Israel’s Deliverance Assured(A)

22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

God Renews His Promise to Israel

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For (B)with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand (C)he will drive them out of his land.”

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am [a]the Lord. (D)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as (E)God Almighty, but by My name (F)Lord[b] I was not known to them. (G)I have also [c]established My covenant with them, (H)to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their [d]pilgrimage, (I)in which they were [e]strangers. And (J)I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: (K)‘I am the Lord; (L)I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will (M)rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with [f]an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will (N)take you as My people, and (O)I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out (P)from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I (Q)swore[g] to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; (R)but they did not heed Moses, because of (S)anguish[h] of spirit and cruel bondage.

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for (T)I am [i]of uncircumcised lips?”

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a (U)command[j] for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:2 Heb. YHWH
  2. Exodus 6:3 Heb. YHWH, traditionally Jehovah
  3. Exodus 6:4 made or ratified
  4. Exodus 6:4 sojournings
  5. Exodus 6:4 sojourners, temporary residents
  6. Exodus 6:6 Mighty power
  7. Exodus 6:8 promised, lit. lifted up My hand
  8. Exodus 6:9 Lit. shortness
  9. Exodus 6:12 One who does not speak well
  10. Exodus 6:13 charge

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”