Exodus 6:1-13
New American Standard Bible
God Promises Action
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for [a](A)under compulsion he will let them go, and [b]under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.”
2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am (B)the Lord; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as [c](C)God Almighty, but by (D)My name, [d]Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. 4 I also established (E)My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the [e]land in which they lived as strangers. 5 Furthermore I have (F)heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘(G)I am the Lord, and (H)I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also (I)redeem you with (J)an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. 7 Then I will take you [f](K)as My people, and (L)I will be [g]your God; and (M)you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the labors of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land which (N)I [h]swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and (O)I will give it to you as a possession; (P)I am the Lord.’” 9 So Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on (Q)account of their [i]despondency and cruel bondage.
10 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “(R)Go, [j]tell Pharaoh king of Egypt [k]to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; (S)how then will Pharaoh listen to me, as I am [l](T)unskilled in speech?” 13 Nevertheless, the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron and gave them a command concerning the sons of Israel and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 6:1 Lit by a strong hand
- Exodus 6:1 Lit by a strong hand
- Exodus 6:3 Heb El Shaddai
- Exodus 6:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Exodus 6:4 Lit land of their sojournings in which...
- Exodus 6:7 Lit to Me for a people
- Exodus 6:7 Lit to you for a God
- Exodus 6:8 Lit lifted up My hand
- Exodus 6:9 Or impatience
- Exodus 6:11 Lit speak to
- Exodus 6:11 Lit that he let
- Exodus 6:12 Lit uncircumcised of lips
Exodus 6:1-13
The Message
6 God said to Moses, “Now you’ll see what I’ll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he’ll send them out free; with a strong hand he’ll drive them out of his land.”
2-6 God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, “I am God. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name God (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners. But now I’ve heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I’ve remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the Israelites:
6-8 “I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I’ll take you as my own people and I’ll be God to you. You’ll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I’ll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God.”
9 But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn’t even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.
10-11 Then God said to Moses, “Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land.”
12 Moses answered God, “Look—the Israelites won’t even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter.”
13 But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson