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Son of Amram and Jochebed from the tribe of Levi.

Aaron in the Torah

The Bible gives Aaron a secondary role compared to.

Aaron acted as the “mouth” of Moses before Israel and Pharaoh, performed miracles before Pharaoh (in particular, Aaron’s rod turned into a serpent, and then swallowed the serpents into which the rods of the Egyptian magicians turned) and, together with Moses, participated in sending down some of the ten Egyptian plagues.

After the construction of the tabernacle, Aaron was anointed so that the high priestly dignity in his family would be inherited from father to son along the senior line. All other direct descendants had to be priests (Ex. 28, 29, 40, Lev. 8 - 10).

He was the first high priest and founder of the only legitimate line of Jewish priests -. The priesthood became hereditary in his family - against which Korah, the representative, and his accomplices unsuccessfully rebelled.

God confirmed Aaron's election when his rod miraculously blossomed. During the service, Aaron and his sons gave the Aaronic blessing to the people.

Aaron was also the chief judge of Israel and the teacher of the people. During Moses' stay, Aaron, tempted by the people, made a golden calf for him, and for this the people were struck down by the Lord (Ex. 32:35).

The Bible especially notes in Aaron's character the traits of conciliation, meekness and gentleness.

Aaron had four sons from his wife Elisabeth (Elisheva), the daughter of Abinadab, of which the two eldest, Nadab and Abihu (Avihu), died during the life of their father (they were incinerated by fire), having disobeyed God, and the high priesthood passed to his third son , Eleazar (Elazar); the youngest was called Ifamar (Itamar).

The Lord called Aaron to serve at the age of 83; he died at the age of 123, in the 40th year on Mount Hor, located south of Israel, near the ancient Idumean city of Petra. The people mourned Aaron for 30 days.

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Aaron
Hebrew אַהֲרֹן‎
translit. Aharon
etymology unclear

In religions

In Judaism

Rabbinic literature, particularly the haggadah, glorifies Aaron as a great peacemaker and peacemaker, in contrast to the inflexible Moses. One of the legends even claims that Israel grieved for him more than for Moses. Meekness also explains his behavior with the golden calf. The firmness of his spirit during the death of his sons is set as an example.

In Christianity

The descendants of Aaron were the father and mother of John the Baptist, the righteous Zechariah (since he was a priest) and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5). The Apostle Paul says that the Aaronic priesthood is temporary, “for the law is associated with it” (Heb. 7:11), and is replaced by Jesus Christ, a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. In Orthodoxy, Aaron is remembered on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers; a number of monthly calendars celebrate his memory on July 20, along with the day of Elijah the Prophet and a number of other Old Testament prophets. The Western memory of Aaron is July 1, the Coptic memory is March 28.

In Islam

In Islam, Aaron is revered under the name of Harun ibn Imran, brother of Musa. As in the Bible, his character traits are noted - Aaron has the nickname Abul-Faraj (“father of consolation”). Muslims venerate the tomb of Aaron on Mount Aaron (in Arabic Jebl-nebi-Harun, that is, Mount of the Prophet Aaron).

In art

The classical Christian iconography of Aaron developed in the 10th century - a gray-haired, long-bearded old man, in priestly vestments, with a staff (sometimes blossomed) and a censer (or casket) in his hands, on his head he has a kind of headdress - a turban or papal tiara, on his chest a confidant with precious stones.

The image of Aaron is in the altar part of the Kyiv Sophia; it is written in the prophetic row of the iconostasis.

Common visual subjects:

• Uprising Korea
• Blooming Wand

Aaron[Heb. Aharon] – the meaning of the name is not precisely established, perhaps it corresponds to Egypt. "great name"

Aaron was a descendant of Levi (third in descending line Levi - Kohath - Amram - Aaron), the son of Amram and Jochebed (Ex. 6:20; Num. 26:59). He was younger than his sister Miriam and three years older than his brother Moses (Ex. 7:7). He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Abminadab and sister of Nahshon of the tribe of Judah (Num. 1:7). She bore him four sons - Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar (Ex. 6:23).

Having called Moses to be the leader and liberator of Israel, God appointed Aaron in the 83rd year of his life, speak to the people instead of his tongue-tied brother. He was to become the “mouth” of Moses (Exodus 4:16) and his prophet (Exodus 7:1).

Aaron first mentioned in Exodus as "Aaron the Levite". He went out to meet his brother, Moses, who had returned to Egypt after God spoke to him from the burning bush.

The brothers meet in the wilderness (Ex. 4:27), appear before the elders of Israel (vv. 28-31) and before Pharaoh. In addition to being the mouthpiece of Moses, Aaron He also played the role of a miracle worker: it was in his hands that there was a rod that became a serpent and absorbed the rods of the Egyptian sorcerers, who also became snakes (Ex. 7:8ff.). This rod with a wave of the hand Aaron turned the waters of the Nile into blood, and then filled the land of Egypt with toads and the air with midges (Ex. 7:19; 8:5ff., 16ff.) (later the rod only works in the hands of Moses).

Aaron and Moses receive God's permission to exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:31) and lead the people during the period of wandering through the desert (chapter 16). When Moses prays during the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites, Aaron together with Hur he supports his hands (Ex. 17:12). He, along with Moses, ascends Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:24), accompanies the leader with his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders at the solemn conclusion of the covenant with the Lord (Exodus 24:1, 9). When Moses ascends Mount Sinai again, he appoints in his place Aaron and Ora, whom he entrusts to administer justice during his absence (v. 14).

