Commentary - Exodus 6:14-27

Bird's-eye view

Just as the narrative tension between Moses and Pharaoh is beginning to build, the Holy Spirit presses the pause button and inserts a genealogy. This is not a literary misstep; it is a deliberate, strategic placement. This list of names serves as the formal credentials for Moses and Aaron. Before God unleashes His power through these two men, He first establishes their identity and authority. This is a public record, a declaration that these are not self-appointed revolutionaries, but men chosen by God from a particular line for a particular task. The genealogy first shows why the lines of the older brothers, Reuben and Simeon, were passed over due to their sin, and then focuses with great detail on the tribe of Levi. From this tribe, once cursed for its violence, God sovereignly raises up the priests and deliverers. This passage is a profound lesson in divine election and the unexpected ways God works in history, turning a curse into the very instrument of blessing and deliverance.

The genealogy anchors the work of redemption in real history, with real families. It culminates by repeatedly identifying Moses and Aaron as the specific men God called. It is a formal attestation, grounding the epic events of the Exodus in the quiet providence of God working through successive generations. God knows His people by name, and He raises up leaders from among them according to His perfect plan.

Outline

Context In Exodus

This passage comes at a crucial juncture. In chapter 5, Moses and Aaron made their first appeal to Pharaoh, which resulted not in liberation but in increased bondage for the Israelites. The people turned on Moses, and Moses, in his distress, questioned God. In response, at the beginning of chapter 6, God powerfully reaffirmed His covenant promises to Moses, revealing His name Yahweh in a new way. He recommissioned Moses and promised deliverance. Just as Moses is about to return to the fray, the narrative halts for this genealogy. Its purpose is to look backward in order to move forward with confidence. It solidifies the authority of Moses and Aaron before the ten plagues begin in chapter 7. It is a formal, covenantal roll call, establishing that the men about to challenge the gods of Egypt are the duly appointed representatives of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Key Issues

A Pause for the Pedigree

To our modern minds, accustomed to fast-paced action, the insertion of a genealogy right here can feel like slamming on the brakes. But in the ancient world, and especially in a covenant document like this, a pedigree is everything. It establishes identity, legitimacy, and authority. This is not just a list of names; it is God's answer to the question, "Who are these men, Moses and Aaron, to speak for God and challenge a king?" The answer is that they are not random individuals. They are the sons of Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Jacob. God has been preparing for this moment for generations. This genealogy is a foundational plank in the platform from which Moses and Aaron will launch their assault on the kingdom of darkness in Egypt. It is a reminder that God's great acts of salvation are not disconnected thunderbolts from heaven; they are woven into the fabric of human history and family life.

Verse by Verse Commentary

14-15 These 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. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

The record begins where you would expect it to, with the firstborn. But it is a truncated beginning. Reuben and Simeon are mentioned only to be dismissed. Why? Because they disqualified themselves. Reuben, the firstborn, defiled his father's bed and lost the rights of the firstborn (Gen 49:3-4). Simeon, along with his brother Levi, was cursed by Jacob for his murderous rage at Shechem (Gen 49:5-7). The text is showing us a foundational principle of God's kingdom: divine election trumps natural birth order. God's grace is not bound by human customs of primogeniture. He will raise up His chosen instruments according to His own sovereign will. The mention of Shaul as "the son of a Canaanite woman" is also significant, a subtle reminder of the dangers of assimilation and mixed allegiances that plagued Israel.

16-19 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the years of Levi’s life were 137 years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the years of Kohath’s life were 133 years. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

After quickly dispensing with the first two sons, the narrative now zooms in on the third son, Levi. This is where the real business of the genealogy lies. Notice the detail. We get the names of Levi's three sons, who would become the heads of the three main Levitical clans. We are given the lifespans for Levi and his son Kohath, adding weight and historical gravity to the account. This is the tribe that Jacob had said would be scattered in Israel because of its sin. But here, God takes up the scattered and gathers them for a holy purpose. The tribe of the sword will become the tribe of the sanctuary. This is pure gospel. God does not choose the qualified; He qualifies the chosen. He takes a cursed thing and makes it the vehicle of His blessing.

20 And Amram took his father’s sister Jochebed as a wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the years of Amram’s life were 137 years.

This is the central verse, the hinge of the entire passage. Amram, a grandson of Levi, marries his aunt, Jochebed. This union, which would later be forbidden under the Mosaic Law (Lev 18:12), was permitted here because the Law had not yet been given. God is not bound by laws He has not yet promulgated. From this specific, providentially-ordained marriage came the two deliverers: Aaron and Moses. The naming of these two is the climax toward which the whole list has been building. God's plan for saving His people came down to one man and one woman, in their particular time and place, having children.

21-24 The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri. And Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as a wife, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

The genealogy now fills out the family tree, and the names are not incidental. We see Korah mentioned, the cousin of Moses, who will later lead a disastrous rebellion against Moses' authority in the wilderness (Numbers 16). The seeds of future conflict are recorded right here in the family line. This is a realistic book. At the same time, we see the line of promise continuing through Aaron. He marries Elisheba, who is from the tribe of Judah and the sister of Nahshon, a prince of that tribe. This marriage unites the nascent priestly line (Levi) with the nascent royal line (Judah). And from this union come Aaron's four sons, who will form the foundation of the Aaronic priesthood. Two of them, Nadab and Abihu, will sin and be struck down by God, while the other two will carry on the line. This genealogy is packed with foreshadowing of both glory and tragedy.

25 And Aaron’s son Eleazar took one of the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families.

The line of promise is traced one generation further, to Phinehas. This is the Phinehas who, in a moment of great apostasy, will rise up in righteous zeal and turn back God's wrath from Israel (Numbers 25). God will reward him with a covenant of a perpetual priesthood. By mentioning him here, the narrator is looking ahead, showing the long-term fruitfulness of God's choice of this family. The section concludes by summarizing its purpose: to identify the heads of the Levitical families.

26-27 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts.” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

The Spirit is not content to let us miss the point. He concludes with a repetitive, emphatic summary. After all these names, he brings the focus squarely back to the two main actors. This Aaron, this Moses, from this family tree, these are the men. The repetition of "it was the same" is like a notary's stamp, attesting to the identity and authority of these individuals. The order of the names is also interesting. Verse 26 says "Aaron and Moses," perhaps because Aaron was the older brother and the initial spokesman. Verse 27 says "Moses and Aaron," reflecting Moses' ultimate role as the primary leader and mediator. These are the men God commissioned. Their authority is not their own; it is derived from the God who called them and whose lineage they bear.

Application

First, we must learn to appreciate the "boring" parts of Scripture. Genealogies teach us that our God is a God of history, a God of order, and a God who works through families. Salvation is not an abstract idea; it is something that happens to real people in real time. Your family tree matters to God, and the history of your family is part of His grand story.

Second, this passage is a powerful illustration of sovereign grace. God passed over the firstborn and chose the third-born. He took a tribe that was cursed for its worldly violence and consecrated it for spiritual service. This is what God does. He chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He does not call us because we are worthy; He makes us worthy because He has called us. If God can redeem the tribe of Levi, He can redeem you.

Finally, this passage validates the authority of God's chosen messengers. Before the great battle with Pharaoh, God laid out the credentials of His servants. In the same way, God has given us the credentials of His own Son, Jesus Christ. The gospels of Matthew and Luke both begin with genealogies, tracing the lineage of Jesus to prove that He is the promised Son of David and Son of Abraham. Jesus is the ultimate deliverer, the great High Priest from the ultimate royal and priestly line. His authority is established and absolute. And just as Israel was to listen to Moses and Aaron, we are commanded to listen to Him.