The Bible — World English Bible
Exodus 6
In brief
Exodus 6 follows the apparent failure of the first meeting with Pharaoh, which made things worse for the Hebrews. God answers Moses by recalling who he is: the Lord, the God of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He announces what he will do in a series of promises in the first person. But the people, crushed by slavery, do not listen to Moses. The chapter ends with a genealogy that places Moses and Aaron among the families of Israel.
The chapter in 5 parts
- v. 1-5God announces his mighty hand and recalls his covenant
- v. 6-8The promises of deliverance: I will free you, I will be your God
- v. 9-13The crushed people do not listen, Moses doubts and God sends him anyway
- v. 14-25The families of Reuben, Simeon and Levi
- v. 26-30Moses and Aaron, charged with bringing Israel out of Egypt
1Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.”
2God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh.
3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.
4I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens.
5Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
6Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.
7I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’ ”
9Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
11“Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
12Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, when I have uncircumcised lips?”
13Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.
16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.
18The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years.
19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
20Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven years.
21The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.
22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.
25Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.
26These are that Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.”
27These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.
28On the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,
29Yahweh said to Moses, “I am Yahweh. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I tell you.”
30Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
Key verses
Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.”
God answers Moses's distress by announcing what he will do to Pharaoh. God's mighty hand will bring the pressure: he is the one who will force Pharaoh to let the people go.
Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
God says he has heard Israel's groaning and has remembered his covenant. This remembering does not mean he had forgotten: it means God is finally acting on the promise he made to the patriarchs.
Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.
The promises of deliverance follow one another, all in the first person: free, deliver, redeem. Salvation is presented as the work of God himself.
I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
I will take you as my people, and I will be your God: this is the covenant formula. Deliverance has a relational purpose, to belong to God and to know him.
Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
The people do not listen because of their anguish and harsh slavery. The text recognizes that suffering can make us deaf, even to good news.
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Frequently asked questions about Exodus 6
What does Exodus 6:7 mean?
God says: I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. This is the central formula of the covenant. He does not only promise to bring Israel out of Egypt, he promises a relationship: to belong to God and to know him. Deliverance from slavery therefore has a purpose, to live with him.
What are God's promises in Exodus 6:6-8?
God announces that he will free Israel from the burdens laid on them by the Egyptians, that he will deliver them from their slavery and that he will redeem them with an outstretched arm. He adds that he will take them as his people, that he will be their God and that he will bring them into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Why don't the people listen to Moses in Exodus 6:9?
The text gives the reason: anguish and harsh slavery keep them from listening. After the first approach to Pharaoh, their burden had grown heavier. This verse is a reminder that distress can keep us from hearing a promise of God, without that promise losing any of its value.
Articles quoting Exodus 6
World English Bible translation — public domain.