Exodus
Chapter 6
The Lord said to Moses:
“Now you will see that I will overcome him and oblige him to let you go, even force him to drive you out of his land.”
Moses’s Mission I
God spoke to Moses, saying:
“I am the Lord!
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty. Still, I did not make myself known to them by the name of Lord.
I established my covenant with them, promising to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as strangers.
Now I remember my covenant as I hear the groaning of the Israelites enslaved by the Egyptians.
Therefore, say this to them: “I am the Lord. I will take you out of Egypt’s burden and free you from its bondage; I will redeem you with the strength of my mighty hand.
I will make you my people, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, who delivered you from Egyptian slavery.
I will bring you to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as your own. I am the Lord.”
This is how Moses spoke to the people of Israel, but they did not listen, so discouraged were they by their cruel slavery.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
“Go and speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave the country.”
But Moses said:
“If the Israelites paid no attention to me, how then will Pharaoh listen to me, a man who has difficulty expressing himself?”
But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and ordered them, as well as Pharaoh, to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Lists of Heads of Families
These were the heads of the tribes: Sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.
Sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.
These are the sons of Levi with their descendants: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived for one hundred thirty-seven years.
Sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei and their descendants.
Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived for 133 years.
Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the descendants of Levi with their families.
Amram married his aunt, Jochebed, and they had two sons, Aaron and Moses. Amram lived a hundred and thirty-seven years.
The sons of Izhar were: Korah, Nepheg and Zichri.
The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites.
It was to Aaron and Moses that the Lord said, “Bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt in divisions.”
Eleazar, son of Aaron, married one of Putiel’s daughters and Phinehas was their son. These are the heads of the families of the Levites, listed by their clans.
It was they who spoke with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. Yes, it was Moses and Aaron.
Mosses’ Mission II
When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,
he said:
“I am the Lord. Say to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I tell you.”
But Moses replied:
“I am a poor speaker, and why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
Commentaries
Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh.
The story begins with their meeting with Pharaoh, which was a necessary step. The fact that Pharaoh agrees to see them is already a kind act on his part. The situation becomes tense when they inform him that the Lord, the God of Israel (1), wants his people to leave Egypt. Pharaoh’s response is typical: Who is this God? Can he have more power than Pharaoh himself? Can the God of slaves dare to give orders to Pharaoh and the divinity he represents? The answer is a clear “no.” This reaction prompts Pharaoh to try to show his dominance over the Israelites and their God (4-18). The Israelites’ attempts to negotiate also fail, only making the oppression worse. This situation leads Moses to pray for intercession (22f), and the Lord responds with a powerful promise: He will confront Pharaoh (6:1).
Moses’ Mission I.
Confronted with the discouragement of the Israelite supervisors and, to a certain extent, Moses himself, God responds with a powerful promise that he will confront Pharaoh (6:1).
At this point, one would expect the series of signs and miracles promised by the Lord to begin. However, the authors of the book did not overlook the various traditions about Moses and Aaron’s encounters with the Egyptian king, repeating some scenes.
Before describing the so-called plagues of Egypt, the writer emphasized that the God who challenges Pharaoh’s authority is the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancestors of Israel. This God will now fulfill His promise to help the weak and the oppressed (2-8). However, faced with increasing forced labor and worsening oppression, the people no longer believe their situation can improve (9). Their initial faith (4:31) has disappeared. Moses himself appears to be affected by doubts and pessimism because of his people’s apathy.
List of the Heads of Families.
The priestly school (P), which shaped the final form of the entire Pentateuch, considered it important to include this genealogical list here, even though it interrupts the narrative of the period preceding the Exodus. For the priestly school (P), it was crucial to establish a link between Moses, Aaron, and the tribe of Levi, with a focus on Aaron. This was intended to legitimize the social and religious significance of Aaron’s descendants, who historically comprised the priestly group that later led the temple in Jerusalem and its worship. The list quickly moves from Reuben and Simeon to Levi, mainly to highlight the leaders of the Levite families.
Moses’ Mission II.
Why does the phrase “But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (7:3) appear? Why does God give an order knowing it will be ignored? We see the same phrase in 3:19 and 4:21. The purpose was to highlight God’s complete control over every situation; however, this does not mean that human free will is suppressed. God’s will aims only to save and rescue, not to dehumanize or oppress, as seen with Pharaoh, who embodies the opposite of free will.