However, the next time Moses ascended Mount Sinai, accompanied only by Jesus (Ex. 24:12ff.), the people were convinced Aaron to make them a visible image of God's presence and he made a golden calf, which aroused the wrath of Moses (Ex. 32:1ff.). His words, when he presented the calf to the people, “Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 32:4), were used by Jeroboam when he set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan. for worship (1 Kings 12:28).

In the next 40 days, Moses received from God, among others, the command to dedicate Aaron and his sons as priests (chap. 28; 29).

Aaron confirmed in this election, firstly, after the death of Korah and his supporters, then, when the defeat ceased, after he “interceded the people” with the censer, and also when his rod sprouted buds and blossomed (Num. 16:17) . Faithful and selfless in his service, he meekly remained silent when his sons Nadab and Abihu were killed by fire from the Lord (Lev. 10:1-3).

Descendants Aaron received the right to inherit the high priesthood (Ex. 29:29). The purpose of the priests and their duties, the rights to sacrifices and their provision - all this is established by God Himself (Num. 4:18).

In the Pentateuch Aaron recognized as the high priest, and his sons as priests to serve in the sanctuary (Ex. 28:1ff.; Lev. 8:1ff.). Aaron was anointed with sacred oil and therefore was considered “the anointed priest” (Lev. 4:3, etc.; cf.: precious oil flowing down on the beard Aaronov in Ps. 132:2). Aaron and his sons receive special clothes, but the vestments Aaron special. On a forehead plate attached to a kidar, a headdress Aaron, the words “Holy to the Lord” (Ex. 28:36) were engraved (as on a seal); to the amices (shoulders) of his ephod was attached a breastplate of judgment (a shield on the chest), decorated with twelve precious stones (each stone was carved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel); the Urim and Thummim were placed on the breastplate, with the help of which they threw the sacred lot to find out the will of God regarding His people (Ex. 28:15ff.).

The most significant day of the year for Aaron(as for every “anointed priest” after him) was the Day of Atonement (10th of the month of Tishri), when he passed through the curtain that separated the tabernacle of meeting from the inner part of the sanctuary (holy of holies), and sprinkled the ark of the covenant the blood of the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people (Lev. 16:1ff.). On this occasion, he did not put on his colorful clothes of glory and beauty, but only the sacred linen tunic and linen undergarment.

However, despite Aaron's high status, Moses remained God's chief prophet to Israel and the chief mediator between God and the Israelites, which aroused the envy of Aaron and Miriam (Num. 12:1ff.). In the second year of wandering in the desert, Aaron, along with Miriam, opposed Moses. They reproached Moses for his “Ethiopian wife” and doubted his special position before God. It can be assumed that the initiative in this speech belonged to Mariam, whom the Lord punishes with leprosy. Aaron intercedes for her before Moses, and, thanks to the latter’s prayer, she is granted healing (Numbers 12).

Myself Aaron(along with Moses) aroused the envy of other Levitical families, whose leader was Korah (Num. 16:1ff.). The rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiron is directed not only against the power of Moses, but also against the consolidation of the right to the priesthood for Aaron and his sons. When the people accuse Moses and Aaron in the death of the rebels, the Lord sends defeat to the Israelites, which Aaron prevents incense through the sacrifice. The Lord then reaffirms the priesthood Aaron: the rod of Levi on which the name was written Aaron, turned green and blossomed (chap. 16; 17). This rod was subsequently placed in the ark of the covenant (Heb. 9:4).

In Kadesh Aaron turns out to be involved in the guilt of Moses, who struck the rock twice with his rod, when he should have limited himself to a word. For this, they both lose the right to enter the Promised Land (Num. 20). Soon the Lord recalls Aaron. Moses, at the direction of the Lord, ascends Mount Hor with Aaron and Eleazar. There he takes pictures Aaron high priestly robes and clothes his son Eleazar in them, who takes the place of his father.

Aaron dies at the age of 123 (Num. 33:39) and is mourned for 30 days (Num. 20:23-29).

Like a high priest Aaron was a vivid prototype of Christ, since he was called by God, anointed with oil, bore the names of the tribes on his chest, proclaimed the will of God through the Urim and Thummim, entered the Holy of Holies on the day of reconciliation “not without blood,” interceded for the people of God and blessed them. See Hebrews 5:4; 7:11; 9:7ff.

Aaron lacks independence, in his actions he is highly dependent on others - Moses, Miriam, the people. Meaning Aaron as a person in that it was him who God called to be the high priest of Israel. But service Aaron limited, which is especially symbolized by the fact that he put aside his high priestly robe before his death. In Heb. 7-9 emphasizes time constraints and imperfection Aaronova priesthood versus the messianic priesthood “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:6; 7:11).

The priests of Israel were subsequently designated as "sons of Aaron».

“Sons of Zadok”, who served as priests in the Jerusalem Temple from the moment of its consecration under Solomon until 171 BC. (except for the period of the Babylonian captivity), also belong to the descendants Aaron.

