Aaron

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּר אֶל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה תְבָרֲכוּ אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמוֹר לָהֶם׃

’Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying: On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel; ye shall say unto them:

יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ׃

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;

יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ׃

The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;

יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם׃

The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

וְשָׂמוּ אֶת־שְׁמִי עַל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרֲכֵם׃

So shall they put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.’

Nobody takes this honour on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’

Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

۞ وَوَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَٰثِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ وَأَتْمَمْنَٰهَا بِعَشْرٍۢ فَتَمَّ مِيقَٰتُ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةًۭ ۚ وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَخِيهِ هَٰرُونَ ٱخْلُفْنِى فِى قَوْمِى وَأَصْلِحْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

And when We did appoint for Moses thirty nights (of solitude), and added to them ten, and he completed the whole time appointed by his Lord of forty nights; and Moses said unto his brother, Aaron: Take my place among the people. Do right, and follow not the way of mischief-makers.

وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ غَضْبَٰنَ أَسِفًۭا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِى مِنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ ۖ وَأَلْقَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُۥٓ إِلَيْهِ ۚ قَالَ ٱبْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱسْتَضْعَفُونِى وَكَادُوا۟ يَقْتُلُونَنِى فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِىَ ٱلْأَعْدَآءَ وَلَا تَجْعَلْنِى مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

And when Moses returned unto his people, angry and grieved, he said: Evil is that (course) which ye took after I had left you. Would ye hasten on the judgment of your Lord? And he cast down the tablets, and he seized his brother by the head, dragging him toward him. He said: Son of my mother! Lo! the folk did judge me weak and almost killed me. Oh, make not mine enemies to triumph over me and place me not among the evil-doers.

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِأَخِى وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِى رَحْمَتِكَ ۖ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

He said: My Lord! Have mercy on me and on my brother; bring us into Thy mercy, Thou the Most Merciful of all who show mercy.

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ نَبِيًّۭا

And We bestowed upon him of Our mercy his brother Aaron, a prophet (likewise).

وَٱجْعَل لِّى وَزِيرًۭا مِّنْ أَهْلِى

Appoint for me a henchman from my folk,

هَٰرُونَ أَخِى

Aaron, my brother.

ٱشْدُدْ بِهِۦٓ أَزْرِى

Confirm my strength with him

وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِىٓ أَمْرِى

And let him share my task,

كَىْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًۭا

That we may glorify Thee much

وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا

And much remember Thee.

إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًۭا

Lo! Thou art ever Seeing us.

قَالَ قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ

He said: Thou art granted thy request, O Moses.

وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ هَٰرُونُ مِن قَبْلُ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنَّمَا فُتِنتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى وَأَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَمْرِى

And Aaron indeed had told them beforehand: O my people! Ye are but being seduced therewith, for lo! your Lord is the Beneficent, so follow me and obey my order.

قَالُوا۟ لَن نَّبْرَحَ عَلَيْهِ عَٰكِفِينَ حَتَّىٰ يَرْجِعَ إِلَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ

They said: We shall by no means cease to be its votaries till Moses return unto us.

قَالَ يَٰهَٰرُونُ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ رَأَيْتَهُمْ ضَلُّوٓا۟

He (Moses) said: O Aaron! What held thee back when thou didst see them gone astray,

أَلَّا تَتَّبِعَنِ ۖ أَفَعَصَيْتَ أَمْرِى

That thou followedst me not? Hast thou then disobeyed my order?

قَالَ يَبْنَؤُمَّ لَا تَأْخُذْ بِلِحْيَتِى وَلَا بِرَأْسِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى خَشِيتُ أَن تَقُولَ فَرَّقْتَ بَيْنَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَلَمْ تَرْقُبْ قَوْلِى

He said: O son of my mother! Clutch not my beard nor my head! I feared lest thou shouldst say: Thou hast caused division among the Children of Israel, and hast not waited for my word.

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلْنَا مَعَهُۥٓ أَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ وَزِيرًۭا

We verily gave Moses the Scripture and placed with him his brother Aaron as henchman.

وَأَخِى هَٰرُونُ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّى لِسَانًۭا فَأَرْسِلْهُ مَعِىَ رِدْءًۭا يُصَدِّقُنِىٓ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ أَن يُكَذِّبُونِ

My brother Aaron is more eloquent than me in speech. Therefor send him with me as a helper to confirm me. Lo! I fear that they will give the lie to me.

وَلَقَدْ مَنَنَّا عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ

And We verily gave grace unto Moses and Aaron,

وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُمَا وَقَوْمَهُمَا مِنَ ٱلْكَرْبِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

And saved them and their people from the great distress,

وَنَصَرْنَٰهُمْ فَكَانُوا۟ هُمُ ٱلْغَٰلِبِينَ

And helped them so that they became the victors.

وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُمَا ٱلْكِتَٰبَ ٱلْمُسْتَبِينَ

And We gave them the clear Scripture

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُمَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ

And showed them the right path.

وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرِينَ

And We left for them among the later folk (the salutation):

سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ وَهَٰرُونَ

Peace be unto Moses and Aaron!

إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Lo! thus do We reward the good.

إِنَّهُمَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Lo! they are two of Our believing slaves.