John Calvin Commentary Exodus 4:13

"And he said, Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." — Exodus 4:13 (ASV)

Send, I pray you, by the hand. Those who interpret this passage as alluding to Christ,⁵³ as though Moses said that His power was needed to accomplish such a mighty task, introduce a forced and far-fetched sense, which is contradicted by the context, for God would not have been so aroused to anger by such a prayer.

I do not see why others should suppose it to be spoken of Aaron;⁵⁴ for there is no weight in their conjecture that Moses preferred his brother to himself.

The third sense is more probable, namely, that God should stretch forth his hand to direct whomever he destined for the work. In that case, the relative must be in the masculine gender; but to avoid all ambiguity, I prefer the feminine, as I have translated it. (Mitte per manum per quam.)

For there is no doubt that Moses desires the task, too weighty and difficult for himself, to be transferred to someone else; just as if he had said—“Since there are multitudes at hand whom you may employ, choose whomever you will of them, provided only it be someone else, and that I be excused.”

There is an implied antithesis between Moses and others, in which he hints at his own natural disqualification and says that others are endowed with dexterity, industry, and activity; and therefore he argues that it will be absurd that God should reject the hands which are adapted and ready for the work.

⁵³ Cornelius a Lapide in loc. “Multi patres, ut S. Justinus, Tertll., Cyprian., Euseb., scribentes contra Judaeos, et Rupert. putant Mosen hic petiisse adventum Messiae; hujus enim nomen erat missus vel vel mittendus, etc. Hic sensus valde probabilis, et accommodatus est, quicquid objiciat Absolen. et audacter nimis tantis patribus obstrepat Eugubinus: ita enim olim alii patriarchae in gravibus causis semper ad Christum promissum respiciebant, et ad eum suspirabant, ut patet de Jacob. , etc. Hic sensus valde probabilis, et accommodatus est, quicquid objiciat Absolen. et audacter nimis tantis patribus obstrepat Eugubinus: ita enim olim alii patriarchae in gravibus causis semper ad Christum promissum respiciebant, et ad eum suspirabant, ut patet de Jacob. Genesis 49:10, 18.” The gloss in the Geneva Bible is, “i.e., (by the hand or ministerie) of the Messias, or some other that is more meete than I.”.” The gloss in the Geneva Bible is, “i.e., (by the hand or ministerie) of the Messias, or some other that is more meete than I.”

⁵⁴ “Quia frater Aaron suus erat eo senior, et eloquentior, eum desiderabat habere socium sibi a Domino assignandum,” — suus erat eo senior, et eloquentior, eum desiderabat habere socium sibi a Domino assignandum,” — Nic, , de Lyra Com.. in loco. So also . So also R.. Sal.. Jarchi..