A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Exodus 6
Exodus 6 is the sixth chapter of the book of Exodus and the chapter in which the LORD reaffirms his covenant and gives Moses the seven great "I will" promises. The 30-verse chapter answers Moses's despair at the end of Exodus 5, restates the covenant identity of the LORD, and ends with the genealogy that places Moses and Aaron in the line of Levi.
The chapter opens with the LORD answering Moses's complaint. "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of My mighty hand he will let them go; because of My mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." The LORD identifies himself again. He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but he was not known to them by his name LORD. He has heard the groaning of the Israelites under Egyptian bondage and has remembered his covenant.
The LORD then gives Moses the message for the Israelites in seven great clauses. "I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession."
Moses speaks to the Israelites, but they do not listen because of broken spirit and cruel bondage. The LORD then commands Moses to go to Pharaoh again. Moses objects: if the Israelites will not listen, how will Pharaoh, especially since Moses is a man of uncircumcised lips? The LORD commands Moses and Aaron together and gives them their charge.
The chapter then turns to a genealogy. It traces the sons of Reuben and Simeon briefly, then settles on Levi at greater length to establish the lineage of Moses and Aaron. Aaron marries Elisheba and fathers Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar marries one of the daughters of Putiel and fathers Phinehas.
The chapter closes by identifying Aaron and Moses as the ones to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, by their divisions."
Verse 1. But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
Verse 2. God also told Moses, “I am the LORD.
Verse 3. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.
Verse 4. I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners.
Verse 5. Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant.
Verse 6. Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
Verse 7. I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
Verse 8. And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’”
Verse 9. Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him.
Verse 10. So the LORD said to Moses,
Verse 11. “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his land.”
Verse 12. But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
Verse 13. Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
Verse 14. These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
Verse 15. The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
Verse 16. These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
Verse 17. The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
Verse 18. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
Verse 19. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.
Verse 20. And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
Verse 21. The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
Verse 22. The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
Verse 23. And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Verse 24. The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the clans of the Korahites.
Verse 25. Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.
Verse 26. It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.”
Verse 27. Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Verse 28. Now on the day that the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt,
Verse 29. He said to him, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you.”
Verse 30. But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “Since I am unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
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