In the New Testament Aaron named as the ancestor of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5), and also mentioned by Stephen in his review of the history of Israel (Acts 7:40). The Apostle Paul, author of Hebrews, contrasts circumcision with the hereditary Levitical priesthood Aaron the perfect and eternal ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 5:4; 7:11, etc.).

New Bible Dictionary

Aaron was the first high priest of the Jewish people and the elder brother and lawgiver of Moses (Ex. 28:1). The son of Amram and Jochebed, he came from the tribe of Levi and was three years older than his brother, Moses. Due to Moses' tongue-tiedness, he had to speak for him before the people and the Egyptian king Pharaoh, which is why he was called God by the mouth of Moses and his prophet (Exodus 4:16; Exodus 7:1); at the same time, he had to help his brother during the journey of the Jews from Egypt to the land of Canaan.

Aaron took Elizabeth, the daughter of Abinadab, as his wife, and had four sons from her: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The first two were punished by God with death for bringing alien fire to the Lord, and thus the priesthood was established in the lineage of the last two brothers remaining alive (Ex. 6:23).

Aaron and his sons were specially and directly called by God Himself to priestly service (Heb. 5:4). But even before the dedication, when Moses went to Mount Sinai to receive the law from God, the Jews got bored with the long stay of their leader on the mountain and began Aaron demanding that he give them a statue of one of the pagan deities as a guidebook. Aaron, yielding to the reckless demand of the people, ordered the golden earrings of their wives and children to be brought, and when they were brought, he poured out of them a golden calf, probably modeled on the Egyptian idol of Apis. The satisfied people exclaimed: “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Ex. 27:4). Seeing this Aaron He set up an altar and cried out, saying: “Tomorrow is a feast for the Lord. The next day the people brought burnt offerings before him and began to eat and drink, and then play” (Ex. 32:1, 6).

For such weakness Aaron was justly reproached by Moses; but since this cowardice was soon smoothed over by repentance, then Aaron and after that he was not deprived of God's favor. Moses, by the will of God, at the same Mount Sinai elevated him to the high rank of high priest, or high priest, with the right to transfer the high priesthood to the eldest in his family, and appointed his four sons as priests (Lev. 8). However, soon after the initiation, two of the sons Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took their censers and brought “strange fire” before the face of the Lord, for which they were killed by fire sent from the Lord (Lev. 10: 1, 7). The Book of Numbers (Num. 3:4) notes that this happened while the people were still in the wilderness of Sinai. Following their death, Moses went to Aaron and conveyed to him the will of the Lord regarding the priests in the following words: “In those who draw near to Me I will be sanctified and glorified before all the people” (Lev. 10:3).

Shortly before the departure of the Jews from the Sinai desert, Aaron, with his sister Mariam, had the weakness to challenge Moses’ right of prophecy, pointing to his marriage to an Ethiopian. For this reproach made to Moses, Miriam was punished with seven days of leprosy (Numbers 12). Aaron but, after confessing his sin before the Lord, he was forgiven.

Being a constant collaborator with Moses, Aaron, like him, he was often subjected to reproaches and insults from easily indignant Jews. Once it even came to the point of challenging his right to the high priesthood. This disturbance took place under the leadership of the Levite Korah, Dathan, Abiron and Avian with 250 people of the most prominent Israelites from other tribes. “The whole community, everyone is holy and the Lord is among them! Why do you put yourselves above the people of the Lord?” (Num. 16:3) - they said to Moses and Aaron. The consequence of the indignation was that the instigators of the rebellion were consumed by the earth, and their 250 accomplices were burned by heavenly fire. But God’s terrible punishment did not bring the rebels to their senses. The next day, the people again grumbled against Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:41): “You have killed the people of the Lord,” he cried, and then anger came out from the Lord and defeat began among the people: 14,700 people died. According to the orders of Moses, Aaron He took the censer, put incense and fire from the altar into it, stood between the dead and the living, and the defeat ceased (Num. 16:42, 49).

After this punishment of the troublemakers, the high priesthood was confirmed for Aaron the following significant miracle: from all 12 tribes, Moses placed 12 rods in the tabernacle overnight with an inscription on each name of the ancestor of the tribe; in the morning the rod of the tribe of Levi, with the name Aaron, blossomed, sprouted buds, gave flowers and produced almonds (Num. 17:8). This blossoming rod was kept for a long time after that with the Ark of the Covenant, as clear evidence that the priesthood was forever established by God for Aaron and his sons.

However, Aaron did not live to see the Israelites enter the Promised Land. For the lack of faith in the omnipotence of God, which he discovered in the desert of Sin, he died before this solemn day (Num. 20:12). In the fortieth year, after leaving Egypt, the Lord ordered him, together with Moses his brother and Eleazar his son, to ascend Mount Hor, and in the eyes of the whole community to die on its top (Num. 20:28).

In the book of Deuteronomy the place of death Aaron is called Moser (Deut. 10:6), and Mount Or is still called by the Arabs Mount Aaron(Jebel Haroun). It still shows the place of his burial. The people of Israel honored his death with thirty days of mourning (Num. 20:29).

Aaron died 123 years old, on the first day of the fifth month. In the Jewish calendar, a fast is prescribed on this day in memory of his death. The high priesthood after him passed to his eldest son, Eleazar. In the book of Psalms he is called the holy one of the Lord (Ps. 106:16). Priests in later times were often called home Aharonov and sons Aaronov, in honor of their great ancestor.

