Exodus 6:2-12

God Promises Freedom

2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am Yahweh.
3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty,[a] but I did not make My name Yahweh known to them.
4 I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners.
5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered My covenant.
6 "Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm[b] and great acts of judgment.
7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.[c] You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
8 I will bring you to the land that I swore[d] to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord."
9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses,
11 "Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land."
12 But Moses said in the Lord's presence: "If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?"[e]

Exodus 6:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 6

The Lord encourages Moses to hope for success from his name Jehovah, and the covenant he had made with the fathers of his people, Ex 6:1-5, orders him to assure the children of Israel that he would deliver them from their bondage and burdens, and bring them into the land of Canaan; but through their distress and anguish they hearkened not to him, Ex 6:6-9 but Moses is sent again to Pharaoh to demand the dismission of Israel, to which he seems unwilling, and both he and Aaron are charged both to go to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh, Ex 6:10-13, next follows a genealogy of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, which seems to be given for the sake of Moses and Aaron, and to show their descent, Ex 6:14-15, who were the persons appointed of God to be the instruments of bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, Ex 6:26-30.

Footnotes 5

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