Lux Domini

Exodus 6

Chapter context

What is happening in Exodus 6?

redemptionPassovercovenantlaw

Exodus 6 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as Israel’s oppression and the call of Moses. Exodus tells the story of Israel’s rescue from Pharaoh, the revelation of the divine name, the covenant at Sinai, and the tabernacle where God chooses to dwell among his people. Read this chapter with the wider themes of redemption, Passover, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.   2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:   3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.   4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.   5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.   6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, 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 a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:   7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.   8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.   9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.   10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,   11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.   12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?   13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.   14 These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.   15 And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.   16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.   17 The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.   18 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.   19 And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.   20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.   21 And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.   22 And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.   23 And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.   24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.   25 And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.   26 These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.   27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.   28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,   29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.   30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?  

Study helps

Glossary

Abraham Person v. 3, 8

Father of a multitude, son of Terah, named ( Gen. 11:27 ) before his older brothers Nahor and Haran, because he was the heir of the promises.

Isaac Person v. 3, 8

Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes ( Amos 7:9 , 16). (2. ) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs ( Gen. 21:1-3 ).

Canaan Place v. 4

Biblical region. Modern identification: Canaan.

Egypt Place v. 6-7, 11, 13, 26-29

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.

Carmi Person v. 14

Vine-dresser. (1. ) The last named of the four sons of Reuben ( Gen. 46:9 ). (2. ) A descendant of Judah ( 1 Chr. 4:1 ). He is elsewhere (2:18) called Caleb (q. v. ). (3. ) The son of Zimri, and the father of Achan.

Pallu Person v. 14

Separated, the second son of Reuben ( 1 Chr. 5:3 ); called Phallu, Gen. 46:9 . He was the father of the Phalluites ( Ex. 6:14 ; Num. 26:5 , 8).

Reuben Person v. 14

Behold a son!, the eldest son of Jacob and Leah ( Gen. 29:32 ). His sinful conduct, referred to in Gen. 35:22 , brought down upon him his dying father’s malediction (48:4).

Jachin Person v. 15

Firm. (1. ) The fourth son of Simeon ( Gen. 46:10 ), called also Jarib ( 1 Chr. 4:24 ). (2. ) The head of one of the courses (the twenty-first) of priests ( 1 Chr. 24:17 ).

Ohad Person v. 15

United, or power, the third son of Simeon ( Gen. 46:10 ).

Simeon Person v. 15

Hearing. (1. ) The second son of Jacob by Leah ( Gen. 29:33 ). He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor and the Shechemites (34:25, 26).

Zohar Person v. 15

Brightness. (1. ) The father of Ephron the Hittite ( Gen. 23:8 ). (2. ) One of the sons of Simeon ( Gen. 46:10 ; Ex. 6:15 ).

Kohath Person v. 16, 18

Assembly, the second son of Levi, and father of Amram ( Gen. 46:11 ). He came down to Egypt with Jacob, and lived to the age of one hundred and thirty-three years ( Ex. 6:18 ).

Levi Person v. 16, 19

Adhesion. (1. ) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words ( Gen. 29:34 ).

Merari Person v. 16, 19

Sad; bitter, the youngest son of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt, and one of the seventy who accompanied him thither ( Gen. 46:11 ; Ex. 6:16 ).

Libni Person v. 17

White, one of the two sons of Gershon, the son of Levi ( Ex. 6:17 ; Num. 3:18 , 21). (See LAADAN. ).

Amram Person v. 18, 20

Kindred of the High; i. e., “friend of Jehovah. ” (1. ) The son of Kohath, the son of Levi. He married Jochebed, “his father’s sister,” and was the father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses ( Ex. 6:18 , 20; Num. 3:19 ).

Jochebed Person v. 20

Jehovah is her glory, the wife of Amram, and the mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses ( Num. 26:59 ). She is spoken of as the sister of Kohath, Amram’s father ( Ex. 6:20 ; comp. 16, 18; 2:1-10).

Korah Person v. 21, 24

Ice, hail. (1. ) The third son of Esau, by Aholibamah ( Gen. 36:14 ; 1 Chr. 1:35 ). (2. ) A Levite, the son of Izhar, the brother of Amram, the father of Moses and Aaron ( Ex. 6:21 ).

Zichri Person v. 21

Remembered; illustrious. (1. ) A Benjamite chief ( 1 Chr. 8:19 ). (2. ) Another of the same tribe ( 1 Chr. 8:23 ).

Mishael Person v. 22

Who is like God! (1. ) A Levite; the eldest of the three sons of Uzziel ( Ex. 6:22 ). (2. ) One of the three Hebrew youths who were trained with Daniel in Babylon ( Dan. 1:11 , 19), and promoted to the rank of Magi.

Zithri Person v. 22

The Lord protects, a Levite, son of Uzziel ( Ex. 6:22 ).

Abihu Person v. 23

Father of Him; i. e., “worshipper of God”, the second of the sons of Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ; Num. 3:2 ; 26:60 ; 1 Chr. 6:3 ). Along with his three brothers he was consecrated to the priest’s office ( Ex. 28:1 ).

Amminadab Tribe v. 23

Kindred of the prince. (1. ) The father of Nahshon, who was chief of the tribe of Judah ( Num. 1:7 ; 2:3 ; 7:12 , 17; 10:14). His daughter Elisheba was married to Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ).

Eleazar Person v. 23, 25

God has helped. (1. ) The third son of Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ). His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas ( Ex. 6:25 ). After the death of Nadab and Abihu.

Elisheba Person v. 23

God is her oath, the daughter of Amminadab and the wife of Aaron ( Ex. 6:23 ).

Ithamar Person v. 23

Palm isle, the fourth and youngest son of Aaron ( 1 Chr. 6:3 ). He was consecrated to the priesthood along with his brothers.

Abiasaph Person v. 24

Father of gathering; the gatherer, the youngest of the three sons of Korah the Levite, head of a family of Korhites ( Ex. 6:24 ); called Ebisaph ( 1 Chr. 6:37 ).

Elkanah Person v. 24

God-created. (1. ) The second son of Korah ( Ex. 6:24 ), or, according to 1 Chr. 6:22 , 23, more correctly his grandson.

Phinehas Person v. 25

Mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro. (1. ) Son of Eleazar, the high priest ( Ex. 6:25 ).