According to general chronology, birth Aaron was in 1574 BC, calling in 1491, initiation in 1490, and death in 1451.

From Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.

David's firstborn Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the sister of his half-brother Absalom. Passion completely took possession of Amnon. By cunning, saying he was sick, he lured the girl to his house. “And when she set before him (the food) for him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her: Come, lie with me, my sister. But she said: No, my brother, do not dishonor me, for this is not done in Israel; don't do this crazy thing. And I, where will I go with my dishonor? And you, you will be one of the madmen in Israel. You talk to the king; he will not refuse to give me to you. But he did not want to listen to her words, and overcame her, and raped her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her with the greatest hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was stronger than the love he had for her; and Amnon said to her, Get up and go away. And Tamar said to him: No, brother; driving me away is an evil greater than the first that you did to me. But he didn't want to listen to her. And he called his servant, who served him, and said, Drive her away from me, and shut the door behind her. She was wearing multi-colored clothes, for such outer garments were worn by the king’s maiden daughters. And the servant took her out and locked the door behind her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the robe of many colors that she had on her, and put her hands on her head, and so she went and cried out” (2 Samuel 13:11-19).

For dishonoring his sister, Absalom killed Amnon and, fleeing his father’s wrath, fled to his grandfather in Gessur. David was grieving the death of his firstborn, but he also greatly missed Absalom. Thanks to the mediation of his nephew and military commander Joab, reconciliation took place between father and son, but incomplete. David allowed Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but did not allow him to show himself.

Over time, David relented, but it was too late. Over the course of several years of living in Jerusalem, Absalom managed to “creep into the hearts” of many Israelis. He gathered an army and occupied Jerusalem, and David fled. However, in the battle in the Forest of Ephraim, David's army was victorious. The king ordered Absalom himself not to be touched, but Joab killed him. David mourned his son bitterly : “My son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Oh, who would let me die instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Kings 18:33).

Phras.:“sprinkling ashes on the head” is a sign of grief, despair, recognition of guilt and repentance; often used in a humorous context in connection with minor everyday failures and minor offenses.

Lit.:W. Faulkner, novel “Absalom, Absalom!”

Quote:R. Aldinton, "Death of a Hero." “Violence and murder inevitably give rise to more violence and murder. Isn't this what the great Greek tragedies teach us? Blood for blood. Great, now we know what's what. Whether to kill alone or en masse, in the interests of one person, a band of robbers or the state - what difference does it make? Murder is murder. By encouraging it, you violate human nature. And a million murderers, incited, praised, admired, will bring upon you the angry legions of the formidable Eumenides. And those who survive will bitterly pay until their death for their unforgivable guilt. Doesn't all this matter? Do you intend to stick to your guns? Should we have more children, will they soon make up for the losses? So you will get another glorious, fun war, and the sooner the better...

O Absalom, my son Absalom! Thank God I don't have a son. O my Absalom, Absalom my son!

Image:G. Dore, “The Death of Absalom”, 1864 - 1866. J. Carolsfeld, “The Death of Absalom”, 1850s.

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Chapter 28.
MOSES AND AARON

Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. Moses, Aaron's brother, and Eleazar, his son, accompanied his ashes to the burial place. Moses was given the heavy duty of removing the priestly garments from his brother Aaron and putting them on Eleazar, for God had said that he would succeed Aaron in his office as high priest. Moses and Eleazar witnessed Aaron's death, and Moses buried his brother on the mountain. This scene on Mount Hor takes us mentally back to the most amazing events in Aaron's life.

Aaron was a man of pleasant character; God chose him to stand with Moses and speak for him; in short, he was the mouth of Moses. God might have chosen Aaron as a leader, but He who knows hearts and understands human character knew that Aaron could be compliant, that he lacked the moral courage to stand up for the truth under any circumstances, regardless of the consequences. Aaron's desire to always be on good terms with the people sometimes led him to commit serious sins. He too often gave in to the requests of his compatriots and thereby dishonored God. The same lack of strong principles in the leadership of the family led to the death of two of his sons. Aaron was renowned for his piety and useful work, but he neglected the education of his family. Instead of demanding respect and deference from his sons, he allowed them to follow their inclinations. He did not instill self-denial in his children, but indulged their desires, and the children were not taught to respect and honor parental authority. The father managed his family well while he lived. But even after his children grew up and started their own families, he still had to remain an authority for them. God Himself was the monarch of His people and demanded obedience and reverence from them.

Order and prosperity in the kingdom depended on good order in the Church. And prosperity, harmony and order in the Church come from order and discipline in families. God punishes the unfaithfulness of parents whom He has charged to uphold the principles of parental government which are the basis of church discipline and the welfare of society. One disobedient child often disrupted peace and harmony in the Church and incited the entire people to murmuring and rebellion. God has most solemnly laid upon children the duty to love, respect, and honor their parents. On the other hand, He requires parents to diligently and continually train their children, teach them the requirements of the Law of God, and instruct them in the doctrine and fear of God. These commands which God so solemnly gave to the Jews apply equally to Christian parents. All who neglect the light and instruction which God has given in His Word concerning the training of children, and the commandment of their household after themselves to do the will of God, will have a terrible account to give. The criminal negligence of Aaron, who did not instill respect and respect for him in his sons, led to their death. God honored Aaron by choosing him and his male descendants to be priests. His sons performed the holy service. Nadab and Abihu disobeyed God's command to bring Him only sacred fire in censers filled with incense. God forbade them, on pain of death, to bring Him ordinary fire with incense.

