שמות, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״ט

Moses and Aaron take the first practical steps of their mission by turning to the local leadership. Their joint effort unfolds exactly as commanded earlier, with Aaron acting as a full partner and serving as the primary speaker [קאסוטו]. They gather the elders, who function as the leaders and advisors of that generation [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ], specifically those appointed to sit on the central leadership council [חזקוני].

Approaching the elders is a matter of practical necessity. It is simply impossible to speak directly to a massive crowd of six hundred thousand people, so the elders are entrusted to receive the message and relay it to the rest of the nation [אבן עזרא].

At this specific moment, these leaders are identified by a unique title, referred to as the elders of the children of Israel rather than the standard elders of Israel. The usual title reflects a deep spiritual maturity and the capacity to represent the entire nation as a single, unified body. However, at this early stage, the people have not yet formed into a cohesive national entity. They are currently just elders chosen from among the people. Only later, when they stand alongside Moses before Pharaoh to represent the collective whole, will they officially become the elders of Israel [רש"ר הירש].