1 Then the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 Now shalt thou see H7200 what I will do H6213 to Pharaoh: H6547 for with a strong H2389 hand H3027 shall he let them go, H7971 and with a strong H2389 hand H3027 shall he drive them out H1644 of his land. H776
2 And God H430 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 and said H559 unto him, I am the LORD: H3068
3 And I appeared H7200 unto Abraham, H85 unto Isaac, H3327 and unto Jacob, H3290 by the name of God H410 Almighty, H7706 but by my name H8034 JEHOVAH H3068 was I not known H3045 to them.
4 And I have also established H6965 my covenant H1285 with them, to give H5414 them the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 the land H776 of their pilgrimage, H4033 wherein they were strangers. H1481
5 And I have also heard H8085 the groaning H5009 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 whom H834 the Egyptians H4714 keep in bondage; H5647 and I have remembered H2142 my covenant. H1285
6 Wherefore H3651 say H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 I am the LORD, H3068 and I will bring H3318 you out from under the burdens H5450 of the Egyptians, H4714 and I will rid H5337 you out of their bondage, H5656 and I will redeem H1350 you with a stretched H5186 out arm, H2220 and with great H1419 judgments: H8201
7 And I will take H3947 you to me for a people, H5971 and I will be to you a God: H430 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which bringeth H3318 you out from under the burdens H5450 of the Egyptians. H4714
8 And I will bring H935 you in unto the land, H776 concerning the which I did swear H5375 H3027 to give H5414 it to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob; H3290 and I will give H5414 it you for an heritage: H4181 I am the LORD. H3068
9 And Moses H4872 spake H1696 so unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 but they hearkened H8085 not unto Moses H4872 for anguish H7115 of spirit, H7307 and for cruel H7186 bondage. H5656
10 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
11 Go H935 in, speak H1696 unto Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 that he let the children H1121 of Israel H3478 go out H7971 of his land. H776
12 And Moses H4872 spake H1696 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Behold, the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have not hearkened H8085 unto me; how then shall Pharaoh H6547 hear H8085 me, H589 who am of uncircumcised H6189 lips? H8193
13 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses H4872 and unto Aaron, H175 and gave them a charge H6680 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and unto Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 to bring H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
14 These be the heads H7218 of their fathers' H1 houses: H1004 The sons H1121 of Reuben H7205 the firstborn H1060 of Israel; H3478 Hanoch, H2585 and Pallu, H6396 Hezron, H2696 and Carmi: H3756 these be the families H4940 of Reuben. H7205
15 And the sons H1121 of Simeon; H8095 Jemuel, H3223 and Jamin, H3226 and Ohad, H161 and Jachin, H3199 and Zohar, H6714 and Shaul H7586 the son H1121 of a Canaanitish woman: H3669 these are the families H4940 of Simeon. H8095
16 And these are the names H8034 of the sons H1121 of Levi H3878 according to their generations; H8435 Gershon, H1648 and Kohath, H6955 and Merari: H4847 and the years H8141 of the life H2416 of Levi H3878 were an hundred H3967 thirty H7970 and seven H7651 years. H8141
17 The sons H1121 of Gershon; H1648 Libni, H3845 and Shimi, H8096 according to their families. H4940
18 And the sons H1121 of Kohath; H6955 Amram, H6019 and Izhar, H3324 and Hebron, H2275 and Uzziel: H5816 and the years H8141 of the life H2416 of Kohath H6955 were an hundred H3967 thirty H7970 and three H7969 years. H8141
19 And the sons H1121 of Merari; H4847 Mahali H4249 and Mushi: H4187 these are the families H4940 of Levi H3878 according to their generations. H8435
20 And Amram H6019 took H3947 him Jochebed H3115 his father's sister H1733 to wife; H802 and she bare H3205 him Aaron H175 and Moses: H4872 and the years H8141 of the life H2416 of Amram H6019 were an hundred H3967 and thirty H7970 and seven H7651 years. H8141
21 And the sons H1121 of Izhar; H3324 Korah, H7141 and Nepheg, H5298 and Zichri. H2147
22 And the sons H1121 of Uzziel; H5816 Mishael, H4332 and Elzaphan, H469 and Zithri. H5644
23 And Aaron H175 took H3947 him Elisheba, H472 daughter H1323 of Amminadab, H5992 sister H269 of Naashon, H5177 to wife; H802 and she bare H3205 him Nadab, H5070 and Abihu, H30 Eleazar, H499 and Ithamar. H385
24 And the sons H1121 of Korah; H7141 Assir, H617 and Elkanah, H511 and Abiasaph: H23 these are the families H4940 of the Korhites. H7145