But what happened was a consequence of poor discipline in the family. Because these sons of Aaron were not taught to respect and honor the commands of their father, because they did not respect parental authority, they also did not realize how important it was to exactly fulfill all the requirements of God. When they once again drank wine and were under its stimulating influence, their minds became clouded and they confused the holy with the unholy. Contrary to the clear instructions of God, they dishonored Him by bringing ordinary fire instead of sacred fire. God poured out His wrath on them; fire came out from before Him and destroyed them.

Aaron endured this severe punishment patiently and with humble submission. His soul languished from torment and sorrow. He felt remorse for neglecting his duty. He was the priest of the Most High God to cleanse the sins of the people, while also remaining the priest of his home and family, but he was inclined to turn a blind eye to the tricks of his sons. Aaron neglected his duty to direct the steps of his sons to obedience, self-denial and reverence for parental authority. Because of his undue leniency towards their misdeeds, he did not instill in them a deep respect for the eternal. Aaron did not understand, as most Christian parents do not understand, that with his blind love and indulgences in sin, he almost certainly doomed his children to the wrath of God, which sooner or later would lead them to destruction. Because Aaron did not exercise his parental authority, God's justice came upon his sons. Aaron needed to understand that his overly gentle protests, not supported by a firm parental hand, and his unreasonable tenderness towards his sons were in fact a manifestation of extreme cruelty. God took the matter of justice into His hands and destroyed the sons of Aaron.

After God commanded Moses to go up the mountain, six more days passed before he was received into the cloud of glory and stood before God Himself. The entire mountain top was ablaze with the glory of God. And even though the glory of God appeared before the eyes of the children of Israel, unbelief was so natural to them that they began to murmur and show dissatisfaction about the long absence of Moses. While the glory of God pointed to His holy presence on the mountain, and the leader of the Jews was in intimate fellowship with God, they had to sanctify themselves by earnest examination of their hearts, humility, and godly fear. God left Aaron and Hur in place of Moses. In his absence the people were to consult with these God-appointed men.

This is where Aaron's weaknesses as a leader or ruler of Israel emerged. The people literally besieged him, demanding that he make them gods who would lead them back to Egypt. Aaron had an opportunity to demonstrate his faith and unshakable trust in God and firmly and decisively resist the demand of the people. But his natural tendency to smooth out rough edges, to please everyone and to give in to persistent requests, led to the fact that he sacrificed the honor of God. Aaron asked the Jews to bring him their jewelry, from which he personally cast a golden calf for them and proclaimed to the people: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” And for this senseless idol he made an altar, and declared a feast to the Lord the next day. It seemed that all restrictions had been lifted from the people. The Jews offered burnt offerings to the golden calf, and a frivolous spirit took possession of them. They took up shameful rioting and drunkenness; they ate, drank and got up to play.

But only a few weeks had passed since the Jews entered into a solemn covenant with God, promising to obey His voice. They listened to the words of the Law of God, spoken in terrible majesty from Mount Sinai amid thunder, lightning and earthquakes. They listened to the words from the mouth of God Himself: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above.” , and what is in the earth below, and what is in the water under the earth. Do not worship them or serve them; for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy. to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Ex. 20:2-6).

Aaron and his sons were given the high honor of ascending the mountain and seeing the glory of God. “And they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet was something like work of pure sapphire, and as clear as the very heavens” (Ex. 24:10).

God gave Nadab and Abihu the most sacred work, honoring them in the most wonderful way. He allowed them to see His indescribable glory so that the brothers would remember what they saw on the mountain for the rest of their lives and thus be better prepared to serve Him. They were to give Him the highest honors and adore Him in the presence of all the people, in order to give the Jews a clearer idea of ​​His character and to awaken in them due obedience and reverence to all His requirements.

Before Moses left his people and went up the mountain, he read to them the words of the covenant that God had made with them, and the Jews unanimously answered: “We will do everything that the Lord has said, and we will obey” (Ex. 24:7). How great and grave Aaron’s sin must have been in the eyes of God!

When Moses received the Law of God on the mountain, the Lord informed him of the sin of rebellious Israel and asked him to abandon the Jews so that He could destroy them. But Moses began to intercede before God on behalf of the people. Although Moses was the meekest man who ever lived, yet when it came to the interests of the people over whom God had placed him as leader, he abandoned his natural shyness and, with inimitable persistence and wonderful courage, began to plead with God for Israel. He could not agree that God would destroy the Jewish people, although the Lord promised Moses that he would exalt him and make from him a better people than the Israelites.

Moses prevailed. God granted his sincere request not to destroy the Jewish people. Moses took the tablets of the covenant, the law of the Ten Commandments, and came down from the mountain. Long before he approached the camp, the sounds of the riotous and drunken revelry of the children of Israel reached his ears. When Moses saw their idolatry and the fact that they most clearly violated the words of the covenant, he was extremely upset and indignant at their base idolatry. Moses became very ashamed of his compatriots, he became embarrassed, threw the tablets to the ground and broke them. Since the Jews broke their covenant with God, Moses, by breaking the tablets, thereby testified to them that God was breaking His covenant with them. The tablets with the Law of God inscribed on them were broken.

