Aaron

Biblical Account

Aaron was the son of Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi. He was the elder brother of Moses and the younger brother of Miriam (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). According to Exodus 7:7, he was three years older than Moses. His wife was Elisheba, and his sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (Exodus 6:23).

• Spokesman for Moses: He was appointed to speak on behalf of Moses, who lacked confidence in his own ability to speak (Exodus 4:14-16). Before Pharaoh, he cast down his rod, and it became a serpent (Exodus 7:10).
• Battle with Amalek: Together with Hur, he held up the hands of Moses (Exodus 17:12).
• The golden calf: While Moses was on Mount Sinai, Aaron made a golden calf at the people's demand (Exodus 32).
• Ordination as high priest: He and his sons were consecrated as priests (Exodus 28–29; Leviticus 8–9). Afterward, Nadab and Abihu died when they offered "strange fire" (Leviticus 10).
• The priestly blessing: He received the words with which to bless the people (Numbers 6:22-27).
• Conflicts in the wilderness: Together with Miriam, he spoke against Moses (Numbers 12). After the rebellion of Korah, only Aaron's rod budded, confirming his priesthood (Numbers 16–17).
• Death: Because of the incident at Meribah, he was told that he would not enter Canaan (Numbers 20:12). He died on Mount Hor, and Eleazar succeeded him as high priest (Numbers 20:22-29). Deuteronomy 10:6 records the place of his death as Mosera.

Significance Within the Bible

The system in which Aaron's descendants served as priests became the framework of Israel's worship. Psalm 133:2 uses the oil running down upon Aaron's beard as an image of unity. In the New Testament, Luke 1:5 introduces Elisabeth as being "of the daughters of Aaron," and in Acts 7:40 Stephen refers to the golden calf incident. Hebrews states that Aaron was called of God as a priest (Hebrews 5:4) and contrasts him with Jesus Christ, who is a priest not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:11). Hebrews 9:4 records that "Aaron's rod that budded" was kept in the ark of the covenant.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Type of Christ: Many Protestant traditions read Aaron's high priesthood as a type (prefiguration) of Christ. At the same time, following Hebrews, they hold that Christ transcends its limitations.
• Continuity of the priesthood: The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have a tradition of reading the Old Testament priesthood in continuity with the ordained ministry of the New Testament church. Protestantism emphasizes that the priesthood has been fulfilled in Christ and stresses the principle of the priesthood of all believers, according to which every believer approaches God directly.
• Responsibility for the golden calf: The text reports that Aaron excused himself by saying, "I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf" (Exodus 32:24). Interpreters differ on how heavily to weigh his responsibility. Some Jewish traditions defend Aaron, explaining that he was trying to buy time.
• Extrabiblical traditions: The Mishnah tractate Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) contains a passage in which Hillel says, "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace." Josephus reports that Hur was the husband of Miriam. These details do not appear in the biblical text. The location of Mount Hor is also uncertain; one tradition places Aaron's tomb on a mountain near Petra in Jordan.

In the Korean Church

Numbers 6:24-26, known as the "Aaronic blessing," is frequently quoted in worship services and in prayers of blessing. The benediction usually uses 2 Corinthians 13:14 (13:13 in Korean Bibles), but this passage is sometimes used as well. "Aaron and Hur" from Exodus 17 often appears in sermons as an image of church members who support their pastor through prayer, and the phrase is sometimes adopted as the name of intercessory prayer groups. In Sunday schools, the golden calf incident and the story of the budding rod are taught as lessons on obedience and God's choosing.