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Exodus chapter 6

English Standard Version

1But the Lord said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
2God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’" 9Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
10So the Lord said to Moses, 11"Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land." 12But Moses said to the Lord, "Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" 13But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers ' houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father 's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25Eleazar, Aaron 's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers ' houses of the Levites by their clans.
26These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: "Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts." 27It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
28On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29the Lord said to Moses, "I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you." 30But Moses said to the Lord, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?"
New International Version

1Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."
2God also said to Moses, "I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.
6"Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ "
9Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.
10Then the Lord said to Moses, 11"Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country."
12But Moses said to the Lord, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips ?"
13Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
14These were the heads of their families : The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.
18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records.
20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.
23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24The sons of Korah were: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.
25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.
26It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions." 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.
28Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29he said to him, "I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you."
30But Moses said to the Lord, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
New American Standard Bible

1Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.'
2God spoke further to Moses and said to him, 'I am the Lord; 3and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. 4I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as strangers. 5Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. 7Then I will take you as My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the labors of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession; I am the Lord.’?' 9So Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.
10Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.' 12But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, 'Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, as I am unskilled in speech?' 13Nevertheless, the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron and gave them a command concerning the sons of Israel and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers’ households. The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and the length of Levi’s life was 137 years. 17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and the length of Kohath’s life was 133 years. 19And the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20Now Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the length of Amram’s life was 137 years. 21And the sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22And the sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24And the sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25Now Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families. 26It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, 'Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their multitudes.' 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.
28Now it came about on the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'I am the Lord; say to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.' 30But Moses said before the Lord, 'Behold, I am unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?'
Christian Standard Bible

1But the Lord replied to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of a strong hand he will let them go, and because of a strong hand he will drive them from his land."
2Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, "I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the Lord.’ 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as aliens. 5Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.
6"Therefore tell the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians and rescue you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. 7I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord." 9Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
10Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 11"Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land."
12But Moses said in the Lord’s presence: "If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?" 13Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them commands concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers’ families: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the clans of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the clans of Simeon.
16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their family records; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their family records.
20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.
25Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families by their clans.
26It was this Aaron and Moses whom the Lord told, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions." 27Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
28On the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29he said to him, "I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I am telling you."
30But Moses replied in the Lord’s presence, "Since I am such a poor speaker, how will Pharaoh listen to me?"
New Living Translation

1Then the Lord told Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!'
2And God said to Moses, 'I am Yahweh — ‘the Lord.’ 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai — ‘God Almighty’ — but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them.
6Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’'
9So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.
10Then the Lord said to Moses, 11Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.'
12But Lord!' Moses objected. 'My own people won’t listen to me anymore. How can I expect Pharaoh to listen? I’m such a clumsy speaker! '
13But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders for the Israelites and for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
14These are the ancestors of some of the clans of Israel: The sons of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Their descendants became the clans of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul’s mother was a Canaanite woman.) Their descendants became the clans of Simeon.
16These are the descendants of Levi, as listed in their family records: The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (Levi lived to be 137 years old.)
17The descendants of Gershon included Libni and Shimei, each of whom became the ancestor of a clan.
18The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. (Kohath lived to be 133 years old.)
19The descendants of Merari included Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, as listed in their family records.
20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. (Amram lived to be 137 years old.)
21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.
22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. Their descendants became the clans of Korah.
25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to his son, Phinehas. These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans.
26The Aaron and Moses named in this list are the same ones to whom the Lord said, 'Lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.' 27It was Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, about leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.
28When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29he said to him, 'I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.' 30But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, 'I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?'
King James Version

1Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
2And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: 3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. 4And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.
9And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. 10And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 12And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
13And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 14These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
15And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.
16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.
17The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.
18And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.
19And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.
20And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.
21And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.
22And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
23And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.
25And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.
26These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. 27These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron. 28And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, 29That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. 30And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
New King James Version

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
2And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. 4I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” 9So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
10And 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.”
12And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”
13Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. 15And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon. 16These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven. 17The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi according to their families. 18And the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three. 19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.
20Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven. 21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. 25Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel as wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.
26These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.” 27These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.
28And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”
30But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”

What does Exodus chapter 6 mean?

Moses followed God's instructions and passed along a message to Egypt's king (Exodus 5:1–3). Rather than listen, Pharaoh was dismissive (Exodus 5:4–5). In fact, he retaliated against the Hebrew slaves (Exodus 5:6–9). When they complained, he made it clear that they were being spitefully punished for listening to people like Moses (Exodus 5:15–19). This has turned Israelite opinion against Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:20–21) and inspired new doubts in Moses (Exodus 5:22–23).

The Lord responds with reassurance. This was exactly what He had already said would happen (Exodus 3:19–20). Israel's freedom was only going to come through conflict and struggle. Pharaoh's stubbornness is not a defeat; it only sets the stage for the Lord's victory (Exo-dus 6:1).

Next, God offers a summary of His history with the people of Israel. This begins with the patriarchs Abra-ham, Isaac, and Jacob. In that phase, the Lord was referred to by many names. But the one He most connected to was "God Almighty." Now, He will use the word Yahweh, or YHWH, usually translated as "the Lord," as His main identifier. God made promises to Abraham's descendants and has not forgotten them. The Lord offers a series of seven "I will" claims regarding His plan to free Israel and de-velop His special relationship with them (Exodus 6:2–8).

Moses passes these assurances to the Hebrews. But they are so beaten down with brutal enslavement and bitterness that they ignore him. Moses also doubts. When God tells him to approach Pharaoh once again, he protests that he is unsuited. Moses uses an expression regarding uncircum-cised lips; he either means his speech is physically affected, or that he is unworthy, or both. This does not change the Lord's will, nor does it remove His commands to Moses and Aaron (Exodus 6:9–13).

After this comes a genealogy showing that Moses and Aaron are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through the tribe of Levi. Not every detail is provided, but some names are highlighted, and many of these people will factor in notable accounts later. Among these are Aaron's sons, two of whom will die for disobeying God's commands about worship (Leviticus 10:1–4). It includes Korah, who is destroyed after a rebellion (Numbers 16). The text also makes a note of Phinehas (Numbers 25), later famous for his passionate, violent commitment to the Lord's will (Exodus 6:14–25).

After the genealogy, the text summarizes that it was Moses and Aaron whom God appointed to lead Israel out of slavery. This was despite Moses' deep self-doubt (Exodus 6:26–30).

The summary and repeat of God's plans will continue into the early verses of the next chapter (Exodus 7:1–5). This serves as a marker in the book of Exodus. Starting then, the text records an escalating cycle of divine signs and stubbornness. These ten devastating plagues will end with the death of Egypt's firstborn (Exodus 12:29–30) and the liberation of Israel (Exodus 12:31, 41).
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