Aaron, with his pleasant manners, very gently and courteously tried to pacify Moses, presenting the matter as if the people had not committed a particularly serious sin for which it was worth greatly grieving. Moses asked him in anger: “What have this people done to you, that you have brought them into great sin? But Aaron said: Let not the anger of my lord be kindled; you know this people, that they are violent. They said to me: “Make us a god.” , who would walk in front of us; for with Moses, with this man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what happened." And I said to them: "Whoever has gold, take it off you." And they gave it to me; I threw it into the fire and this one came out calf" (Ex. 32:21-24). Aaron wanted to convince Moses that, thanks to some great miracle, their jewelry was melted into the likeness of a calf. He did not tell Moses how, together with other artisans, he gave this image to gold.

Aaron believed that Moses was too unyielding towards the people. It seemed to him that if Moses had been sometimes less firm, less decisive, more willing to compromise with the people and satisfy their desires, he would not have caused so many troubles for himself and peace and harmony would have reigned in the Israeli camp. That's why Aaron tried to implement this new policy. He followed his natural temperament, yielding to the demands of the people, so as not to arouse discontent in them, to maintain their goodwill and thereby prevent an uprising, which seemed inevitable to him if he did not indulge the desires of his fellow tribesmen. But if Aaron had stood unwaveringly for God, if he had met the proposal of the Jews to make them gods who would take them back to Egypt, with the righteous indignation and horror that it deserved; if he reminded the Jews of the thunder at Sinai, where God spoke His law in such glory and in such majesty; if he would remind them of their solemn covenant with God, when the Jews promised to do everything that He commanded them; if he had told them that he would under no circumstances yield to their requests, even if they killed him, he would thereby have exerted a good influence on the people and prevented a terrible retreat. But when Aaron was required, in the absence of Moses, to use his authority correctly, when he had to stand firm and unyielding, as Moses did, and not allow the people to stray into the path of sin, he used his influence to harm the people. Aaron was unable to use his influence to uphold God's honor in keeping His holy law. On the contrary, he helped evil to establish itself and gave the people criminal instructions, which they willingly carried out.

When Aaron took the first step in the wrong direction, the same spirit that possessed the people was transmitted to him, and he, like a commander, led them with him into the nets of sin, and the people surprisingly obediently followed all his instructions. Thus, Aaron strongly approved of the most serious sins, since it was much easier than standing for the truth. When Aaron shirked his duty and allowed the people to sin, he seemed to be filled with new strength, determination, ardor and jealousy. Suddenly his shyness disappeared. With a zeal that he had never before shown in defending the honor of God against all unrighteousness, Aaron grabbed the tools to cast the image of a calf in gold. He ordered the construction of an altar and, with a confidence worthy of better use, announced to the people that the next day there would be a holiday to the Lord. The trumpeters took up the word from Aaron's mouth and sounded the trumpet throughout the entire Israeli camp about the upcoming holiday.

Aaron's calm confidence in the wrong cause created for him even greater authority among the people than Moses had when he led the Jews along the right path and pacified their rebellion. How terrible spiritual blindness befell Aaron if he began to mistake light for darkness, and darkness for light! What audacity it was on his part to declare a holiday to the Lord in the midst of general idolatry, when people prayed to the golden image! We see in this example what power Satan gains over minds unless they completely submit themselves to the control of the Spirit of God. Satan raised his banner in the midst of the camp of Israel, and it was exalted as the banner of God.

Aaron said without a hint of shame or embarrassment: “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Ex. 32:4). Under the influence of Aaron, the children of Israel went even deeper into the sin of idolatry than they originally intended. Now they were not at all worried that burning glory, like a blazing fire on a mountain, could consume their leader. The Jews decided that they now had a commander who suited them well, and were ready to do whatever he suggested. They made peace offerings to their golden god and indulged in pleasures, riotous fun and drunkenness. Then the Jews decided for themselves that so many troubles happened to them in the desert not because they were wrong, but because they had a bad leader. He was not the person they needed - too unyielding and constantly repeating about their sins, warning, reproaching and threatening them with Divine disapproval. Now they have established a new order, they are quite happy with Aaron and themselves. Oh, if only Moses were as sweet and pleasant as his brother Aaron, the Jews thought, what peace and harmony would then reign in the camp of Israel! Now they did not care whether Moses ever came down from the mountain or not.

Moses, seeing the idolatry of Israel, was so indignant at the shameful forgetfulness of the Jews and their denial of God that he threw the stone tablets and broke them. Aaron stood meekly by, bearing Moses' rebuke with commendable patience. The people were fascinated by the good-naturedness of Aaron and outraged by the rudeness of Moses. But God looks completely differently from man. He did not condemn the ardent indignation of Moses, for it was his response to the base apostasy of Israel.

This true commander resolutely sides with God. He had just been before the face of the Lord and begged Him to turn away the wrath of His lost people. Now, as God’s servant, he had to do one more thing: to restore God’s desecrated honor in the eyes of the people and convince the Jews that sin is sin, and truth is truth. Moses now had to counteract the terrible influence of Aaron. “And Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is the Lord’s, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: put every man his sword on his thigh, go through the camp from the gate.” to the gate and back, and kill every man his brother, every man his friend, every man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and about three thousand of the people fell that day: for Moses said, Today ye shall consecrate your hands to the Lord, every man. in his son and his brother, may He send you a blessing today" (Ex. 32:26-29).

