Exodus 6:9-19

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.)
14 These be the princes of the houses by their families. The sons of Reuben, the first begotten of Israel (Israel's first-born); Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these be the kindreds of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Saul (and Shaul), the son of a woman of Canaan; these be the kindreds of Simeon.
16 And these be the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. Forsooth the years of the life of Levi were an hundred and seven and thirty.
17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, by their kindreds.
18 The sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred and three and thirty.
19 The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These were the kindreds of Levi by their families.

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.

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