Chapter 6

1 God reneweth his promise by his name jehovah. 14 The genealogy of Reuben, 15 of Simeon, 16 of Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron.

1. Now shalt thou see. Moses did not receive a direct answer to his complaint. Instead, God again promised the deliverance of Israel by a strong hand. Since Moses was not now prepared to understand God’s dealings, no useful purpose would be served by giving him an explanation. As it were, God was saying to Moses, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7). In view of the fact that even after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and their glorious march through the desert, in which the Hebrews beheld so many proofs of the power and mercy of God, and yet repeatedly rebelled against Him, they would hardly have been willing to leave Egypt unless the oppression under which they lived was greatly increased. It is certain that they would never have been willing to leave had they known all that lay ahead of them. This may explain, in part at least, why God does not reveal all that He might of the future. Had the disciples known in advance what lay ahead for their Master and for themselves they might never have obeyed His call, “Follow me.” Had those who accepted the Advent message prior to 1844 known of the great disappointment, and of the trying years that lay ahead, there would probably never have been an Advent Movement.

3. God Almighty. Under this name, ХElРShaddai, the Sacred Record gives various accounts of the revelation of God, as to Abraham (Gen. 17:1) and to Jacob (Gen. 35:11). The full name is not used by God in any recorded appearance to Isaac, though Isaac himself used it in his farewell blessing to Jacob (Gen. 28:3).

By my name Jehovah was I not known. The meaning of this statement is not entirely clear. According to Gen. 15:7 God had revealed Himself to Abraham as Jehovah, even before declaring His name ХElРShaddai, God Almighty. Later He revealed Himself to Jacob as Jehovah (Gen. 28:13). That Abraham knew this name is also obvious from the name Jehovah-jireh, which he gave the place where he went to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:14). That Moses regarded this name as known from the beginning of history is evident from Gen. 2:4 and Gen. 4:1, 26. The apparent meaning of this statement cannot therefore be its true meaning, for no inspired writer would contradict himself in such a way.

The Hebrews always thought of a name as indicating either the personal characteristics of the one named, or the thoughts and emotions of the one giving the name, or attendant circumstances at the time the name was given. God was now about to reveal Himself more fully than in the past, delivering His people with a “strong hand” (Ex. 6:1), actually taking them to Himself for a people (v. 7), establishing His covenant with them, and giving them the land of Canaan (v. 4). This being true, it seems that in v. 3 God must refer to the new meaning that the experience of deliverance would bring to the name rather than to the name itself (see vs. 1–7).

A similar problem occurs in Rev. 19:11–16. In v. 12 it is stated that “no man knew [Gr., “knows,” as in the RSV]” Christ’s name as He appears riding upon the “white horse,” leading forth the armies of heaven. Yet in v. 11 He is “called Faithful and True,” and in v. 13 “his name is called The Word of God.” These were names by which Christ was already known in character, at least to some extent, by His people. In v. 16. however, John speaks of Christ as “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” yet specifically describes this title as a new “name written, that no man knew, but he himself” (v. 12). From 1 Tim. 6:15 it is clear that this title was applied to Christ as far back as apostolic times. Obviously, John’s statement that “no man knew” the name refers, not to the title itself, but rather to the new role in which Christ appears as champion of His beleaguered people to “rule all nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:5; cf. 19:15).

4. My covenant. See on Gen. 15:9; Gen. 17:7, 8; see also chs. 26:3; 28:13.

5. Heard the groaning. God had already assured Moses that the cry of His oppressed people had come before Him (ch. 3:9; cf. ch. 2:24), but the assurance was repeated because of Moses’ complaint. He, as well as his people, was to be sure that God had not forgotten them, but would sustain them in their affliction and would soon deliver them.

6. Great judgments. That deliverance could not be accomplished by peaceful means, but would require a show of force on the part of God, is now intimated. Hints of judgments to come had been made previously (chs. 3:20; 4:23). True, they had not been called such, although God had promised Abraham that He would judge that nation whom they should serve (Gen. 15:14). The plagues about to be visited upon Pharaoh and his people were not merely “wonders” or “signs” in the ordinary sense, but also punishments inflicted on a proud and cruel nation by a divine Judge.

7. I will. God continued to make promises, heaping them as it were one upon another. He would make Israel His peculiar people, He would make Himself known to them as the great Deliverer, He would bring them into the Promised Land, and He would give it to them as a possession. All these promises were fulfilled in due time. The Israelites were formally taken to be God’s people at Sinai (ch. 19:5, 6), where God at the same time became especially, but not exclusively, their God (ch. 20:1, 2).

9. They hearkened not. The Israelites, expecting a speedy deliverance, but the more oppressed because of Moses’ unwelcome interference, were too dispirited to be cheered even by the gracious promises and assurances Moses was commissioned to give them. They refused longer to place trust in one they thought had deceived them, one who was obviously but a dreamer, a visionary, if not worse. “Anguish of spirit” crushed their souls and “cruel bondage” wearied their bodies day by day, with the result that they lacked both the time and the will to listen.

