Divine encouragement set against a backdrop of Hebrew despair, Exod 6:1-13 is a statement of God’s mercy. Countering the pervading disillusionment of Moses and the enslaved Israelites, God provided reassurance centred on his identity as Yahweh. He noted his nature as mighty God, caring Father, Judge of nations, and unceasingly faithful covenant party with the patriarchs. Despite the people’s doubts, Yahweh would fulfil his promises, and free the Israelites from slavery. In the process, Hebrews and Egyptians alike would come to know that Yahweh is God.

Historical Background

By tradition, authorship of Exodus is ascribed to Moses. Assuming this to be the case, the work would have been largely penned during Israel’s wilderness experience, serving to record Israel’s learnings about Yahweh’s identity, God’s mighty acts on their behalf, and how to be faithful to him.

Generally, the events of Exodus are held to have occurred in either the 15th century (ca. 1447 BC), or 13th century (ca. 1250 BC), based on biblical evidence and what little historical/archaeological evidence is available. Both of these time-periods featured powerful Pharaohs who undertook major building programmes: Thutmose III in the former and Ramesses II in the latter. Slave labour helped make ambitious building projects possible, thus the burgeoning Hebrew population (Exod 1:7) was a highly valuable asset. For Pharaoh to release such a large number of his prized slaves would require God’s intervention, an intervention assured by Yahweh in Exod 6:1-13.

Literary Context

Following on from the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, Exodus chronicles the birth of Israel as a people. It tells of God divinely freeing the Israelites from slavery, and making this people his own via covenant at Mount Sinai. With ‘freedom’ from slavery and sin, ‘covenant’ with God, and coming to ‘know’ Yahweh as three of its overarching themes, the book of Exodus dramatically records the formative events of Israel as God’s people.

Exodus 6:1-13 is located within the book’s first main section (Exod 1-15:22). This opening segment narrates God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from Pharaoh’s possession, and illuminates God’s identity as Yahweh. Within this wider narrative, Exod 6:1-13 functions as an encouragement for Moses and all Hebrews, in the fallout of a seemingly-disastrous first meeting with Pharaoh. This encounter had culminated not merely in Pharaoh’s refusal to release his Hebrew slaves (5:2), but in his harsh escalation of the Hebrews’ workload (5:6-11). The Israelites – disillusioned and angry – had blamed Moses and Aaron (5:20-21). In light of this turn of events, Moses came before God in despair (5:22-23), prompting God’s encouraging response in 6:1-13. Yahweh would faithfully honour his covenant with the patriarchs, release the Israelites from slavery, and bring them to the Promised Land as his people.

Form of the Passage

While part of a broader narrative, much of Exod 6:1-13 incorporates prophetic foretelling, with God assuring Moses that he would free the Hebrews. The pericope can be broken into two main sections, with each featuring a clearly chiastic design. Centre of attention in the first chiasm (6:1-9) are verses 6-7: God solemnly promised to deliver the people from slavery. Verses 10-13 form the initial part of another chiastic structure (6:10-7:2). This chiasm is centred on the genealogy of Moses and Aaron: God’s two representatives in this process of deliverance. Overall, the passage structure can be summarised as follows:

Chiasm 1 – A divine reassurance

A – God reassures Moses (6:1)

B – “I am Yahweh” (6:2)

C – God’s covenant with the Patriarchs (6:3-5)

D – God will free the Israelites from slavery (6:6-7)

C – God’s covenant with the Patriarchs (6:8a)

B – “I am Yahweh” (6:8b)

A – Moses fails to reassure the Israelites (6:9)

Chiasm 2 – Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives

A – A message for Pharaoh: Let Yahweh’s people go (6:10-11)

B – Moses’ objections (6:12)

C – Instructions for Moses and Aaron (6:13)

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D – Genealogy of Moses and Aaron (6:14-25)

C – Instructions for Moses and Aaron (6:26-29)

B – Moses’ objections (6:30)

A – A message for Pharaoh: Let Yahweh’s people go (7:1-2)

Detailed Analysis

Exodus 6:1

Exodus 6:1 is intricately connected to chapter 5’s narrative, being God’s gentle and reassuring response to Moses’ complaint (5:22-23). God encouraged Moses by again foretelling what would take place (cf. Exod 3:19-20). The Hebrews’ exodus was guaranteed, and it would take place by a ḥāzāq yād: “a mighty hand” (NRSV).

