1 But the Lord replied to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of a strong hand he will let them go, and because of a strong hand he will drive them from his land.”
2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am the Lord.
3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the Lord.’
4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as aliens.
5 Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.
6 “Therefore tell the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians and rescue you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment.
7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.”
Note · Exode 6.1–8
La sortie est ordonnée à une relation
Les annonces de délivrance et de retour au pays sont accompagnées d’une parole d’appartenance. Dieu ne promet pas seulement un changement de lieu. L’engagement envers Israël prolonge celui des patriarches et se donne désormais à connaître dans l’action contre la servitude.
9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses,
11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land.”
12 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence: “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?”
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them commands concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
Note · Exode 6.9–13
L’impossibilité d’écouter peut venir de l’oppression
Le narrateur relie le refus d’écoute au découragement et au travail accablant. Il ne suffit donc pas de reprocher aux victimes une mauvaise disposition intérieure. Moïse retrouve sa propre difficulté devant l’envoi ; la parole de Dieu revient à lui dans une situation qui n’est pas encore transformée.
14
These are the heads of their fathers’ families:
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel:
Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.
These are the clans of Reuben.
15
The sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin,
Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
These are the clans of Simeon.
16
These are the names of the sons of Levi
according to their family records;
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Levi lived 137 years.
17
The sons of Gershon:
Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18
The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Kohath lived 133 years.
19
The sons of Merari:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the clans of the Levites
according to their family records.
20
Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed,
and she bore him Aaron and Moses.
Amram lived 137 years.
21
The sons of Izhar:
Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22
The sons of Uzziel:
Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23
Aaron married Elisheba,
daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon.
She bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24
The sons of Korah:
Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.
These are the clans of the Korahites.
25
Aaron’s son Eleazar married
one of the daughters of Putiel,
and she bore him Phinehas.
These are the heads of the Levite families by their clans.
26 It was this Aaron and Moses whom the Lord told, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions.”
27 Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Note · Exode 6.14–27
Une généalogie au milieu de l’action
La liste situe les deux envoyés dans la descendance de Lévi et dans la maison d’Aaron. Elle prépare la place que cette famille occupera dans le service du peuple. Sa présence suspend l’action pour donner aux personnages une mémoire, sans les présenter comme exempts de fragilité.
28 On the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,
29 he said to him, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I am telling you.”
30 But Moses replied in the Lord’s presence, “Since I am such a poor speaker, how will Pharaoh listen to me?”
Note · Exode 6.28–30
Une objection qui demeure
La difficulté de parole de Moïse réapparaît à la fin du chapitre. Le nom et la promesse n’ont pas supprimé immédiatement sa peur. La réponse du chapitre suivant organisera encore la mission avec Aaron : l’accompagnement divin et le relais humain restent liés.