The Samaritan version has an addition to v. 9, which, though probably not written by Moses, nevertheless casts some light on the reasoning of the disappointed Israelites. In agreement with a statement by the Israelites at a later time (ch. 14:12), it reads: “And they said to him, Let us alone, and let us serve the Egyptians; for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than die in a wilderness.”

11. Go out of his land. In the new commission Moses now received there is no longer mention of a three days’ journey, as at first (chs. 3:18; 5:3). A clear-cut statement is made that the children of Israel are to leave the country permanently. Moses was instructed to appear again before Pharaoh and to demand without equivocation that the Israelites be released from slavery.

12. How then shall Pharaoh hear me? The bitter complaints of the Israelites made Moses despondent, with the result that he again declined the commission. He had done God’s will and had appeared before the people as well as before the king, but he felt keen disappointment, since the people as well as the king had refused to listen to him. Immediately, all his original self-distrust and reluctance to shoulder the heavy burden of leadership returned.

Uncircumcised lips. This is a typical Hebrew phrase meaning the same as “slow of speech” in ch. 4:10. Similarly, “uncircumcised” ears (Jer. 6:10) are ears that do not hear, and an “uncircumcised” heart (Jer. 9:26) is a heart that does not understand.

13. Gave them a charge. God’s answer to Moses’ new protest is not recorded. It seems that He made no formal reply to Moses’ arguments, but gave, rather, an authoritative charge that provided no room for refusal. Moses was now sent to the Israelites and to the king, not with a request or a proposal, but with an imperative command.

14. These be the heads. At this point Moses interrupts his narrative to insert a section on genealogy, in which he takes the family history of Israel from the point at which he left it in ch. 1:5. The social organization of Israel was based upon the tribe, and a record of the divisions and subdivisions of the various families was therefore important. In view of the fact that the narrative had reached a turning point, this seemed a fitting place to insert the information. By “fathers’ houses” is meant “families” (see 1 Chron. 4:38; 1 Chron. 5:13; 1 Chron. 7:40; etc.). The “heads” are the acknowledged chiefs and founders of the various Israelite families.

Of Reuben. For the names of these four sons of Reuben, see on Gen. 46:9.

15. Of Simeon. For the names of Simeon’s sons, see on Gen. 46:10.

16. Of Levi. For Levi’s three sons, see on Gen. 46:11.

According to their generations. This phrase is used because Moses does not stop with the sons of Levi but proceeds on to the grandsons, great-grandsons, and other descendants in order to establish the exact relationship of Moses and Aaron to Jacob and the other tribes.

The years of the life of Levi. As an elder brother of Joseph, Levi must have passed the age of 40 years at the time of the descent into Egypt, since Joseph was about 39 at that time (see on Gen. 27:1). All three of his sons had been born before that time (Gen. 46:8–11). Since he died at the age of 137 he must have spent more than 90 years of his life in Egypt and survived by many years his brother Joseph, who died at the age of 110 (Gen. 50:26). Moses probably records the length of Levi’s life because Levi was his own ancestor.

17. The sons of Gershon. Gershon’s sons are mentioned first, since he was the eldest son of Levi. Libni means “the white one,” and may refer to a particularly light complexion; Shimi may mean “the one hearing.”

18. The sons of Kohath. Amram means “ingathering”; Izhar, “fresh oil”; Hebron, “companion”; and Uzziel, “God is my strength.”

The years of the life of Kohath. Kohath, who was born before the descent of Jacob into Egypt (Gen. 46:11), seems to have spent the greater part of his long life of 133 years in Egypt, and may have lived on into the period of oppression.

19. The sons of Merari. Mahali means “the pleasant one,” but the meaning of Mushi’s name is obscure. The Mahlites and Mushites were among the most important of the Levitical families at the time of the Exodus (Num. 3:33; 26:58).

20. Amram. That this Amram is the “man of the house of Levi” mentioned in ch. 2:1 cannot be doubted. He was a grandson of Levi. God had promised Abraham that the fourth generation of those who would go to the land of oppression should return to the Promised Land (Gen. 15:16). The four generations would thus be those of Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses.

Jochebed. Meaning “Jehovah is glorious.” Jochebed is the earliest known human name related to the divine name Jehovah, which appears here in its abbreviated form, “Jo.”

His father’s sister. Jochebed, who is spoken of merely in general terms as a daughter of Levi in Ex. 2:1, which could mean any female descendant of Levi, is here called the aunt (dodah, translated “father’s sister”) of Amram, and therefore a sister of Kohath. This is in harmony with the accepted rendering of Num. 26:59. If that text, though uncertain, is complete, it indicates that Jochebed was a literal daughter of Levi. Though such a marriage was prohibited by the Mosaic law (Lev. 18:12), it was apparently permitted in earlier times.