While clearly designed to encourage Moses, use of ‘ḥāzāq yād’ in 6:1 is somewhat ambiguous. It is unstated whose mighty hand is being referred to. Durham (p. 70; see references section below) sees it as Pharaoh’s, albeit courtesy of Yahweh, while Walton, Matthews and Chavalas (p. 130) view it as God’s hand. Both views are essentially correct in the final reckoning. In either case, God’s hand was the one to force Pharaoh’s hand. Beneath the surface, 6:1 is a statement of God’s ultimate sovereignty.

Interestingly, ḥāzāq can also be used in the context of “hardness of the heart” and “failure to respond to a person or message” (Kohlenberger, p. 1397). This term is frequently used of Pharaoh to describe his hard heart (e.g. Exod 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:12). Exodus 6:1, however, leaves no doubt that God’s ḥāzāq hand would overpower Pharaoh’s ḥāzāq of the heart. The Israelites would be freed.

Exodus 6:2

Yahweh’s subsequent comments to Moses in 6:2-8 are set within an inclusio, starting and concluding with the phrase, “I am the Lord” (ǎnî YHWH). God’s commitment to the covenant (6:3-8a) was therefore directly tied to his character and identity as Yahweh. Notably, previous occurrences of ǎnî YHWH in the Pentateuch also connect God’s identity with his covenant commitment. In Gen 15:7 and 28:13 (conversations with Abraham and Jacob respectively), God followed his statement ǎnî YHWH with a “promise of the land to their descendants” (Stuart, p. 170). Attaching his name to the promise served as a guarantee; his integrity was linked to the covenant’s fulfilment.

Exodus 6:3-5

In verses 3-5, God explicitly links his coming deliverance of the Israelites to the covenant he formed with the patriarchs. Verse 3 has sparked much scholarly debate. At a cursory glance, it implies that the patriarchs knew God as El Shaddai (God Almighty), but the name Yahweh was unknown to them. However, in Gen 14:22, Abraham speaks of ‘Yahweh’ to the king of Sodom. Further, God introduces himself as Yahweh in Gen 15:7 and 28:13. This clearly suggests the name was known.

Various explanations have been offered by scholars in light of this apparent discrepancy. One view is that use of Yahweh in Genesis may be anachronism. If the writer/s and audience of Exodus commonly knew God as ‘Yahweh,’ it is logical that this name would be sporadically used in Genesis. It would emphasise that Yahweh – not another deity – was God of the patriarchs. Even so, for ‘Yahweh’ to be used in the speech of Abraham and God, not merely in the narrator’s comments, is odd.

Some suggest that the patriarchs knew Yahweh as a title, but did not grasp the name’s full significance. This significance – as “the holy Redeemer and Judge, ever present with his people,” (Motyer, p. 162) was only revealed in Moses’ time. Such an explanation is conceivable, and also aligns with the Exodus theme of God revealing his identity. A difficulty with this theory is that Abraham already knew God as Judge (Gen 18:25) and future redeemer (Gen 15:13-14). Another possibility is that verse 3 is a mistranslation. Stuart, Alexander and Garrett contend that it should be translated as a question: “but by my name the Lord did I not make myself known to them?” (see Stuart, NAC, p. 156). This theory fits well with references to Yahweh in Genesis. It also effectively links the covenant spoken of in Exod 6:3-5 to that of Gen 15:7 and 28:13, in which God also announces himself as Yahweh and promises the land of Canaan. Therefore, it is a logical view if one sees Genesis/Exodus as a cohesive narrative rather than a conglomeration of sources. No matter which perspective one adopts, however, the core point of 6:3-4 remains intact. Yahweh was the same God who entered covenant with the patriarchs, a covenant he would be faithful to fulfil.

The wording of Exod 6:4 clearly alludes to God’s promise to Abraham (cf. Gen 17:7-8). That God “remembered” this covenant with the patriarchs (Exod 6:5 NRSV; cf. Exod 2:23-25; 3:7-9) does not imply that he had forgotten it. Rather, God’s ‘remembering’ “conveys the sense of keeping or fulfilling the obligations that were promised” (Alexander, p. 125). When Yahweh formed the covenant with Abraham, he knew that the people would be enslaved and oppressed for a time, before he would free them and judge “the nation that they serve” (Gen 15:13-14 NRSV). God reassured Moses that he was faithful; he had not forgotten the covenant and would bring his promises to pass.

Exodus 6:6-7

Having encouraged Moses (6:1-5), God proceeded to give him a heartening message for the Israelites (6:6-8). These verses again recall God’s promises to Abraham in Gen 15:13-14, and God’s commitment to honour these promises. Now was the time God had chosen to “bring judgment” (Gen 15:14 NRSV) on Egypt, and free the people. This message for Israel was bounded within an inclusio, starting and ending with “I am the Lord” (vv. 6b, 8b). God was staking his reputation and very identity on fulfilment of these promises.

