Exodus 6:1 kjv
Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
Exodus 6:1 nkjv
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
Exodus 6:1 niv
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country."
Exodus 6:1 esv
But the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
Exodus 6:1 nlt
Then the LORD told Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!"
Exodus 6 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:13-14 | Then the Lord said to Abram... "know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land... afflicted four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation... they shall come out with great possessions." | God's prior promise of deliverance and judgment on oppressors. |
| Exo 3:19-20 | "I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go... unless compelled by a strong hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt..." | Foreshadowing of Pharaoh's resistance and God's powerful intervention. |
| Exo 7:4-5 | "Pharaoh will not listen to you... I will lay My hand on Egypt... then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord..." | God's demonstration of power and self-revelation. |
| Exo 13:3 | "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place." | Retrospective declaration of God's powerful deliverance. |
| Exo 13:9 | "It shall be a sign to you on your hand and a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt." | A reminder of the compelling power of God in deliverance. |
| Exo 32:11 | But Moses implored the Lord... "Why should Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?" | Moses' appeal to God's past display of power and covenant. |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it? | God's faithfulness to His word and promises. |
| Deut 4:34 | "Or has any god attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm...?" | Unique nature of Yahweh's powerful action. |
| Deut 6:21 | "Then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'" | Instruction for future generations to remember God's power. |
| Psa 77:14-15 | "You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your might among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph." | God's historical powerful acts of redemption. |
| Psa 89:34 | "My covenant I will not break, nor will I alter the word that has gone out of My lips." | Affirmation of God's unwavering covenant fidelity. |
| Psa 136:12 | "...with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for His steadfast love endures forever." | God's powerful deliverance linked to His enduring love. |
| Isa 40:10 | "Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and His arm rules for Him..." | Prophetic imagery of God's mighty rule and intervention. |
| Isa 52:12 | "For you shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard." | Future exodus from Babylon, empowered and secured by God. |
| Jer 23:7-8 | "Therefore, behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when they shall no longer say, 'As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the North Country...'" | Emphasizing the greatness of future redemptions mirroring the Exodus. |
| Eze 20:33-34 | "'As I live,' declares the Lord God, 'surely with a strong hand and an outstretched arm... I will be king over you.'" | God's future forceful intervention to gather and rule Israel. |
| Rom 9:17 | For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth." | God's use of Pharaoh's hardened heart for the display of divine power and glory. |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." | Reminder of God's unchanging faithfulness to His promises. |
| Rev 15:3 | "...And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!'" | Cosmic celebration of God's just and mighty acts, echoing the Exodus. |
Exodus 6 verses
Exodus 6 1 Meaning
Exodus 6:1 reveals the Lord's immediate response to Moses' complaint, assuring him that God will act with overwhelming power against Pharaoh. It signifies a decisive turning point, promising that Pharaoh will not only allow the Israelites to leave under compulsion but will actively drive them out due to divine force, demonstrating God's supreme authority and faithfulness to His covenant promises.
Exodus 6 1 Context
Exodus 6:1 directly follows Moses' profound discouragement in Exodus 5:22-23, where he questions God's effectiveness ("Why have You done evil to this people? Why have You sent me?"). Pharaoh, rather than releasing the Israelites, has increased their burden, making Moses and the people despair. This verse serves as God's immediate, sovereign response to Moses' despair and to the dire situation. It reaffirms His identity (Yahweh), His covenant with the patriarchs (detailed further in Exo 6:2-8), and His unwavering resolve to deliver Israel, contrasting human weakness and apparent failure with divine power and certainty. Historically, it is set against the backdrop of Egyptian slavery and the overwhelming power of the Pharaoh, who was considered a god in his own right. The verse initiates God's renewed revelation of His powerful character, specifically targeting the perceived might of Egypt.
Exodus 6 1 Word analysis
- Then: Connects this divine communication directly to Moses' recent complaint, signaling a crucial response.
- the Lord: Hebrew: יְהוָה (Yahweh). This is the covenant name of God, revealed to Moses in Exodus 3. It emphasizes God's personal, eternal, and unchanging nature, affirming His commitment to His promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- said to Moses: Highlights direct, authoritative divine communication to His chosen leader, providing assurance and guidance.
- Now: Implies immediate future action; an emphatic temporal marker assuring that the tide is about to turn from apparent defeat to visible victory.
- you shall see: A promise of personal witness to divine action, directly addressing Moses' doubt and lack of vision in Exodus 5. It assures Moses of his vital role in witnessing God's glory.
- what I will do: Emphasizes divine agency and sovereignty. God is the active doer, not Moses or the Israelites. It declares God's purposeful intervention.
- to Pharaoh: The specific object of God's impending display of power and judgment, establishing a direct confrontation between the living God and the supposedly divine ruler of Egypt.
- for: Introduces the reason or consequence of God's actions, explaining the mechanism by which Pharaoh's will is broken.
- with a strong hand: Hebrew: בְּיָ֣ד חֲזָקָה֒ (b'yad chazaqah). This is a crucial phrase.
- "strong hand" (God's initially implied): Denotes irresistible, supernatural power, compulsion, and divine might. It's not human strength but God's omnipotent force at work. This is a direct polemic against the perceived invincibility of Pharaoh and the weakness of Israel's god compared to Egyptian deities. It underscores God's total control.
- he will let them go: Refers to Pharaoh. His release of Israel will not be an act of grace or negotiation but an unwilling, compelled surrender due to God's powerful actions.
- and with a strong hand: The repetition of b'yad chazaqah, this time applied to Pharaoh's actions, emphasizes the compulsion and force exerted upon Pharaoh. It illustrates the completeness of God's subjugation of Pharaoh's will. Pharaoh will not simply allow them to leave but will forcefully expel them, driven by the plagues. It demonstrates the profound reversal of power.
- he will drive them out: Signifies a forced expulsion, not merely a departure. Pharaoh's change from slave-master to urgent expeller underlines the absolute triumph of God's power and judgment.
- of his land: Emphasizes the complete separation and release from Egyptian dominion, securing the journey towards the promised land.
Exodus 6 1 Bonus section
- This verse sets the stage for a divine legal process or a cosmic trial where God will execute judgment on Egypt and its gods, compelling the world to acknowledge His unique deity.
- The assurance "you shall see" implies not just observation, but an invitation for Moses (and by extension, Israel) to become a witness to God's unparalleled demonstration of power and faithfulness.
- The phrase "strong hand" later becomes a concise, theological term throughout the Old Testament to describe the miraculous, unassisted power of Yahweh in delivering Israel from Egypt, serving as the foundational act of their redemption.
Exodus 6 1 Commentary
Exodus 6:1 is a pivotal verse, offering divine reassurance and re-framing the unfolding drama after Moses' crisis of faith. God responds not with rebuke, but with a declaration of His impending, decisive action. The repeated phrase "with a strong hand" is central; it highlights that Pharaoh's eventual yielding will be entirely coerced by God's irresistible power, rather than any change of heart on Pharaoh's part. This divine intervention is a direct challenge to the authority and supposed divinity of Pharaoh and the efficacy of the Egyptian gods, proving Yahweh's unparalleled sovereignty and omnipotence. This verse serves as a crucial turning point, shifting from Israel's despair and Moses' doubt to a renewed focus on God's mighty demonstration of His power, which ultimately secures His covenant promise and redeems His people. It reveals God's strategy: not a quick extraction, but a profound display of His might designed to establish His glory "in all the earth" (Rom 9:17).