Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
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. , 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; 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). 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).
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. ” 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.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1863)
(a teacher, or lofty), the son of Amram and Jochebed, and the older brother of Moses and Miriam. ) He was a Levite, and is first mentioned in (Exodus 4:14) He was appointed by Jehovah to be the interpreter, (Exodus 4:16) of his brother Moses, who was “slow of speech;” and accordingly he was not only the organ of communication with the Israelites and with Pharaoh, (Exodus 4:30; 7:2) but also the actual instrument of working most of the miracles of the Exodus.
(Exodus 7:19) etc. On the way to Mount Sinai, during the battle with Amalek, Aaron with Hur stayed up the weary hands of Moses when they were lifted up for the victory of Israel. (Exodus 17:9) He is mentioned as dependent upon his brother and deriving all his authority from him.
Left, on Moses’ departure into Sinai, to guide the people, Aaron is tried for a moment on his own responsibility, and he fails from a weak inability to withstand the demand of the people for visible “gods to go before them,” by making an image of Jehovah, in the well-known form of Egyptian idolatry (Apis or Mnevis). He repented of his sin, and Moses gained forgiveness for him. (9:20) Aaron was not consecrated by Moses to the new office of the high priesthood.
(Exodus 29:9) From this time the history of Aaron is almost entirely that of the priesthood, and its chief feature is the great rebellion of Korah and the Levites. Leaning, as he seems to have done, wholly on Moses, it is not strange that he should have shared his sin at Meribah and its punishment. See Moses. (Numbers 20:10-12) Aaron’s death seems to have followed very speedily. It took place on Mount Hor, after the transference of his robes and office to Eleazar. ” See Hor. The wife of Aaron was Elisheba, (Exodus 6:23) and the two sons who survived him, Eleazar and Ithamar.
The high priesthood descended to the former, and to his descendants until the time of Eli, who, although of the house of Ithamar, received the high priesthood and transmitted it to his children; with them it continued till the accession of Solomon, who took it from Abiathar and restored it to Zadok (of the house of Eleazar). See Abiathar.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible (1898) & Schaff's Bible Dictionary
AA'RON (mountaineer, or more probably, from another root, enlightened), the first high priest of the Jews; eldest son of Amram, the grandson, and Jochebed, the daughter, of Levi; brother of Miriam, who was several years older, and of Moses, who was three years younger. Ex 6:20 ; cf.Ex 2:1, Ex 6:4;Ex 7:7;Num 26:59. The family of Aaron belonged to the Kohathite branch of the tribe of Levi, the most numerous and powerful. This gave them prominence, so that the leadership naturally fell to them.
When first mentioned he is called, Ex 4:14, the "Levite," which implies that he was a recognized leader in his tribe, and, as the first-born son, he would be the priest of the household. Aaron's wife was Elisheba, daughter of the prince of Judah, and he had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Ex 6:23. The greater portion of his life is passed over in silence by the Bible writers, and he was eighty-three years old before he is introduced to us.
Moses had timidly declined to be the leader of his people out of captivity, and had assigned as a reason that he was "slow of speech and of a slow tongue," Ex 4:10; whereupon God tells him that Aaron, his brother, was coming toward him, evidently under divine direction, and that he would act as his mouthpiece, because he possessed in a high degree popular gifts of speech and argument. Thus brought together, and understanding their respective functions, the brothers started for the court of Pharaoh, and from that time on Aaron played a very prominent part in the drama of Israel's deliverance.
Side by side Moses and Aaron stand before the Lord, before Pharaoh, before the enraged elders of Israel. Furnished with words, Aaron utters them in these several presences, works miracles, and evinces courage. His work was by no means easy, but he carried it on successfully. On the way to Sinai the battle with Amalek was fought, and Aaron joins Hur in holding up the weary arms of Moses. Ex 17:9,Ex 17:13. Ex 24.
But when Moses was not with him, then he showed himself weak, and it will always be told, to his discredit, that he made the golden calf — not, indeed, as a substitute for Jehovah, but rather as a concession. He proclaimed a feast to the Lord, but the people ran into great excesses, and as Moses was descending from the mount it was the noise of the dancing and music which so raised his anger. Ex 32. Notwithstanding this grievous sin Aaron and his sons were consecrated as the first priests of the Israelites. Ex 40:12-15; cf. Ex 28; Lev 8. See Priest.
He was forbidden to mourn for his sons, Nadab and Abihu, who were destroyed for offering strange fire. Lev 10. Miriam, becoming jealous of Moses' wife, probably because her influence was weakened, induced Aaron to murmur against Moses on the ground that he assumed too much authority. Aaron deeply repented when rebuked, and joined with Moses in a prayer for Miriam's recovery. Num 12. See Miriam. Twenty years later the Lord interposed to vindicate Aaron's authority against Korah and his company, and by a miracle, the budding rod, confirmed the original choice. Num 16, Num 17.
The plague which broke out was stopped by Aaron's atonement. He stood between the living and the dead. Aaron fell under the influence of whichever strong nature was nearest to his at the time. So he was carried away by Moses into sin at the waters of Meribah, and in punishment they were both kept out of the Promised Land.
Aaron died first, upon Mount Hor, from whence he could obtain a distant view of Palestine, and there, in the presence of Moses, who stripped him of his priestly garments and put them upon Aaron's son, Eleazar, the first high priest, who for nearly forty years had discharged his sacred office, in spite of his faults thus highly exalted, fell, at the age of one hundred and twenty-three, under the dominion of the universal conqueror, and was buried upon the mountain. Num 20:23-29.
A Mohammedan mosque marks the supposed grave of Aaron, on one of the two tops of Mount Hor, which is near Petra, in the desert. See Hor, Mount. Aaron is called the "saint of the Lord " with reference to his official character, Ps 106:16, but, as the most superficial study of his life shows, he was far from perfect. He was a better servant than master. He was weak in command, but faithful in duty. He yielded like wax to the impressions of the moment.
Yet it may readily be believed that the people loved him, perhaps more than Moses, and that the mourning over his death, which lasted thirty days, Num 20:28, was sincere. One of the fasts of later Judaism was one in his memory, held on the first day of the fifth month, Ab, our July or August.
The Jewish priesthood began in the family of Aaron and remained its possession, though not uninterruptedly, in the line of Eleazar; it passed into the family of Ithamar, the brother of Eleazar, in the person of Eli; but, in consequence of the excesses of Eli's sons, God declared that it should be taken from his family, 1 Sam 2:30, and this prophecy was fulfilled in the time of Solomon, who took the priesthood from Abiathar and restored it to Zadok, of the line of Eleazar. 1 Kgs 2:27.
Hitchcock's Bible Names (1869)
a teacher; lofty; mountain of strength