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22 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

The Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of a mighty hand[a] he will send them away, and because of a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.”

God Promises Deliverance

Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I was not known to them.[b] I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they were residing as aliens. I certainly have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered my covenant.

“Therefore, tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from being their slaves. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Moses spoke these words to the Israelites, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and because of the hard labor. 10 The Lord spoke to Moses: 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the Israelites go from his land.”

12 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence, “Look, the Israelites have not listened to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?”[c]

The Family Record of Moses and Aaron

13 The Lord again spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and about Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:1 Or with a strong hand. The question is whether Pharaoh is forcing them to go, or the Lord is forcing him to let them go.
  2. Exodus 6:3 The name Lord does appear in Genesis, so perhaps this means that the full impact and meaning of the name were not experienced by the patriarchs as they were during the events of Exodus. Others solve the problem by reading this as an unmarked question: Did I not make myself known to them?
  3. Exodus 6:12 Literally I am uncircumcised of lips. Also in verse 30.

22 And Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble to this people? Why ever did you send me? 23 And from the time I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble to this people, and you have certainly not delivered your people.”

Yahweh Discusses His Name and Israel’s Future

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because with a strong hand he will release them, and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land.”

And God spoke to Moses, and he said to him, “I am Yahweh. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai,[a] but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. And I not only established my covenant with them to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in which they dwelt as aliens, but also I myself heard the groaning of the Israelites,[b] whom the Egyptians are making to work, and I remembered my covenant. Therefore say to the Israelites,[c] ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the forced labor[d] of Egypt, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great punishments. And I will take you as my people,[e] and I will be your God,[f] and you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor[g] of Egypt. And I will bring you to the land that I swore[h] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.”

And Moses spoke thus to the Israelites,[i] but they did not listen to Moses, because of discouragement[j] and because of hard work.

10 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and let him release the Israelites[k] from his land.” 12 And Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Look, the Israelites[l] do not listen to me, and how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?”[m] 13 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and he commanded them to go to the Israelites[n] and to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites[o] out from the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:3 Often translated as “Almighty”
  2. Exodus 6:5 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  3. Exodus 6:6 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  4. Exodus 6:6 Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor”
  5. Exodus 6:7 Literally “to/for me for a people”
  6. Exodus 6:7 Literally “to/for you for a God”
  7. Exodus 6:7 Literally “burdens” or “burdensome labor”
  8. Exodus 6:8 Literally “that I raised my hand”
  9. Exodus 6:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  10. Exodus 6:9 Literally “a lack of spirit” or “shortness of spirit”
  11. Exodus 6:11 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  12. Exodus 6:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  13. Exodus 6:12 Literally “uncircumcised of lips”
  14. Exodus 6:13 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  15. Exodus 6:13 Literally “sons/children of Israel”