Exodus 6:13-27

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. ¹The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

15 The ²sons 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 ³the 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 ⁴The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

18 ⁵The 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 ⁶The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

20 ⁷Amram 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 ⁸The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

22 ⁹The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

23 Aaron married * Elisheba, the daughter of ¹⁰Amminadab, the sister of ¹¹Nahshon, and she bore him ¹²Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The ¹³sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

25 Aaron's son ¹⁴Eleazar married * one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him ¹⁵Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites according to their families.

26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "¹⁶Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their ¹⁷hosts."

27 They were the ones ¹⁸who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 6:13-27 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. Genesis 46:9; Numbers 26:5-11; 1 Chronicles 5:3
• 2. Genesis 46:10; 1 Chronicles 4:24
• 3. Genesis 46:11; Numbers 3:17; Numbers 26:57; 1 Chr 6:1, 16-19
• 4. Numbers 3:18-20; 1 Chronicles 6:17-19
• 5. Numbers 3:19; 1 Chronicles 6:2, 18
• 6. Numbers 3:20; 1 Chronicles 6:19; 1 Chronicles 23:21
• 7. Exodus 2:1, 2; Numbers 26:59
• 8. Numbers 16:1; 1 Chronicles 6:37, 38
• 9. Leviticus 10:4; Numbers 3:30
• 10. Ruth 4:19, 20; 1 Chronicles 2:10
• 11. Numbers 1:7; Numbers 2:3
• 12. Leviticus 10:1; Numbers 3:2; Numbers 26:60; 1 Chronicles 6:3; 1 Chronicles 24:1
• 13. Numbers 26:11; 1 Chr 6:22, 23, 37
• 14. Joshua 24:33
• 15. Numbers 25:7-13; Joshua 24:33; Psalms 106:30
• 16. Exodus 3:10; Exodus 6:13
• 17. Exodus 7:4; Exodus 12:17, 51
• 18. Exodus 5:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "years"
• [b]. In 1 Chr 23:7, "Ladan"
• [c]. Lit "years"
• [d]. Lit "took to him to wife"
• [e]. Lit "years"
• [f]. In Num 3:30, "Elizaphan"
• [g]. Lit "took to him to wife"
• [h]. In 1 Chr 6:23 and 9:19, "Ebiasaph"
• [i]. Lit "took to him to wife"
• [j]. Lit "to bring out"