1 Then the Lord said vnto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will doe to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall hee let them goe, and with a strong hand shall he driue them out of his land.
2 And God spake vnto Moses, and said vnto him, I am the Lord.
3 And I appeared vnto Abraham, vnto Isaac, and vnto Iacob, by the Name of God Almighty, but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowen to them.
4 And I haue also established my Couenant with them, to giue them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I haue also heard the groning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage: and I haue remembred my Couenant.
6 Wherefore say vnto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from vnder the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage: and I will redeeme you with a stretched out arme, and with great iudgements.
7 And I will take you to mee 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 vnder the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in vnto the lande concerning the which I did sweare to giue it, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob, and I will giue it you for an heritage, I am the Lord.
9 ¶ And Moses spake so vnto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not vnto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruell bondage.
10 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
11 Goe in, speake vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel goe out of his land.
12 And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel haue not hearkened vnto me: how then shal Pharaoh heare me, who am of vncircumcised lips?
13 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and vnto Aaron, & gaue them a charge vnto the children of Israel, and vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 ¶ These be the heads of their fathers houses: The sonnes of Reuben the first borne of Israel, Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.
15 And the sonnes of Simeon: Iemuel, and Iamin, and Ohad and Iachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the sonne of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.
16 ¶ And these are the names of the sonnes of Leui, according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari: and the yeeres of the life of Leui, were an hundred, thirtie and seuen yeeres.
17 The sonnes of Gershon: Libni and Shimi, according to their families.
18 And the sonnes of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the yeeres of the life of Kohath, were an hundred thirtie and three yeeres.
19 And the sonnes of Merari: Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Leui, according to their generations.
20 And Amram tooke him Iochebed his fathers sister to wife, and shee bare him Aaron and Moses: and the yeeres of the life of Amram were an hundred, and thirtie and seuen yeeres.
21 ¶ And the sonnes of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 And the sonnes of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.
23 And Aaron tooke him Elisheba daughter of Amminadab sister of Naashon to wife, and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24 And the sonnes of Korah, Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.
25 And Eleazar Aarons sonne tooke him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife, and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Leuites, according to their families.
26 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.
27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: These are that Moses and Aaron.
28 ¶ And it came to passe on the day when the Lord spake vnto Moses in the land of Egypt,
29 That the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speake thou vnto Pharaoh king of Egypt, all that I say vnto thee.
30 And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of vncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken vnto mee?
God renews his promise. (1-9) Moses and Aaron again sent to Pharaoh. (10-13) The parentage of Moses and Aaron. (14-30)1-9 We are most likely to prosper in attempts to glorify God, and to be useful to men, when we learn by experience that we can do nothing of ourselves; when our whole dependence is placed on him, and our only expectation is from him. Moses had been expecting what God would do; but now he shall see what he will do. God would now be known by his name Jehovah, that is, a God performing what he had promised, and finishing his own work. God intended their happiness: I will take you to me for a people, a peculiar people, and I will be to you a God. More than this we need not ask, we cannot have, to make us happy. He intended his own glory: Ye shall know that I am the Lord. These good words, and comfortable words, should have revived the drooping Israelites, and have made them forget their misery; but they were so taken up with their troubles, that they did not heed God's promises. By indulging discontent and fretfulness, we deprive ourselves of the comfort we might have, both from God's word and from his providence, and go comfortless.
10-13 The faith of Moses was so feeble that he could scarcely be kept to his work. Ready obedience is always according to the strength of our faith. Though our weaknesses ought to humble us, yet they ought not to discourage us from doing our best in any service we have to do for God. When Moses repeats his baffled arguments, he is argued with no longer, but God gives him and Aaron a charge, both to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh. God's authority is sufficient to answer all objections, and binds all to obey, without murmuring or disputing, #Php 2:14|.
14-30 Moses and Aaron were Israelites; raised up unto them of their brethren, as Christ also should be, who was to be the Prophet and Priest, the Redeemer and Lawgiver of the people of Israel. Moses returns to his narrative, and repeats the charge God had given him to deliver his message to Pharaoh, and his objection against it. Those who have spoken unadvisedly with their lips ought to reflect upon it with regret, as Moses seems to do here."Uncircumcised," is used in Scripture to note the unsuitableness there may be in any thing to answer its proper purpose; as the carnal heart and depraved nature of fallen man are wholly unsuited to the services of God, and to the purposes of his glory. It is profitable to place no confidence in ourselves, all our sufficiency must be in the Lord. We never can trust ourselves too little, or our God too much. I can do nothing by myself, said the apostle, but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.