Exodus 6

1 But the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Now [at this time, in this moment] you will see [behold, perceive] what I will do [accomplish, bring about] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader], for because of My [divine, omnipotent] mighty hand [strong, powerful arm] he will let [release, set free] the people go; because of My [almighty, all-powerful] strong hand [powerful, directing arm] he will drive [expel, force out] them out of his land [territory, country].” word study 2 God [Elohim, the supreme Being] also told Moses [the Israelite leader], “I [the first person singular, emphasizing God’s personal relationship] am [exist, have existence] the LORD [Yehovah, having God’s nature]. word study 3 I appeared [as the Provider, to see or look after] to Abraham [the father of many children, including Ishmael and Isaac], to Isaac [he laughs, the father of Esau and Israel], and to Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] as God [the strength or power, referring to God or false gods] Almighty [Shadday, referring to God’s great power], but by My name [fame, renown, reputation] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] I did not make Myself known [to ascertain by seeing, to learn, perceive, and understand] to them. word study 4 I also [even, too] established My covenant [promise, agreement] with them to give them the land [territory, region] of Canaan [the promised land], the land [country, territory] where they lived [sojourned, dwelled] as foreigners [strangers, aliens]. word study 5 Furthermore [in addition, moreover], I have heard [listened to, given attention to] the groaning [deep sighs, expressions of sadness] of the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob], whom the Egyptians [people of Egypt, a northeastern African nation] are enslaving [keeping in bondage, treating as slaves], and I have remembered [recalled, marked] My covenant [promise, agreement, solemn pledge]. word study 6 Therefore tell the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob]: ‘I am the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], and I will bring you out from under the yoke [burden, forced labor] of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage [service, slavery]. I will redeem [buy back, set free] you with an outstretched arm [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power] and with mighty acts of judgment [great punishments, righteous decrees]. word study 7 I will take [receive, choose] you as My own people [nation, special possession], and I will be [exist, come into being] your God [Elohim, the supreme Lord]. Then you will know [understand, recognize] that I am the LORD [Yehovah] your God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], who brought [rescued, freed] you out from under [beneath, out of] the yoke [burden, forced labor] of the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a nation in bondage]. word study 8 And I will bring you into the land [a promised territory, a heritage] that I swore [made a solemn oath, lifted up My hand] to give to Abraham [the father of faith], Isaac [he laughs, a son of promise], and Jacob [he grasps the heel, a supplanter]. I will give it to you as a possession [a permanent inheritance, a gift]. I am the LORD [Yehovah]!’” word study 9 Moses relayed [spoke, communicated] this message to the Israelites [children of Israel], but on account of their broken [anguished] spirit [breath of life, mind and emotions] and cruel [severe] bondage [hard labor, harsh service], they did not [would not, refused to] listen [hear and obey] to him. word study 10 So the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] said [to speak, to communicate] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant], word study 11 “Go [in, approach] and tell [speak unto, communicate with] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] king of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] to let [send, release] the Israelites [the children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] go out [depart, leave] of his land [the territory, region, or country].” word study 12 But in the LORD’s [Yehovah, the self-existent God] presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] will not listen [hear and obey] to me, then why would Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] listen to me, since I am [by nature] unskilled [having uncircumcised lips, lacking eloquence] in speech [the ability to communicate effectively]?” word study 13 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] spoke to Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest] and gave them a charge [command, instruction] concerning both the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob] and Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites [God’s chosen people] out of the land [the territory, the earth] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. word study 14 These [specific individuals, the ones mentioned] were the heads [chiefs, leaders] of their fathers’ [ancestors’, forefathers’] houses: The sons [descendants, male offspring] of Reuben [the firstborn son of Jacob], the firstborn [the first in birth order, holding a special status] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], were Hanoch [dedicated, a son of Reuben] and Pallu [a son of Reuben], Hezron [surrounded by a wall, a son of Reuben] and Carmi [a son of Reuben, an Israelite]. These [the aforementioned individuals] were the clans [families, tribes] of Reuben [the tribe descended from Reuben]. word study 15 The sons [descendants, family members] of Simeon [Shimeon, the second son of Jacob] were Jemuel [the eldest son], Jamin [meaning ‘right hand’], Ohad [united], Jachin [He will establish], Zohar [tawny], and Shaul [desired], the son [offspring, descendant] of a Canaanite [Canaanitess, from the land of Canaan] woman [mother, female ancestor]. These [specific ones, those mentioned] were the clans [families, tribes] of Simeon [the tribe of Simeon, named after the son of Jacob]. word study 16 These [specific, particular] were the names [identities, reputations] of the sons [descendants, offspring] of Levi [a son of Jacob and Leah] according to their records [genealogical history, family line]: Gershon [the firstborn], Kohath [the second son], and Merari [the third son]. Levi lived [was alive, had life] 137 [a hundred and thirty-seven, one hundred thirty seven] years [periods of time, years of life]. word study 17 The sons [descendants, male offspring] of Gershon [a son of Levi, an ancestor of the tribe of Levi] were Libni [meaning white, a son of Gershon] and Shimei [a common Israelite name, brother of Conway], by their clans [families, tribes, or nations, emphasizing their ancestral heritage]. word study 18 The sons [descendants, family members] of Kohath [a Levite, son of Levi] were Amram [exalted people], Izhar [having God’s nature], Hebron [alliance, friendship], and Uzziel [my strength is God]. Kohath lived 133 years [periods of time, seasons]. word study 19 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Merari [bitter] were Mahli [sick] and Mushi [these are the families]. These [specific ones] were the clans [families, tribes] of the Levites [Levi’s descendants] according to their records [genealogical history, generations]. word study 20 And Amram [took to himself] married his father’s sister Jochebed [aunt, father’s sister], and she bore [gave birth to, became the mother of] him Aaron [the first high priest] and Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet]. Amram lived 137 years [periods of time, seasons]. word study 21 The sons [descendants, male offspring] of Izhar [a man from the tribe of Levi] were Korah [a leader who rebelled against Moses], Nepheg [one of two Israelites with this name], and Zichri [meaning ‘memorial’ or ‘remembrance’]. word study 22 The sons [descendants, offspring] of Uzziel [my strength is God] were Mishael [a godly friend], Elzaphan [a leader, God’s secret], and Sithri [protection, refuge]. word study 23 And Aaron [took to himself] married Elisheba [God has sworn, a woman of noble birth], the daughter [a female child, a woman] of Amminadab [my kinsman is noble] and sister [a biological sibling, a close relative] of Nahshon [a leader in the tribe of Judah], and she bore [gave birth to, beget] him Nadab [generous, noble] and Abihu [he is my father], Eleazar [God has helped] and Ithamar [island of the palm tree, a leader in the tribe of Levi]. word study 24 The sons [descendants, family members] of Korah [a leader who rebelled against Moses] were Assir [a son of Ebiasaph], Elkanah [meaning God has possessed], and Abiasaph [my father has gathered]. These [specific individuals] were the clans [families, tribes] of the Korahites [descendants of Korah, a Levite]. word study 25 Aaron’s son Eleazar [a high priest, God has helped] married one of the daughters [a female child, descendant] of Putiel [afflicted of God], and she bore him Phinehas [a priest, face of trust]. These [specific individuals] were the heads [chiefs, leaders] of the Levite families [descendants of Levi, a tribe] by their clans [families, tribes]. word study 26 It was this Aaron [the first high priest, brother of Moses] and Moses [the Israelite leader, receiver of the law] to whom the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said, “Bring [lead out, take out] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] out of the land [the soil, the country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] by their divisions [according to their armies, hosts, or tribes].” word study 27 Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet] and Aaron [the first high priest] were the ones who spoke [to communicate, to proclaim] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful ruler] king of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] in order to bring [to lead out, to deliver] the Israelites [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] out of Egypt [the land of slavery, bondage]. word study 28 Now on the day [when it came to pass, at that time] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] spoke [to communicate, to command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, God’s servant] in [the land of, towards] Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa, a place of bondage], word study 29 He said to him, “I [the first person singular, emphasizing God’s personal involvement] am the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent and eternal God]; tell Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] king of Egypt [the land of the Egyptians] everything [all that I command, without omission] I say [speak, communicate, or command] to you [as My chosen messenger].” word study 30 But in the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] presence Moses replied, “Since I am [of uncircumcised lips] unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] listen to me [hear and obey, give attention to]?” word study