Exodus 6:9

Exodus 6:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
• New International Version (NIV)Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.

Context of Exodus 6:9

7I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians. 8I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob – and I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord!’” Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor. 10Then the Lord said to Moses, 11“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt that he must release the Israelites from his land.”

Exodus 6:9 word by word

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• so unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• but they hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• for anguishקֹ֫צֶרqôtser · shortnessH7115
• of spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• and for cruelקָשֶׁהqâsheh · severeH7186
• bondageעֲבֹדָה‛ăbôdâh ‛ăbôdâh · serviceH5656

Cross-references for Exodus 6:9

• Exodus 5:21and they said to them, “May the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the opinion of Pharaoh and his servants, so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!”
• Exodus 14:12Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”
• Job 21:4Is my complaint against a man? If so, why should I not be impatient?
• Proverbs 14:19Those who are evil will bow before those who are good, and the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous.
• Numbers 21:4Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, but the people became impatient along the way.

Commentaries on Exodus 6:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9But they hearkened not - Their bondage was become so extremely oppressive that they had lost all hope of ever being redeemed from it. After this verse the Samaritan adds, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians: for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. This appears to be borrowed from Exodus 14:12. Anguish of spirit - רוח קצר kotzer ruach, shortness of spirit or breath. The words signify that their…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9They hearkened not - The contrast between the reception of this communication and that recorded in Exodus 4:31 is accounted for by the change of circumstances. On the former occasion the people were comparatively at ease, accustomed to their lot, sufficiently afflicted to long for deliverance, and sufficiently free in spirit to hope for it. For anguish - See the margin; out of breath, as it were, after their cruel disappointment, they were quite absorbed…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9The crisis became worse because the people ignored the repeated promises. They had not anticipated that their initial faith would produce greater problems for them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-119-11. Moses spake so unto the children of Israel--The increased severities inflicted on the Israelites seem to have so entirely crushed their spirits, as well as irritated them, that they refused to listen to any more communications (Ex 14:12). Even the faith of Moses himself was faltering; and he would have abandoned the enterprise in despair had he not received a positive command from God to revisit the people without delay, and at the same time renew…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 6:9

• Despondency
• Moses

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Moses
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Anguish
• Groaning
• Rid
• Exodus, the Book of
• Feeble-Minded

Commentaries on Exodus 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings