Exodus 6:9-19

9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.

10 Then the LORD said to Moses,

11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”

12 But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips^[a] ?”

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

13 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

14 These were the heads of their families^[b] : The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.

18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

Exodus 6:9-19 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

• 1. S Genesis 34:30; Exodus 2:23
• 2. ver 29
• 3. S Exodus 3:18
• 4. S Exodus 3:18
• 5. ver 30; Exodus 4:10; Jeremiah 1:6
• 6. S Exodus 3:10
• 7. Exodus 13:3; Numbers 1:1; Numbers 26:4; Genesis 46:9
• 8. S Genesis 29:32
• 9. S Genesis 29:33; Genesis 46:10; 1 Chronicles 4:24
• 10. S Genesis 29:34
• 11. S Genesis 46:11
• 12. Numbers 3:17; Joshua 21:7; 1 Chronicles 6:1,16
• 13. Numbers 3:18; 1 Chronicles 6:17
• 14. Numbers 3:27; 1 Chronicles 23:12
• 15. Numbers 3:19; 1 Chronicles 6:2,18
• 16. Numbers 3:20,33; 1 Chronicles 6:19; 1 Chronicles 23:21

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "I am uncircumcised of lips" ; also in verse 30
• [b]. The Hebrew for "families" here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.