Exodus 6:14-30

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14 These [are] the heads of {their families}. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, [are] Enoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These [are] the clans of Reuben.

15 And the sons of Simeon [are] Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jakin and Zohar and Shaul the son of the Canaanitess. These [are] the clans of Simeon.

16 And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogies: Gershon and Kohath and Merari, and the years of the life of Levi [were] {one hundred and thirty-seven years}.

17 The sons of Gershon [are] Libni and Shimei according to their clans.

18 And the sons of Kohath [are] Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath [were] {one hundred and thirty-three years}.

19 And the sons of Merari [are] Mahli and Mushi. These [are] clans of the Levites according to their genealogies.

20 And Amram took Jochebed his aunt for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Aaron and Moses, and the years of the life of Amram [were] {one hundred and thirty-seven years}.

21 And the sons of Izhar [are] Korah and Nepheg and Zikri.

22 And the sons of Uzziel [are] Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

23 And Aaron took Elisheba the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 And the sons of Korah [are] Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph. These [are] the clans of the Korahites.

25 And Eleazar the son of Aaron took for himself [one] from the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore for him Phinehas. These [are] the heads of the {families} of the Levites according to their clans.

26 [It was] that Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, "Bring the {Israelites} out from the land of Egypt according to their divisions."

27 They [were] those who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring the {Israelites} out from Egypt. [It was] that Moses and Aaron.

28 {And so it was on a certain day} Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.

29 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "I [am] Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, all that I [am] speaking to you."

30 And Moses said before Yahweh, "Look, I [am] {a poor speaker}. And how will Pharaoh listen to me?"

Exodus 6:14-30 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

• [a]. Literally "the house of their fathers"
• [b]. Or "the Canaanite woman." The Hebrew word is feminine
• [c]. Or "generations"
• [d]. Literally "seven and thirty and hundred of year"
• [e]. Literally "three and thirty and hundred of year"
• [f]. Or "generations"
• [g]. Literally "seven and thirty and hundred of year"
• [h]. Literally "fathers"
• [i]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [j]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [k]. Literally "and it was on a day"
• [l]. Literally "uncircumcised of lips"