She bare. Amram’s sons are listed according to age. Being three years older than Moses (Ex. 7:7), Aaron was named first. Their sister Miriam was still older (see ch. 2:4), but is not mentioned here, since the names of women appear in ancient genealogical lists only in exceptional cases. The insertion of her name in this text in the LXX, Vulgate, and one Hebrew manuscript seems to be the work of a later scribe.

21. The sons of Izhar. Of the three sons of Izhar, Amram’s brother, only Korah is mentioned again in the Bible (see Num. 16:1; 1 Chron. 6:37). His name means “the bald one.” The meaning of Nepheg is unknown; Zichri means “my memory.”

22. The sons of Uzziel. The sons of Uzziel, Amram’s youngest brother, are mentioned again later in the narrative. Mishael, the meaning of whose name is uncertain, and Elzaphan, meaning “God is hidden,” were later employed by Moses to carry the bodies of Nadab and Abihu out of the camp (Lev. 10:4). Elzaphan, called Elizaphan, is mentioned as head of the Kohathites in Num. 3:30. Zithri’s name means “my hiding place.” The names of these men, born during the severe oppression in Egypt, reflect the sentiments of their parents at the times of their birth. Elzaphan may have been born in a particularly dark hour when the future of Israel looked most forbidding and it seemed that God had hidden Himself. Zithri, like Moses, may have been born in secret and hidden for some time.

23. Aaron took him Elisheba. The name of Aaron’s wife meant “my God has sworn.” Her father, Amminadab, mentioned here for the first time, was a descendant of Judah through Pharez and Hezron and was an ancestor of Jesus (see 1 Chron. 2:3–10; Matt. 1:4). Amminadab means “my people is willing.”

Naashon. A transliteration of Nachshon, from the rootnachash, “serpent.” A nachshon was an “enchanter,” that is, one who made use of serpents as a means of divination. Naashon was at this time “captain of the children of Judah” (Num. 2:3).

She bare him. On the fate of Aaron’s two eldest sons, who became the first priests under the Levitic law of Sinai, see Lev. 10:1, 2. Nadab means “he is willing,” and Abihu, “my father is he.”

Eleazar. Eleazar, meaning “God has helped,” became high priest upon the death of Aaron (Num. 20:23–28), and the high priestly office was perpetuated through his descendants (1 Chron. 6:4–15). His death is related in Joshua 24:33.

Ithamar. The meaning of the name of Aaron’s youngest son is uncertain. Like Aaron’s other sons, Ithamar became a priest, and was charged with the duty of recording the freewill offerings of the people toward the building of the tabernacle (ch. 28:1; 38:21).

24. The sons of Korah. Not all the sons of Korah were destroyed with their father in the uprising in the desert (Num. 26:11). The three sons mentioned here became heads of “families of the Korhites,” whose descendants were famous as temple singers in David’s time (1 Chron. 6:22, 23, 31; Ps. 42:1; 44:1; etc.). Assir means “prisoner”; Elkanah, “God has founded”; and Abiasaph, “my father has gathered.”

25. Putiel. The father-in-law of Eleazar, not mentioned elsewhere. The first part of the name is Egyptian, the second Hebrew, and the name means either “God has given” or “dedicated to God.”

Phinehas. Phinehas is an Egyptian name meaning “negro,” and may have indicated that Phinehas had an unusually dark complexion (cf. Libni, “the white one,” in Ex. 6:17). The presence of Egyptian names for persons of Hebrew birth in the book of Genesis is another evidence that it is a historical account, written by one familiar with Egypt. It is not surprising to find Egyptian names among the Israelites, after they had lived so long in Egypt. Such names would be similar to anglicized names of non-English immigrants to America. Under the circumstances it is surprising to find so many Israelites bearing Hebrew names, a fact due to reluctance to accept the customs, ways, and language of their oppressors.

26. That Aaron and Moses. The genealogy concluded, its author appends a note to the effect that the Aaron and Moses here mentioned (v. 20) are the very Aaron and Moses who were commanded to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.

27. These are they. The expression, “these are that Aaron and Moses” (v. 26) is repeated in v. 27 with a significant reversal in the order of the names. In the genealogy itself Aaron stands first, as the elder of the two, but here, in anticipation of the historical narrative that follows, Moses takes precedence over his elder brother, as the divinely appointed savior of Israel.

28. Came to pass. Verses 28–30 are a repetition of the thought of vs. 10–12. Having inserted a genealogical section, Moses takes up the narrative where he left it in v. 12, and in doing so repeats the last section of the narrative in order to connect it with the story that follows.

29. I am the Lord. This is the only important variation in the repetition of vs. 10–12. It is possible that every revelation made to Moses was authenticated by these initial words “I am the Lord,” which have the force of that initial phrase so often found in the utterances of the later prophets, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Ellen G. White comments

1, 2-4PP 259

9     PP 260

11, 12  PP 263