Moses defines true dedication as obedience to God; it means standing for the truth and being ready to carry out God's purposes, to fulfill even the most unpleasant duties and thereby show that God's demands are incomparably higher than the claims of friends or even the lives of close relatives. The sons of Levi dedicated themselves to God to carry out His justice against crime and sin.

Aaron and Moses sinned by not giving God glory at the waters of Meribah. They were both tired of the constant complaints and provocations of the children of Israel, and at a time when God should have graciously revealed His glory to the people in order to soften and subdue the hearts of the Jews and lead them to repentance, Moses and Aaron took credit for the ability to open the rock. “Listen, rebellious ones, should we bring water out of this rock for you?” (Num. 20:10). They had a golden opportunity to sanctify the Lord in the midst of the assembly and to show the Jews God's long-suffering and tender compassion. The children of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they could not find water anywhere. Moses and Aaron perceived this grumbling as a difficult test and dishonor for themselves, forgetting that the people were not grieving them, but God. They sinned against God and dishonored Him, and not those whom God appointed to carry out His purposes. They insulted their best Friend; Seeing the causes of their disasters in the actions of Moses and Aaron, they grumbled against God's Providence.

Great was the sin of Moses and Aaron, these noble leaders. Their lives could have continued gloriously until the very end. They were exalted and glorified; however, God does not justify the sins of those who occupy high positions, just as He does not justify the sins of people engaged in simple work. Many Christians by confession look at people who do not expose sin and do not condemn evil as pious and true Christians, and those who boldly speak out in defense of the truth and do not want to change their principles to please the devilish influence of others, they consider ungodly people who there is a lack of truly Christian spirit.

Those who defend the honor of God and preserve the purity of truth at all costs will go through as many trials as our Savior did in the wilderness of temptation. At the same time, people of a compliant disposition, who do not have the courage to condemn evil, who are modestly silent at that decisive moment when it is necessary to resolutely speak out in defense of the truth, despite powerful pressure from others, will be able to avoid many troubles and difficulties, but at the same time they they will lose a glorious reward, and perhaps even their own soul. Those who live in harmony with God and through faith in Him receive the strength to resist evil and speak out in defense of truth will always find themselves in severe troubles and often remain completely alone. But they will have a precious victory if they make God their trust. His grace will become their strength. Their spiritual perception will be sharpened and they will have the moral courage to resist evil influences. Like Moses, such people will have an unblemished character.

Aaron's gentleness and compliance and his desire to please people in everything blinded him, and he ceased to see the sins of his contemporaries and to understand the enormity of the crime that he himself approved. Aaron's support of evil and sin in Israel cost the lives of three thousand Jews. How strikingly different is the behavior of Moses! After he had testified to the Israelites that God could not be trifled with with impunity, and had demonstrated God's just indignation at their sins by giving the terrible command to kill friends or relatives who persisted in their apostasy; After justice had been done to avert the wrath of God, without regard to kindred feelings or sympathy for beloved friends who also continued to persist in their rebellion, only then did Moses find himself ready for another task. He proved that he is a true friend of God and a defender of the interests of the people.

“The next day Moses said to the people: you have committed a great sin; therefore I will go up to the Lord, if I will not atone for your sin. And Moses returned to the Lord and said: Oh, this people have committed a great sin; they have made themselves a golden god. Forgive their sin And if not, then blot me out from Your book, in which You wrote. The Lord said to Moses: He who has sinned against Me, I will blot out from My book. So go, lead this people where I told you. Mine will go before you, and on the day of my visitation I will visit them for their sin. And the Lord struck the people because of the calf that Aaron had made" (Exodus 32:30-35).

Moses pleaded with God for sinful Israel. He did not try to minimize the sin of the people before God and did not justify it. He frankly admitted that the Jews committed a great sin by making golden gods for themselves. But then he plucks up his courage. His life is so closely intertwined with the interests of Israel that he boldly turns to God and begs Him to forgive his people. If the sin of the Israelites is so great that God cannot forgive them, and their names must be blotted out from His book, then may the Lord then blot out his name, Moses. When the Lord repeated His promise to Moses, the essence of which was that His Angel would go before him when he led the people to the Promised Land, it became clear to Moses that his request for mercy had been heard. But the Lord warned Moses that He would certainly punish His people for their grave sin, since Moses could not resist punishing the Israelite people for their iniquities. But if from now on the Jews will be obedient, He will blot out their great sin from His book.

The name Aaron is mentioned in the Old Testament; this name was borne by the brother of Moses, one of the first Jewish high priests. The origin of the biblical name is uncertain, however the ancient Egyptian origin may point to "aha rw", meaning "lion warrior". Or this name appeared from Egyptian mythology, where Aaru (in Russian transcription - Iaru, Ialu) meant paradise, the field of Ialu, where the righteous found eternal life and bliss after the judgment of Osiris.