25 And Eleazar H499 Aaron's H175 son H1121 took H3947 him one of the daughters H1323 of Putiel H6317 to wife; H802 and she bare H3205 him Phinehas: H6372 these are the heads H7218 of the fathers H1 of the Levites H3881 according to their families. H4940
26 These H1931 are that Aaron H175 and Moses, H4872 to whom H834 the LORD H3068 said, H559 Bring out H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from the land H776 of Egypt H4714 according to their armies. H6635
27 These H1992 are they which spake H1696 to Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 to bring out H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 from Egypt: H4714 these are that Moses H4872 and Aaron. H175
28 And it came to pass on the day H3117 when the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses H4872 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714
29 That the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559 I am the LORD: H3068 speak H1696 thou unto Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 all that I say H1696 unto thee.
30 And Moses H4872 said H559 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 Behold, I am of uncircumcised H6189 lips, H8193 and how shall Pharaoh H6547 hearken H8085 unto me?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 6
Commentary on Exodus 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ex 6:1-13. Renewal of the Promise.
1. the Lord said unto Moses—The Lord, who is long-suffering and indulgent to the errors and infirmities of His people, made allowance for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview and cheered him with the assurance of a speedy and successful termination to his embassy.
2. And God spake unto Moses—For his further encouragement, there was made to him an emphatic repetition of the promise (Ex 3:20).
3. I … God Almighty—All enemies must fall, all difficulties must vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had abundant proofs of this.
but by my name, &c.—rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My honor for the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God who lives to accomplish it? Rest assured, therefore, that I shall bring it to pass. This passage has occasioned much discussion; and it has been thought by many to intimate that as the name Jehovah was not known to the patriarchs, at least in the full bearing or practical experience of it, the honor of the disclosure was reserved to Moses, who was the first sent with a message in the name of Jehovah, and enabled to attest it by a series of public miracles.
9-11. Moses spake so unto the children of Israel—The increased severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have so entirely crushed their spirits, as well as irritated them, that they refused to listen to any more communications (Ex 14:12). Even the faith of Moses himself was faltering; and he would have abandoned the enterprise in despair had he not received a positive command from God to revisit the people without delay, and at the same time renew their demand on the king in a more decisive and peremptory tone.
12. how then shall … who am of uncircumcised lips?—A metaphorical expression among the Hebrews, who, taught to look on the circumcision of any part as denoting perfection, signified its deficiency or unsuitableness by uncircumcision. The words here express how painfully Moses felt his want of utterance or persuasive oratory. He seems to have fallen into the same deep despondency as his brethren, and to be shrinking with nervous timidity from a difficult, if not desperate, cause. If he had succeeded so ill with the people, whose dearest interests were all involved, what better hope could he entertain of his making more impression on the heart of a king elated with pride and strong in the possession of absolute power? How strikingly was the indulgent forbearance of God displayed towards His people amid all their backwardness to hail His announcement of approaching deliverance! No perverse complaints or careless indifference on their part retarded the development of His gracious purposes. On the contrary, here, as generally, the course of His providence is slow in the infliction of judgments, while it moves more quickly, as it were, when misery is to be relieved or benefits conferred.
Ex 6:14-30. The Genealogy of Moses.
14, 15. These be the heads of their fathers' houses—chiefs or governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi [Ex 6:16-19].
20. Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife—The Septuagint and Syriac versions render it "his cousin."
23. Elisheba—that is, Elizabethan. These minute particulars recorded of the family of Aaron, while he has passed over his own, indicate the real modesty of Moses. An ambitious man or an impostor would have acted in a different manner.