Exodus 6:11-21

11 "1Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land."
12 But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; 2how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am 3unskilled in speech?"
13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Heads of Israel

14 These are the heads of their fathers' households. 4The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
15 The 5sons 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.
16 These are the names of 6the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the length of Levi's life was one hundred and thirty-seven * years.
17 7The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.
18 8The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the length of Kohath's life was one hundred and thirty-three * years.
19 9The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.
20 10Amram married * his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram's life was one hundred and thirty-seven * years.
21 11The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

Exodus 6:11-21 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.

Cross References 11

  • 1. Exodus 4:22, 23
  • 2. Exodus 4:1, 10; Exodus 6:30
  • 3. Jeremiah 1:6
  • 4. Genesis 46:9; Numbers 26:5-11; 1 Chronicles 5:3
  • 5. Genesis 46:10; 1 Chronicles 4:24
  • 6. Genesis 46:11; Numbers 3:17; Numbers 26:57; 1 Chr 6:1, 16-19
  • 7. Numbers 3:18-20; 1 Chronicles 6:17-19
  • 8. Numbers 3:19; 1 Chronicles 6:2, 18
  • 9. Numbers 3:20; 1 Chronicles 6:19; 1 Chronicles 23:21
  • 10. Exodus 2:1, 2; Numbers 26:59
  • 11. Numbers 16:1; 1 Chronicles 6:37, 38

Footnotes 8

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