrew words: _shâneh_ (year, as a revolution of time) and _bên_ (son, used idiomatically here in the construct "son of years" to denote age). This construction is a common Hebrew idiom for expressing age, literally meaning "son of eighty years" for Moses and "son of eighty-three years" for Aaron. This precise phrasing underscores the specific measurement of their lives up to this point, highlighting the cumulative experience and preparation God had orchestrated for them.
* **spake (Hebrew, _dâbar'_):** This primitive root primarily means "to speak," but also carries connotations of arranging, commanding, or even subduing. In this context, it signifies the authoritative declaration and communication of God's demands to Pharaoh. It's not merely a casual conversation but a divinely ordained pronouncement, marking the beginning of the verbal and confrontational phase of Israel's liberation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And Moses was fourscore years old,"**: This clause establishes Moses' exact age as eighty at the moment of his initial, direct confrontation with Pharaoh, as God's appointed messenger. This detail is significant, highlighting that Moses had spent a considerable portion of his life (forty years in Pharaoh's court, forty years in Midian) being prepared for this very moment, demonstrating God's long-term, meticulous orchestration of events.
* **"and Aaron fourscore and three years old,"**: This clause provides Aaron's age, eighty-three, indicating he was three years Moses' senior. Aaron's slightly older age and his role as Moses' spokesman (as established in [Exodus 4:16](/exodus/4-16 "Exodus 4:16 - Aaron as Moses' Spokesman")) underscore the collaborative nature of their divinely appointed leadership. Their combined age and experience present a picture of mature, seasoned individuals, chosen by God for a task that would require immense wisdom, patience, and unwavering faith.
* **"when they spake unto Pharaoh."**: This final clause pinpoints the precise historical moment when their ages are recorded: the very first time they delivered God's command directly to Pharaoh. This marks the transition from God's private commissioning to Moses and Aaron to the public, confrontational phase of the Exodus narrative. It signifies the beginning of the great struggle between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt, mediated through these two elderly brothers.

#### Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs **Emphasis** through the precise enumeration of ages, drawing the reader's attention to Moses and Aaron's advanced years. This emphasis serves to highlight the extraordinary nature of their divine commission, as it challenges conventional expectations of leadership. There is also an element of **Irony** at play: God chooses not young, vigorous leaders, but two men well past their prime, to confront the most powerful empire of their day. This ironic choice underscores that the power and success of their mission would come not from human strength or capability, but solely from God. Furthermore, the detail serves as a form of **Historical Marker**, anchoring the narrative in a specific, verifiable timeline and lending credibility to the biblical account by providing concrete, measurable data points.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Exodus 7:7 is far more than a simple biographical detail; it is a profound theological statement about God's character and methods. It reveals a God who operates outside of human limitations and expectations, demonstrating that His perfect timing and sovereign appointments transcend conventional wisdom regarding age, ability, or perceived strength. The fact that Moses, after eighty years of life, including forty in the wilderness, is called to lead, and Aaron, at eighty-three, is called to speak, powerfully illustrates that God's preparation can span an entire lifetime, equipping His servants precisely for the tasks He has ordained, often in ways they could never anticipate. This verse reassures believers that no one is "too old" or "too seasoned" to be used mightily by God, and that accumulated life experience, even that gained in obscurity, is valuable in His divine economy.

* [Psalm 90:10](/psalms/90-10 "Psalm 90:10 - The Span of Life")
* [Isaiah 40:31](/isaiah/40-31 "Isaiah 40:31 - Renewal of Strength")
* [Joel 2:28](/joel/2-28 "Joel 2:28 - God's Spirit on All Flesh")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Exodus 7:7 offers profound encouragement and a powerful challenge for believers in every stage of life. It dismantles the common misconception that one's usefulness to God diminishes with age or that significant ministry is reserved for the young and energetic. Instead, it vividly illustrates that God's calling is not bound by human calendars or physical prowess, but by His sovereign will and the willingness of His servants to obey. For those who feel past their prime, this verse is a beacon of hope, reminding them that their accumulated wisdom, experience, and resilience, forged over decades, are precisely what God might use for His glory. For younger believers, it teaches patience and trust in God's long-term preparation, reminding them that every season of life is a training ground for future service. Ultimately, this passage calls us to surrender our timelines and perceived limitations to God, trusting that He will equip us, at any age, for the unique purposes He has designed, demonstrating His power most clearly through our yieldedness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How might your current age or life stage, whether young or old, be a unique asset in God's plan for your life and ministry?**
* **In what ways have you seen God's strength perfected in weakness, either in your own life or in the lives of others?**
* **Are there any preconceived notions about age and capability that you need to surrender to God, allowing Him to use you beyond your expectations?**
* **How does the story of Moses and Aaron's call at an advanced age encourage you to trust God's timing for your own life and calling?**

### FAQ
**Why are the specific ages of Moses and Aaron mentioned in this verse?**

Answer: The precise mention of Moses' age (80) and Aaron's age (83) serves several crucial purposes. Firstly, it underscores the **historical veracity** of the biblical narrative, providing a specific chronological marker for this pivotal event. Secondly, and more significantly, it highlights a profound theological truth: God's choice of leaders is not based on human criteria of youth, strength, or conventional capability. By selecting two octogenarians to confront the most powerful ruler of their time, God demonstrates His **sovereignty and power** to work through any instrument He chooses, regardless of perceived human limitations. Their advanced ages emphasize that their authority and success would come solely from **divine appointment and equipping**, rather than from their own physical vigor or political acumen. This detail powerfully illustrates that God prepares individuals over a lifetime for His purposes, and that He can use anyone, at any stage of life, to accomplish His mighty works, as seen throughout biblical history, from Abraham and Sarah in [Genesis 17:17](/genesis/17-17 "Genesis 17:17 - Abraham and Sarah's Old Age") to Simeon and Anna in [Luke 2:25-38](/luke/2-25-38 "Luke 2:25-38 - Simeon and Anna at the Temple").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Exodus 7:7 primarily details the ages of Moses and Aaron at a crucial juncture, it profoundly foreshadows the person and work of Christ through its underlying themes of divine timing, chosen leadership, and God's power made perfect in seeming weakness. Moses, as God's appointed deliverer, stands as a significant type of Christ, sent at the precise moment in history to confront the spiritual "Pharaoh" of sin and death and lead His people to ultimate freedom. Just as Moses and Aaron were prepared over decades for their formidable mission, so too was Christ's entire life, culminating in His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, God's ultimate fulfillment of the promise of deliverance. The advanced age of Moses and Aaron highlights God's sovereignty over time and His ability to use unlikely instruments, a sovereignty perfectly embodied in Jesus, who, in God's perfect timing, "when the fullness of time had come" ([Galatians 4:4](/galatians/4-4 "Galatians 4:4 - The Fullness of Time")), entered the world. He accomplished the greatest liberation from sin and death, not by human strength or political power, but through His divine power, perfect submission to the Father's will, and the ultimate act of self-giving love on the cross, echoing the principle that God's power is made perfect in weakness ([2 Corinthians 12:9](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9 - God's Power Perfected in Weakness")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 34:7

And Moses [was] an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

Deuteronomy 31:2

And he said unto them, I [am] an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

Acts 7:30

¶ And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

Acts 7:23

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

Deuteronomy 29:5

And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

Exodus 2:23

¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

Psalms 90:10

The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.