According to various other theories, the name may be derived from various Hebrew roots, meaning "high mountain", "mountain of strength", "exalted" or "enlightened". Also, the name Aaron may itself be a variant of the name Aran (Haran, Harran, Garan). This was the name of Abraham's elder brother in the book of Genesis, the father of righteous Lot.

The name was used by Jews and early Christians, and then became exclusively Jewish in the Middle Ages. The name Aaron became popular in the late 20th century. In the USA, the name Aaron appeared at the beginning of the 21st century, occupying positions 41-46. In England, by the beginning of the 21st century it reached 30th position; it appeared in the ranking of names in 1985, and is currently in the 100th ranking among male names. The name Aaron's highest ranking was 28th in the US in 1994, when the name peaked at 28th. Also "Aaron" is a Jewish surname.

The name Aaron may also sound a little different. In England there are pronunciation options - Eiron, Eron, Aron, Erron, Arron, in Italy - Arrone, among the Finns - Aaro, but the most often used are Aron and Aaron. In Arabic the name sounds like Harun.

There is a version that the name Arina is the feminine form of the name Aaron.

The owner of the name Aaron is a courageous man who can be somewhat harsh and stern in his speeches, show a domineering attitude, but this all hides his rather sensitive character. He requires physical activity, any movement, mobility and change are an integral part of his life.

He is thoughtful and a fairly level-headed man. He organizes himself well and disciplines himself independently, without expecting outside influence, but in general Aaron is more of an introvert. He is encouraged to take risks by feelings that lie deep inside, and in order not to have a relationship with them, not to feel resentment and the desire to explode, he has to control himself everywhere and in everything. But it can explode when you least expect it. His anger is like lightning, sudden and shocking, but short-lived.

Exactly the same behavior can be observed in his financial activities. Aaron is known for scrounging for every percentage point, patiently watching his bank account grow, and then suddenly going on a lavish spending spree without skimping or calculating the resulting loss. In company, he can be extremely talkative when the subject interests him, or almost completely silent if the opposite is true.

Aaron is a man of passion, he either bitterly resents or greatly adores. If one of these two passions cannot be expressed, he usually ignores what is happening with icy coldness. For the parents of such a boy, life may not seem quite easy, so they should direct the young man’s activities to maximum physical activity, which will direct his excess energy. Communication is generally not his greatest strength, so encourage him to talk. Aaron will benefit from training if taught to share, he can be quite greedy and jealous with his siblings. Teach him to manage his pocket money early and it will make him grow in his own eyes.

The owner of the name Aaron loves power, money, love and property, as well as travel, adventure and conquest. He is not the most refined of gentlemen, he often does not understand women, their logic and consistency, and he hates complications. More often than not, Aaron wants to be a master and demands to be admired and even revered. Freedom is important to him, but when it comes to his partner, he is not so liberal.

If he is the master of his life, he will want to rise to the upper echelons and achieve power. Working on a large scale, both materially and socially, is no exception for him. He is most likely attracted to professions that allow him to exercise some kind of power (political career, law enforcement, military affairs), related to the field of business (finance, management, banking, accounting, economics). It is possible that his work will be in a large national or international company associated with change, innovation, and travel.

Aaron's birthday

Famous people named Aaron

• Aaron II (ruler of the Khazar Khaganate in 900-930s)
• Aaron Vanandetsi ((IX/X/XI century) Armenian writer-historian, author of “The History of the Cross of Nina”)
• Aaron the Elder ha-Rofe ben Yosef ((1260-1320) Karaite scholar, traveler, writer and poet. Also religious philosopher, practitioner of theology, lawyer and doctor.)
• Aaron Katzir (Kachalsky) ((1914-1972) Israeli scientist, physical chemist and biologist, winner of the Israel Prize in Biology for 1961)
• Aaron Funk, better known as Venetian Snares ((born 1975) Canadian electronic musician (genre - breakcore))
• Aaron Terence Downes ((b.1985) Australian footballer)
• Aaron Staton ((b.1980) American actor)
• Sir Aaron Klug OM ((born 1926) English and South African biochemist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1982.)
• Aaron Gate ((b.1990) New Zealand track and road cyclist, was a medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics)
• Aaron Zvi Propes ((1904-1978) Israeli public and cultural figure)
• Aaron Spelling ((1923-2006) American producer and director, under his leadership more than seventy television series, one hundred and forty films and theatrical performances were created. Holder of two Guinness Records - as “the most productive producer of all time” and as “the owner of the largest houses in the world" - it has 123 rooms and its area is 3390 m².)
• Aaron Director ((1901-2004) American economist)
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson ((b.1990) English actor)
• Aaron Paul Sturtevant ((born 1979) American actor, became a three-time Emmy Award winner)
• Elvis Aron Presley ((1935-1977) American singer and actor, American “king of rock and roll”. He combined country and blues, creating a new direction - rockabilly. He achieved worldwide popularity not only in the singing field, but also in the film industry. Starred in 31 films, and two dozen of his soundtracks, for the most part, are assessed by critics as extremely weak. He was actively involved in concert activities, and Elvis Presley, winner of three Grammy awards, returned to his passion for performing, one of the first musicians, in 1986. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His work continues to be in demand to this day - the latest editions of his recordings are sold.)
• Aaron Kaufman ((born 1982) American auto builder, designer of unique cars. Worked as a mechanic at Gas Monkey Garage. TV personality of American television.)