Exodus 6:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

NIV: Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

NASB: Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

CSB: Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.

NLT: You 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.

KJV: And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

NKJV: And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

God speaks to Moses, reassuring him that the plan to rescue Israel is very much intact (Exodus 5:22–23; 6:1–4). Recently, the Lord has summarized His history with the founders of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While known primarily as "God Almighty" then, He will now be known as "the Lord." His covenant with those patriarchs is unchanged. God has not lost sight of the people of Israel during their enslavement (Exodus 1:11–14; 2:23–25).

Applying the human concept of memory to God is difficult. God is all-knowing and eternal, so nothing can slip out of His memory or his awareness (Job 21:22; Hebrews 4:13; Romans 11:33). In that sense, the Lord cannot literally "forget" something in the way we think of it in our lives. In contexts such as this, however, concepts like "remembering" and "forgetting" are more about whether or not the Lord is choosing to act on those things (Psalm 25:7; 79:8; Isaiah 43:25). The suffering of Is-rael was never out of the Lord's conscious awareness.

Exodus 6:1–13 is God's reassuring response to Moses' disappointment (Exodus 5:22–23). Phar-aoh retaliated against Israel rather than agreeing to their freedom (Exodus 5:6–9). Here, the Lord repeats that this is an expected part of the plan (Exodus 3:19–20). He re-identifies Himself and reminds Moses of His relationship with Israel's ancestors. Israel will be freed, and Egypt will be punished. God commands Moses to confront Pharaoh again, even though the Hebrew people are against it.

God responds to Moses, who struggles to understand recent events (Exodus 5:22–23). Pharaoh has retaliated against the Lord's message about Israel's freedom (Exodus 5:1–9). Here, the Lord repeats His predic-tion that Israel will be freed (Exodus 3:14–22). God's specific identity and relationship to Israel are key to this response. The Lord will fulfill His promises and take the Hebrews from Egypt into the Promised Land. The passage then rec-ords the genealogies of Moses and Aaron. Moses' commission from God is also repeated.

After centuries of enslavement (Exodus 1:11–14), God commissions Moses to be His representative in freeing Israel (Exodus 3:4–10). But when Moses delivers the Lord's message (Exodus 5:1–3), Pharaoh retaliates (Exodus 5:6–9). This leads to infighting (Exodus 5:20–21) and causes Moses to doubt (Exodus 5:22–23). After the Lord offers reassurances in this chapter, He will repeat an account of how the story will play out. Then God begins to bring plagues of judgment against Egypt (Exodus 7).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

Accessed 4/8/2025 9:52:03 PM