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Psalms 99:6 NIV

Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them.

According to the law priests were consecrated and ordained into priesthood through a series of ceremonies and Aaron and his sons seem to be the ones that underwent this consecration and ordination

Exodus 28:1 NIV

“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests

Exodus 29:1-4 NIV

29 “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. 2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil. 3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams. 4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water

Leviticus 8:1-4 NIV

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering,[a] the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, 3 and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

There is no record of Moses undergoing a similar consecration and ordination

Was Moses a priest?.

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  • Does the title 'priest' in Psalm 99:6 use the word 'priest' in the same way as Exodus 19:6 and Isaiah 61:6 and Revelation 1:6 and 1 Peter 2:9 a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ? Excellent question up-voted +1.
    – Nigel J
    Commented Mar 11, 2021 at 7:40

2 Answers 2

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The priesthood was formally instituted in Exodus 28:1

"Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests.

Was Moses a priest as suggested in Psalms 99:6?

Moses was a priest but not according to the order of Aaron. He served priestly functions before Aaron was instituted.

Exodus 24:6

Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.

Even before Moses, there was another priest.

Genesis 14:18

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,

Was Moses a priest?

He served many priestly functions but overall he served more as a prophet of the Lord.

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According to Jacob Wright, in Why the Bible was Written, the Moses story contains an older layer that has him dying at Mount Nebo. The Meshe Stele tells us that a temple to Yahweh was there. Wright thinks he was a priest, and his story has nothing to do with the exodus story.

This statement from a psalm is consistent with that theory.

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    – agarza
    Commented May 1 at 2:45

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