In verse 6, God pledged to “redeem” the Israelites “with an outstretched arm” (Exod 6:6 NRSV). In Hebrew, the word used for redeem (gā’ēl) implies “a close personal relationship between redeemer and redeemed” (Cole, pp. 85-6); in Scripture it is frequently linked to “a family member who comes to” a relative’s aid, such as Boaz in the story of Ruth (Alexander, TTCS, p. 36). In Exod 6:6, therefore, gā’ēl is a statement of how God viewed the Hebrews. Israel was his “firstborn son” (Exod 4:22 NRSV), hence in redeeming them God was revealing his identity as a caring Father.

God’s ‘outstretched arm’ focuses on a different aspect of Yahweh’s identity. This phrase is similar to ‘mighty hand’ of 6:1, implying great strength. Walton, Matthews and Chavalas (p. 130) note that in Ancient Egypt, the phrase was commonly used of Pharaoh, with his “outstretched arm… accomplishing mighty deeds”. Now, however, God’s outstretched arm was countering Pharaoh’s. This was a battle of wills “between Yahweh and the ruler of the nation supreme in the Near East” (Durham, p. 71), which would illustrate God’s superior might and ultimate sovereignty. The phrase may also incorporate additional imagery, with a raised arm symbolic of oath-taking (cf. Ezek 20:5-6; see Hamilton, p. 103). Through an outstretched arm, God would fulfil his oath with the patriarchs.

Verse 7 incorporates the formula, “I will take you as my people, and I will be your God” (Exod 6:7 NRSV), which is used in Scripture to signal covenant between God and his people (cf. Lev 26:12; Jer 31:33; see Stuart, NAC, p. 134). That the language of this formula reflects “marriage and adoption formulas found in the Israelite and ancient Near Eastern world” (Hamilton, p. 103), is a good indication of God’s intentions regarding the Israelites. He was freeing the Hebrews to enter relationship with him: to “know” him as Yahweh their God and redeemer. Indeed, the covenant’s intended outcome was that God would dwell amongst his people (Exod 29:45-46), indicating his love for them and desire for personal relationship.

Verses 6-7 form the centrepiece of 6:1-9’s chiastic structure. Encapsulated in these two verses is essentially a summary of the whole pericope. God is Yahweh – a caring Father, Judge and powerful redeemer – who would free the Israelites from Egypt and make them his own.

Exodus 6:8

Verse 8 is fundamentally a reflection of verses 2-5. God reiterated – this time to the Israelites in general – that he would honour his covenant with “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Exod 6:8 NRSV) and give Canaan to the Hebrews. A more literal translation of “I swore” is “I swore with uplifted hand” (Stuart, NAC, p. 134), linking back to God’s ‘outstretched arm’ of verse 6. To encourage the Israelites, God guaranteed by his own name and reputation that his will – his outstretched arm – would prevail. He would fulfil his oath to the patriarchs.

Exodus 6:9

Having heard God’s reassuring message, it was now Moses’ turn to offer Yahweh’s reassurance to the Israelites. Yet the Hebrews did not accept God’s encouragement. In the first instance, this was due to “their broken spirit” (NRSV), a translation of the Hebrew miqqōṣer rûaḥ. This phrase literally means “out of shortness of spirit/wind/breath” (Alexander, pp. 128-9). There are two primary streams of thought regarding the phrase’s translation. Durham, Hamilton and Alexander translate it along the lines of the NRSV: the Israelites were dispirited, demoralised, or despondent. In contrast, Stuart and Cole hold “impatience” to be a superior translation, with a similar phrase being used in this manner in Job 21:4. While “broken spirit” appears the most logical translation, especially when coupled with a reference to “cruel slavery” (NRSV; Hamilton, p. 98), miqqōṣer rûaḥ may have connotations of both discouragement and impatience (see Alexander, p. 129). The Israelites were overwhelmed by a hefty work burden, and as a result their patience with Moses was apparently wearing thin (cf. 5:20-21). The two translations need not be considered mutually exclusive.

The Hebrews further failed to be encouraged because of “their cruel slavery,” a clear link back to Exod 1:14, and 5:6-21. Pharaoh’s tactic of giving them an inordinate workload – so they would “pay no attention” to Moses’ and Aaron’s words (Exod 5:9 NRSV) – had apparently worked. The Israelites were no longer encouraged by God’s message as they were previously (Exod 4:31), with their situation having deteriorated rather than improved.

