Aaron

4 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Aaron
       n 1: United States professional baseball player who hit more home
            runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934) [syn: {Henry Louis
            Aaron}, {Hank Aaron}]
       2: (Old Testament) elder brother of Moses and first high priest
          of the Israelites; created the Golden Calf



From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Aaron
     the eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi (Ex.
     6:20). Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others
     mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three
     years before his brother Moses, and a number of years after his
     sister Miriam (2:1,4; 7:7). He married Elisheba, the daughter of
     Amminadab of the house of Judah (6:23; 1 Chr. 2:10), by whom he
     had four sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. When the
     time for the deliverance of Isarael out of Egypt drew nigh, he
     was sent by God (Ex. 4:14,27-30) to meet his long-absent
     brother, that he might co-operate with him in all that they were
     required to do in bringing about the Exodus. He was to be the
     "mouth" or "prophet" of Moses, i.e., was to speak for him,
     because he was a man of a ready utterance (7:1,2,9,10,19). He
     was faithful to his trust, and stood by Moses in all his
     interviews with Pharaoh.
     
       When the ransomed tribes fought their first battle with Amalek
     in Rephidim, Moses stood on a hill overlooking the scene of the
     conflict with the rod of God in his outstretched hand. On this
     occasion he was attended by Aaron and Hur, his sister's husband,
     who held up his wearied hands till Joshua and the chosen
     warriors of Israel gained the victory (17:8-13).
     
       Afterwards, when encamped before Sinai, and when Moses at the
     command of God ascended the mount to receive the tables of the
     law, Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, along with seventy
     of the elders of Israel, were permitted to accompany him part of
     the way, and to behold afar off the manifestation of the glory
     of Israel's God (Ex. 19:24; 24:9-11). While Moses remained on
     the mountain with God, Aaron returned unto the people; and
     yielding through fear, or ignorance, or instability of
     character, to their clamour, made unto them a golden calf, and
     set it up as an object of worship (Ex. 32:4; Ps. 106:19). On the
     return of Moses to the camp, Aaron was sternly rebuked by him
     for the part he had acted in this matter; but he interceded for
     him before God, who forgave his sin (Deut. 9:20).
     
       On the mount, Moses received instructions regarding the system
     of worship which was to be set up among the people; and in
     accordance therewith Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the
     priest's office (Lev. 8; 9). Aaron, as high priest, held
     henceforth the prominent place appertaining to that office.
     
       When Israel had reached Hazeroth, in "the wilderness of
     Paran," Aaron joined with his sister Miriam in murmuring against
     Moses, "because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married,"
     probably after the death of Zipporah. But the Lord vindicated
     his servant Moses, and punished Miriam with leprosy (Num. 12).
     Aaron acknowledged his own and his sister's guilt, and at the
     intercession of Moses they were forgiven.
     
       Twenty years after this, when the children of Israel were
     encamped in the wilderness of Paran, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
     conspired against Aaron and his sons; but a fearful judgment
     from God fell upon them, and they were destroyed, and the next
     day thousands of the people also perished by a fierce
     pestilence, the ravages of which were only stayed by the
     interposition of Aaron (Num. 16). That there might be further
     evidence of the divine appointment of Aaron to the priestly
     office, the chiefs of the tribes were each required to bring to
     Moses a rod bearing on it the name of his tribe. And these,
     along with the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi, were laid up
     overnight in the tabernacle, and in the morning it was found
     that while the other rods remained unchanged, that of Aaron "for
     the house of Levi" budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds (Num.
     17:1-10). This rod was afterwards preserved in the tabernacle
     (Heb. 9:4) as a memorial of the divine attestation of his
     appointment to the priesthood.
     
       Aaron was implicated in the sin of his brother at Meribah
     (Num. 20:8-13), and on that account was not permitted to enter
     the Promised Land. When the tribes arrived at Mount Hor, "in the
     edge of the land of Edom," at the command of God Moses led Aaron
     and his son Eleazar to the top of that mountain, in the sight of
     all the people. There he stripped Aaron of his priestly
     vestments, and put them upon Eleazar; and there Aaron died on
     the top of the mount, being 123 years old (Num. 20:23-29. Comp.
     Deut. 10:6; 32:50), and was "gathered unto his people." The
     people, "even all the house of Israel," mourned for him thirty
     days. Of Aaron's sons two survived him, Eleazar, whose family
     held the high-priesthood till the time of Eli; and Ithamar, in
     whose family, beginning with Eli, the high-priesthood was held
     till the time of Solomon. Aaron's other two sons had been struck
     dead (Lev. 10:1,2) for the daring impiety of offering "strange
     fire" on the alter of incense.
     
       The Arabs still show with veneration the traditionary site of
     Aaron's grave on one of the two summits of Mount Hor, which is
     marked by a Mohammedan chapel. His name is mentioned in the
     Koran, and there are found in the writings of the rabbins many
     fabulous stories regarding him.
     
       He was the first anointed priest. His descendants, "the house
     of Aaron," constituted the priesthood in general. In the time of
     David they were very numerous (1 Chr. 12:27). The other branches
     of the tribe of Levi held subordinate positions in connection
     with the sacred office. Aaron was a type of Christ in his
     official character as the high priest. His priesthood was a
     "shadow of heavenly things," and was intended to lead the people
     of Israel to look forward to the time when "another priest"
     would arise "after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. 6:20). (See {MOSES}.)
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Aaron, a teacher; lofty; mountain of strength
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Aaron, KY
    Zip code(s): 42601