Bible Commentaries
Exodus 6

Verse 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.

Then the Lord said unto Moses. — Pardoning the faults of his prayer, God grants him a gracious answer. So he dealt with David, "For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heartiest the voice of nay supplication when I cried unto thee." Psalms 31:22

Verse 2

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD:

I am Jehovah. — Aυταυτος (Scaliger’s Scalig., De Subtilit. word); that do Press [Sic. - ? Peresse; qui est per se. ] (Gregory’s word); that have being of myself, give being to all things else, and in special to my promises, to "perform with my hand" what I have "spoken with my mouth"; 1 Kings 8:15 only God expects that men put his promises in suit by their prayers, as here, and burden him with them, as that martyr said.

Verse 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.

By the name of God Almighty. — See Trapp on " Genesis 17:1 " The sense is this, saith Cameron, Camer, De Eccles. Quantum illis sufficiebat tantum indulsit, non indulsit quod erat summum. He gave them enough, but not the main.

But by my name JEHOVAH. — That is, by the import of this his name, the full performance of his promises. God was known to the patriarchs by this name Jehovah, quoad esse De, but not quoad esse rei.

Verse 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.

To give them the land of Canaan. — And a better thing with it, the kingdom of heaven. Hebrews 11:10 ; Hebrews 11:16

Verse 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.

I have also heard the groaning. — He heareth "the young ravens that cry" Psalms 147:9 unto him but by implication only, and with a hoarse voice unfit to move pity (whence also they have their name in the Hebrew - òøá ). How much more his own covenanters!

Verse 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:

And I will bring you out. — A great deliverance; but nothing to that which Christ hath wrought for us from the tyranny of sin and terror of hell.

Verse 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.

And I will be to you a God. — This is the top of any man’s happiness, to have God for his God. What can such a man want? Psalms 23:1 As he in Plutarch said of the Egyptians, that though they had no music nor vines among them, yet they had gods. Plut., Sυμπος .

Verse 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.

And I will bring you. — See Trapp on " Exodus 5:4 "

Verse 9

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

But they hearkened not. — The ear, which tastes words as the mouth doth meat, was so filled with choler, that they could relish no comfort. It is ill sowing in a storm, giving physic in a fever fit. The easiest medicines or waters are troublesome to sore eyes: so here. Quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis.

Verse 10

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord. — Whose "soul was now grieved for the misery of Israel," as Judges 10:16 . See Trapp on " Judges 10:16 "

Verse 11

Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

Go in, speak unto Pharaoh. — "Whether he will hear, or whether he will forbear." Ezekiel 2:5 Speak when God bids us, though it may seem to little purpose: we have lost many a worse labour. The man of God "must be patient" - ανεξικακον , tolerant - "to all," yea, to "those that oppose," proving "if at any time God will give them repentance," … 2 Timothy 2:25

Verse 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.

And the Lord spake unto Moses. — Notwithstanding his former equivocation, and the people’s peevishness. Men’s wickedness cannot interrupt the course of God’s goodness.

Verse 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.

These be the heads. — This is a digression, to show the descent of Moses and Aaron. Digressions in divine discourses are not always and absolutely unlawful. God’s Spirit sometimes draws aside the doctrine, to satisfy some soul which the preacher knows not: and sparingly used, it quickeneth attention.

Verse 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.

The son of a Canaanitish woman, — Whom it was not lawful for him to marry; but he was a headlong and headstrong, bold and fierce fellow; Genesis 34:25 ; Genesis 49:7 bound by Joseph Genesis 42:24 as one that had been most forward to sell him to the Midianitish merchants. Simeon also is left out in Moses’s blessing. Deuteronomy 33:1-29

Verse 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.

Of the sons of Levi. — Upon this family he insists, and therefore hastens to it. Speak ever to the purpose.

Verse 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.

Jochebed his father’s sister. — See Exodus 2:1 .

Verse 21

And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

Korah. — That ringleader of rebels, Numbers 16:1 . Moses and he were first cousins.

Verse 23

And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Elisheba. — Or, Elizabeth, a prince’s sister. Numbers 2:3 Our English Elizabeth was by a French duchess said to be the most glorious and most happy woman that ever swayed sceptre.

Verse 24

And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these [are] the families of the Korhites.

And the sons of Korah. — There were of his sons, that died not, Numbers 16:11 departing, as it seems, from their father’s tents, as all were counselled. Numbers 16:24-26 Of them came Samuel the prophet, Heman the music master, and other the sons of Korah so oft mentioned in the titles of Psalms.

Verse 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.

These are the heads of the fathers of the Levites. — And particularly of Moses, concerning whose original, heathen writers, but especially Taeitus - whom therefore Tertullian calleth, mendsdorum loquacissimum, a loud and lewd liar - telleth many untruths. This "the Scripture foresaw," as Galatians 3:8 .

Verse 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.

Ver. 26, 27. These are that Aaron and Moses: And again, These are that Moses and Aaron. — That famous couple. This is better than "This is that Dathan," Numbers 26:9 and "This is that Ahaz." 2 Chronicles 28:22 They are stigmatised with a mark of infamy: these are eternised for good, to all posterity.

Verse 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.

These are that Moses and Aaron. — Before it was Aaron and Moses. It made no matter which was first set: they had their several precellencies; but were so well agreed, that there was no striving for the pre-eminence. See Trapp on " Exodus 6:26 "

Verse 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.

That the Lord spake unto Moses. — Here, after the digression, as touching his own genealogy, Moses returns to the story left off at Exodus 6:13 , as Rab. Solomon noteth.

Verse 30

And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I [am] of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Of uncircumcised. — See Exodus 6:12 ".