Exodus 4:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send— The word שׁלח shelach, being very similar to שׁילה shilah, Genesis 49:10 which is universally agreed, as we have observed, to mean the Messiah; very many Christian interpreters have thought, that Moses here entreats of GOD to commit this office of delivering his people to that future Messenger and Deliverer, whom he had promised and determined to send. Houbigant is strongly of this opinion; and renders the passage, after the Vulgate, mitte per eam manum quem tu missurus es; send by that hand whom thou art about to send: i.e. says he, by the Saviour of the world, who Moses knew was to come; and who, he thought, might properly come at this time, to deliver his people; "and, for this reason," continues Houbigant, "God was angry at Moses; as it was not for him to appoint the time of human redemption; and says, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? implying, that the Levitical priesthood ought to precede that priesthood; which was to be according to the order of Melchisedec: and he thinks this the only method of accounting for God's so particularly denominating Aaron the Levite." This, perhaps, will by many be thought too refined: and we may add also, that Moses must have known, if he had had such clear discoveries of the mission of the Messiah, that this Divine Person was not yet incarnate: and, therefore, the sense which is given to the passage by the LXX and Chaldee, seems the most rational: "Send by some other person who is able:" "Send by the hand of one who is worthy to be sent." From false humility, or fear, Moses wished to decline an office, which, he foresaw, would be attended with great difficulties: for, that his desire to decline it, arose not from proper principles, is very evident from the anger of the Lord, kindled against him, Exodus 4:14. When human parts, or human passions, are attributed to GOD, it is always to be understood more humano, (after the manner of men,) for the purpose of speaking analogously to our comprehension: a remark, which it will be necessary to retain, though not to repeat.