Exodus 4:29
ESV
Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
NIV
Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,
NASB
Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;
CSB
Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites.
NLT
Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together.
KJV
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
NKJV
Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
What does Exodus 4:29 mean?
Moses met Aaron at Sinai (Exodus 4:27–28) and related his mission to confront the Egyptian king about Israelite slavery (Exodus 3:10; 4:21–23). While Moses is the primary conduit of God's message (Exodus 4:15–16), Aaron acts as the public speaker and will become the first high priest (Exodus 28:41). The two men are so closely identified that the phrase "Moses and Aaron" occurs dozens of times in Scripture (1 Samuel 12:6; Psalm 77:20).Scripture does not specify whether this meeting happened before or after Moses' strange near-death encounter (Exodus 4:24–26). The wording of the passage allows for either. It's also possible that Moses sent Zipporah and their sons back to Midian at this time; they won't be mentioned again until after Israel leaves Egypt and encounters Jethro, Moses' father-in-law (Exodus 18:1–6).
The elders of Israel were the accepted leaders of the nation. Without their approval, the rest of the Israelites would almost certainly ignore whatever Moses and Aaron had to say. Fortunately, these men will respond to Moses' story and miraculous signs with belief (Exodus 4:30–31).
