Exodus 6
1 Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.”
2 God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. 4 I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. 7 I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God. Then you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a heritage. I am Yahweh.’”
9 Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
12 Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?”
13 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon.
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.
20 Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister as his wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.
26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” 27 These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.
28 On the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.”
30 Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”
Commentary
Overview
Exodus 6 opens with God’s answer to Moses’ lament at the end of the previous chapter. Moses had obeyed the command to confront Pharaoh, but Israel’s suffering became worse rather than better. From Moses’ viewpoint, the mission appeared to have failed. Yahweh responds, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.” The word “now” marks a decisive turn. Pharaoh’s resistance has not defeated God’s purpose; it has prepared the setting in which God’s power will be displayed openly.
The Lord then anchors His promise in His identity: “I am Yahweh.” This declaration appears repeatedly throughout the chapter. God does not merely give Moses a new strategy; He redirects Moses’ attention to who He is. Circumstances have changed for the worse, but God’s character, covenant, and purpose have not changed. The answer to Moses’ discouragement begins with God Himself.
The Lord recalls the covenant He established with the patriarchs and the land He promised to give their descendants. Israel’s deliverance is therefore not an isolated act of compassion disconnected from the earlier biblical story. God is acting consistently with promises made long before Moses was born. The bondage has lasted for years, but the passage of time has not erased God’s commitment.
The language of redemption is especially significant. To redeem is to act on behalf of someone in bondage or distress in order to secure release. Yahweh identifies Himself as Israel’s Redeemer and promises to act “with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.” Redemption will involve both salvation and judgment: salvation for the enslaved people and judgment against the power that refuses to release them. The plagues will reveal that God’s saving work cannot be separated from His righteous opposition to evil.
The promised result is knowledge: “Then you shall know that I am Yahweh your God.” Earlier, Pharaoh asked, “Who is Yahweh?” Israel also needs a deeper knowledge of the Lord. Both Egypt and Israel will learn who He is, though in different ways. Egypt will know Him through judgment, while Israel will know Him as the God who brings them out from under their burdens. Biblical knowledge of God is not merely the possession of information; it includes encountering His character through His acts.
This verse portrays suffering with realism and compassion. A true message may be difficult for wounded people to hear, not because the message lacks power but because pain has exhausted them. God does not withdraw His promise when Israel fails to respond. He continues the work of deliverance even while the people are too discouraged to imagine it. Their rescue rests on His faithfulness before it produces strong faith in them.
Moses’ objection is understandable after the events of chapter 5, but it still evaluates the mission according to human response. Israel’s refusal and Pharaoh’s resistance appear to confirm his inadequacy. God, however, does not make the mission depend on Moses’ natural eloquence. He gives Moses and Aaron a command concerning both Israel and Pharaoh. Divine authority, not the messenger’s confidence, will carry the work forward.
The list gives unusual attention to Aaron’s household. His wife Elisheba and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar are named, as are Eleazar’s wife and son Phinehas. These names anticipate the priestly history that will unfold later in the Pentateuch. Some will serve faithfully, some will experience severe judgment, and the priesthood will continue through the family line. Exodus 6 therefore looks beyond the immediate confrontation with Pharaoh toward Israel’s future worship.
Verses 26–27 emphasize, “These are that Aaron and Moses” and then reverse the order: “These are that Moses and Aaron.” The repeated identification authenticates the two men entrusted with confronting Pharaoh and leading Israel out. Aaron receives prominence in the genealogy because the priestly line proceeds through him, while Moses remains the primary prophetic leader in the narrative. Their roles are distinct, but both serve under the same divine command.
Exodus 6 therefore answers despair with covenant certainty. Israel is exhausted, Moses is discouraged, and Pharaoh remains defiant, yet God speaks in the language of settled purpose: “I am Yahweh” and “I will.” The chapter does not deny the severity of bondage or the weakness of the servants involved. It places both beneath the greater reality of the God who remembers His covenant and acts to fulfill every promise.
Key Themes
Notable Verses
Exodus 6:1 announces the turning point: Moses will now see what Yahweh does, and Pharaoh will be compelled to send Israel away.
Exodus 6:2–3 centers the chapter on God’s declaration, “I am Yahweh,” and the fuller revelation of His covenant character through redemption.
Exodus 6:4–5 connects the coming deliverance to the covenant with the patriarchs, Israel’s groaning, and God’s faithful remembrance.
Exodus 6:6 promises that God will bring Israel out, free them from bondage, and redeem them with an outstretched arm and great judgments.
Exodus 6:7 reveals the relational goal of salvation: God will take Israel as His people and be their God.
Exodus 6:8 completes the promise by assuring Israel that God will bring them into the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Exodus 6:9 records that the people could not listen because anguish and cruel bondage had crushed their spirit.
Exodus 6:10–13 describes Moses’ renewed objection and God’s continuing command to Moses and Aaron concerning Israel and Pharaoh.
Exodus 6:14–25 traces the tribal and family setting of Moses and Aaron, with special attention to the line of Levi and Aaron’s descendants.
Exodus 6:26–27 identifies Aaron and Moses as the men commissioned to bring Israel out of Egypt and speak to Pharaoh.
Exodus 6:28–30 returns to Moses’ concern about his lips and prepares for God’s answer in the next chapter.
Reflection and Application
Exodus 6 teaches that discouragement is answered most deeply by a renewed vision of God. Moses has reasons to feel defeated: Pharaoh has retaliated, Israel has blamed him, and no visible progress has occurred. God does not begin by explaining every delay. He begins with “I am Yahweh.” When circumstances contradict our expectations, faith is strengthened by remembering the character of the One who made the promise.
The chapter also encourages believers to pay attention to the subject of God’s promises. Again and again the Lord says, “I will.” Moses must obey, Aaron must speak, and Israel will eventually respond, but none of them is the ultimate source of deliverance. This guards against both pride and despair. We cannot claim the credit for what only God can accomplish, and our weakness cannot cancel a purpose that depends on His power.
Israel’s inability to listen calls for compassion toward people whose suffering has overwhelmed them. Hopeful words should not be spoken harshly to those who are exhausted, as though pain were merely a failure of attitude. God does not shame Israel for having a crushed spirit; He continues to move toward their rescue. Faithful ministry combines truth with patience and recognizes that wounded people may need to see God’s care embodied before they can fully receive an explanation.
The genealogy invites us to value God’s work across generations. Deliverance does not begin with isolated individuals detached from a community. Moses and Aaron inherit a story of covenant promises, family faithfulness, family failures, and future responsibilities. Believers likewise receive a faith handed down through real people and are called to live in ways that bless those who come after them.
Finally, Exodus 6 teaches patience when God’s promise is clear but its fulfillment has barely begun. At the chapter’s end, Israel is still enslaved and Moses is still uncertain. Yet the decisive reality is already present in God’s declaration of what He will do. Faith lives between promise and fulfillment by refusing to let present bondage have the final word. Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness, not the strength of Pharaoh or the weakness of Moses, determines how the story will end.