1. the Lord said unto Moses--The Lord, who is long-suffering and
indulgent to the errors and infirmities of His people, made allowance
for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview
and cheered him with the assurance of a speedy and successful
termination to his embassy.
2. And God spake unto Moses--For his further encouragement,
there was made to him an emphatic repetition of the promise
(Ex 3:20).
3. I . . . God Almighty--All enemies must fall, all
difficulties must vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs
had abundant proofs of this.
but by my name, &c.--rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah
was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My
honor for the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God
who lives to accomplish it? Rest assured, therefore, that I shall bring
it to pass. This passage has occasioned much discussion; and it has
been thought by many to intimate that as the name Jehovah was not known
to the patriarchs, at least in the full bearing or practical experience
of it, the honor of the disclosure was reserved to Moses, who was the
first sent with a message in the name of Jehovah, and enabled to attest
it by a series of public miracles.
9-11. Moses spake so unto the children of Israel--The increased
severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have so entirely crushed
their spirits, as well as irritated them, that they refused to listen
to any more communications
(Ex 14:12).
Even the faith of Moses himself was faltering; and he would have
abandoned the enterprise in despair had he not received a positive
command from God to revisit the people without delay, and at the same
time renew their demand on the king in a more decisive and peremptory
tone.
12. how then shall . . . who am of uncircumcised
lips?--A metaphorical expression among the Hebrews, who, taught to
look on the circumcision of any part as denoting perfection, signified
its deficiency or unsuitableness by uncircumcision. The words here
express how painfully Moses felt his want of utterance or persuasive
oratory. He seems to have fallen into the same deep despondency as his
brethren, and to be shrinking with nervous timidity from a difficult,
if not desperate, cause. If he had succeeded so ill with the people,
whose dearest interests were all involved, what better hope could he
entertain of his making more impression on the heart of a king elated
with pride and strong in the possession of absolute power? How
strikingly was the indulgent forbearance of God displayed towards His
people amid all their backwardness to hail His announcement of
approaching deliverance! No perverse complaints or careless
indifference on their part retarded the development of His gracious
purposes. On the contrary, here, as generally, the course of His
providence is slow in the infliction of judgments, while it moves more
quickly, as it were, when misery is to be relieved or benefits
conferred.
14, 15. These be the heads of their fathers' houses--chiefs or
governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in
this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of
Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a
part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards
elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that
it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately
traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing
notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the
enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi
[Ex 6:16-19].
20. Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife--The
Septuagint and Syriac versions render it "his
cousin."
23. Elisheba--that is, Elizabethan. These minute particulars
recorded of the family of Aaron, while he has passed over his own,
indicate the real modesty of Moses. An ambitious man or an impostor
would have acted in a different manner.
Exodus 6 Bible Commentary
Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
Ex 6:1-13. RENEWAL OF THE PROMISE.
1. the Lord said unto Moses--The Lord, who is long-suffering and indulgent to the errors and infirmities of His people, made allowance for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview and cheered him with the assurance of a speedy and successful termination to his embassy.
2. And God spake unto Moses--For his further encouragement, there was made to him an emphatic repetition of the promise (Ex 3:20).
3. I . . . God Almighty--All enemies must fall, all difficulties must vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had abundant proofs of this.
but by my name, &c.--rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My honor for the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God who lives to accomplish it? Rest assured, therefore, that I shall bring it to pass. This passage has occasioned much discussion; and it has been thought by many to intimate that as the name Jehovah was not known to the patriarchs, at least in the full bearing or practical experience of it, the honor of the disclosure was reserved to Moses, who was the first sent with a message in the name of Jehovah, and enabled to attest it by a series of public miracles.
9-11. Moses spake so unto the children of Israel--The increased severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have so entirely crushed their spirits, as well as irritated them, that they refused to listen to any more communications (Ex 14:12). Even the faith of Moses himself was faltering; and he would have abandoned the enterprise in despair had he not received a positive command from God to revisit the people without delay, and at the same time renew their demand on the king in a more decisive and peremptory tone.
12. how then shall . . . who am of uncircumcised lips?--A metaphorical expression among the Hebrews, who, taught to look on the circumcision of any part as denoting perfection, signified its deficiency or unsuitableness by uncircumcision. The words here express how painfully Moses felt his want of utterance or persuasive oratory. He seems to have fallen into the same deep despondency as his brethren, and to be shrinking with nervous timidity from a difficult, if not desperate, cause. If he had succeeded so ill with the people, whose dearest interests were all involved, what better hope could he entertain of his making more impression on the heart of a king elated with pride and strong in the possession of absolute power? How strikingly was the indulgent forbearance of God displayed towards His people amid all their backwardness to hail His announcement of approaching deliverance! No perverse complaints or careless indifference on their part retarded the development of His gracious purposes. On the contrary, here, as generally, the course of His providence is slow in the infliction of judgments, while it moves more quickly, as it were, when misery is to be relieved or benefits conferred.
Ex 6:14-30. THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES.
14, 15. These be the heads of their fathers' houses--chiefs or governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi [Ex 6:16-19].
20. Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife--The Septuagint and Syriac versions render it "his cousin."
23. Elisheba--that is, Elizabethan. These minute particulars recorded of the family of Aaron, while he has passed over his own, indicate the real modesty of Moses. An ambitious man or an impostor would have acted in a different manner.