Exodus 6:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: "Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts."

NIV: It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions."

NASB: It 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.'

CSB: It was this Aaron and Moses whom the Lord told, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions."

NLT: The 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.'

KJV: These 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.

NKJV: These 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.”

Following the genealogy of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 6:14–25) comes a summary (Exodus 6:27–30). These verses parallel earlier themes (Exodus 6:10–13) about God using these men to confront Pharaoh to free the people of Israel. The word translated "hosts" refers to groups or companies. The message here is about an orderly departure of large groups of people, later described in the form of twelve tribes operating with multiple clans.

An interesting word picture is also at work in this verse. The "people of Israel" would "come out" from the "land of Egypt." God was calling a people from a foreign nation to serve as a new nation of their own. He had been preparing the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to become a new nation of people in a new land (Genesis 12:1–3). The process would take longer than the people initially expected, including forty years in the wilderness (Numbers 32:13), yet God would ultimately fulfill His promises (Joshua 1:1–4).

Exodus 6:14–30 records the genealogies of Moses and his brother, Aaron. This supports that this is part of God's continuous plan to arrive at this very point in history. It also clarifies their status as members of the tribe of Levi. Along the way, God reiterates and re-establishes Moses' commission as His messenger. Moses is still wracked with self-doubt.

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 6/20/2025 12:21:01 AM