Exodus 6:10-13

Following his unsuccessful attempt at encouraging the Israelites, Moses was divinely instructed to return to Pharaoh (vv. 10-11). This time, God had an even stronger command for Egypt’s king than previously. The mention of a three-day festival was dropped, and God’s message to Pharaoh became a direct order to release the Israelites. Notably, God again offered Moses an opportunity to speak to Pharaoh without Aaron (cf. Exod 4:11-16). However, Moses once more objected to being God’s mouthpiece. Moses clearly believed the mission’s success was dependent on a good speaking performance (cf. Exod 4:10; see Garrett, p. 257), and saw the events of verse 9 as indicative of his vocal shortcomings. In his first independent outing as speaker, without the mouth of Aaron, Moses had failed to encourage the Israelites. Moses’ confidence was thus at a low ebb. Coupled with Pharaoh’s rejection of God’s prior, slightly more palatable message, it is unsurprising that Moses objected to speaking directly with Pharaoh.

Verses 10-13 form the start of another chiastic structure (6:10-7:2), centred on the genealogy of Moses and Aaron. This section legitimises Aaron’s leadership alongside Moses, and makes clear why Aaron was necessary: Moses felt inadequate to speak with Pharaoh (cf. Exod 4:10; 7:30). The NRSV translates ārēl śāpâ as “poor speaker” (6:12), although the phrase literally translates as “uncircumcised lips” (Alexander, p. 111). Generally, this phrase is held to refer either to a speech impediment (as in Exod 4:10), or to Moses’ sense of inadequacy. Either way, given that Moses referenced his failed speaking engagement with Israel, he clearly felt his speech was unbefitting for the assigned task.

Thus, with Moses having again spurned the opportunity to be God’s mouthpiece to Pharaoh, in verse 13 YHWH gave the command for “Moses and Aaron” to deliver his message. The incorporation of Aaron was a statement of Yahweh’s mercy. He did not respond to Moses’ insecurities with wrath, but merely worked around them until Moses no longer needed Aaron’s mouth (cf. Exod 10:24-29; 11:4; 13:3, 18:13; 32:30).

Synthesis of the Passage

With Hebrew hopes of freedom dashed by Pharaoh’s harsh decree, and Moses suffering from disillusionment, God’s message in Exod 6:1-13 served as much-needed divine reassurance. In it, God encouraged Moses that he would free the people, give them Canaan – as promised to the patriarchs – and would make the Israelites his own. Inevitably, God’s outstretched arm would overpower Pharaoh’s. In this divinely-orchestrated process, God would continue to reveal his character and identity as Yahweh, to Moses, the Israelites, the Egyptians (7:5), and to Pharaoh himself (9:29). Yahweh was showing himself to be a mighty redeemer, caring Father, Judge of nations, and faithful, sovereign God. Neither the Israelites’ doubts, nor the insecurities of Moses, would stop Yahweh’s plans coming to pass. God had staked his very identity on that fact.

Application of the Passage

Waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled can be challenging, and even discouraging. Sometimes dire circumstances and setbacks can cause us to question not only the promise, but the very integrity of God and his messengers (cf. Exod 17:1-7). However, God is no respecter of our timetables, and God’s promises often call for patience (cf. Matt 13:17, 24:36). When disheartened by a presently-unfulfilled promise, we are faced with a choice. We can stew in disappointment and be angry, as the Israelite foremen were. Or, like Moses, we can come to God in prayer and find reassurance in who he is. Yahweh is a faithful God. He is not challenged by our insecurities and doubts, but is ready to encourage us.

References

Alexander, T. Desmond. Exodus. Apollos Old Testament Commentary. London: Apollos, 2017.

Alexander, T. Desmond. Exodus. TTCS (Teach the Text Commentary Series). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2016.

Bruckner, James K. Exodus. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.

Cole, Alan. Exodus: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973.

Durham, John I. Exodus. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco: Word Books, 1987.

Garrett, Duane A. A Commentary on Exodus. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014.

Hamilton, Victor P. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011.

Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012.

Kohlenberger, John R. III. The NIV Exhaustive Bible Concordance. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015.

Motyer, Alec. “The names of God,” in Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Edited by David Alexander and Pat Alexander. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999, 162.

Stuart, Douglas K. Exodus: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture. NAC (The New American Commentary). Nashville: B&H, 2006.

Stuart, Douglas. “Exodus, Book of,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Edited by John D. Barry. Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2016.

Walton, John H., Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2000.