Exodus 6:1-13

1 And the Lord said to Moses, Now thou shalt see, what things I shall do to Pharaoh; for by [a] strong hand he shall deliver them, that is, the sons of Israel, and in [a] mighty hand he shall cast them out of his land (for with my strong hand, I shall compel him to let them go, that is, the Israelites, and under my mighty hand, he shall throw them out of his land).
2 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said, I am the Lord,
3 that appeared to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, I am Almighty God; and I showed not to them my great name Adonai, that is, Tetragrammaton. (who appeared to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, I am Almighty God; but I did not tell them my great and holy name, Yahweh, or Jehovah;)
4 and I made [a] covenant with them, that I should give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were comelings. (and I made a covenant with them, that I would give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as newcomers, or as foreigners.)
5 I heard the wailing of the sons of Israel, in which the Egyptians oppressed them, and I had mind of my covenant. (I have heard the wailing of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians oppressed, and I have remembered my covenant.)
6 Therefore say thou to the sons of Israel, I am the Lord, that shall lead you out of the prison of the Egyptians; and I shall deliver you from servage; and I shall again-buy you in an arm straight out, and in great dooms; (And so say thou to the Israelites, I am the Lord, who shall lead you out of your Egyptian prison; and I shall rescue you from your servitude, or your slavery; and I shall buy you back, that is, redeem you, with an outstretched arm, and with mighty acts of judgement;)
7 and I shall take you to me into a people, and I shall be your God; and ye shall know, for I am your Lord God, which have led you out of the prison of (the) Egyptians, (and I shall make you my people, and I shall be your God; and ye shall know, that I am the Lord your God, who led you out of your Egyptian prison,)
8 and have led you into the land, on which I raised [up] mine hand, that I should give it to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I shall give to you that land to be had in possession (and I shall give you that land for a possession); I [am] the Lord.
9 Therefore Moses told all things to the sons of Israel, which assented not to him for the anguish of spirit, and for the full hard work by which they were troubled. (And so Moses told all these things to the Israelites, but they assented not to him, because of the anguish of their spirit, and all their hard labour, or all their tribulation.)
10 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
11 Enter thou, and speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he deliver the children of Israel from his land. (Go thou, and tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, that he must let the Israelites go out from his land.)
12 Moses answered before the Lord, Lo! the children of Israel hear not me; and how shall Pharaoh hear, mostly since I am uncircumcised in lips? (Moses answered the Lord, and said, Lo! the Israelites will not listen to me; how then shall Pharaoh listen to me, especially since I am such a poor speaker?)
13 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and he gave (them) behests to the sons of Israel, and to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that they should lead out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt. (Yea, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them his commands concerning the Israelites, and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, namely, that they should lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.)

Exodus 6:1-13 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.