Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

When Critics Ask (1960)

Exodus 6:9

Did the children of Israel listen to Moses or disregard his words?

PROBLEM: Here the text claims that “they would not heed Moses.” But earlier (in Exodus 4:31) it says “the people believed [Moses],” and even “bowed their heads and worshiped [God].”

SOLUTION: Apparently they readily received Moses at first, but when they did not experience immediate deliverance, they became discouraged and impatient and would no longer listen to him.

Continues after advertising

See also Exodus 6:9 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Exodus 6:9. _BUT 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_...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEY 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 c...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 6:1-27 JEHOVAH'S ANSWERS AND THE GENEALOGY _ 1. Jehovah answers Moses (Exodus 6:1)_ 2. The Genealogy (Exodus 6:14) Moses' “wherefore” and “why,” his outburst of impatience, is graciously met...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    P'S SECOND ACCOUNT OF MOSES'S CALL. Till the method of Hebrew compilers was understood, it was natural to take this as the account of a second call. It is now seen to be the account of his call in the...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach._ See App-9....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 69 THE DESPONDENCY OF ISRAEL Exodus 6:9._ And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage._ “AS face answers...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ANGUISH OF SPIRIT— The original רוח קצר, _chotzer ruach,_ denotes that _shortness of breath,_ which is occasioned by extreme _grief, anger,_ or _fatigue:_ see the margin of our Bibles. The LXX render...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 6 AND JE-HO-VAH SAID UNTO MO-SES, NOW SHALT THOU SEE WHAT I WILL DO TO PHA-RAOH: FOR BY A STRONG HAND SHALL HE LET THEM GO, AND BY A STRONG HAND SHALL HE DRIVE THEM OUT...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND MOSES SPAKE SO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: BUT THEY HEARKENED NOT UNTO MOSES FOR ANGUISH OF SPIRIT, AND FOR CRUEL BONDAGE._ Moses spake. The increased severities inflicted on the Israelites see...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    6:9 spirit, (d-20) Or 'impatience.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE RENEWAL OF THE PROMISE. GENEALOGIES OF REUBEN, SIMEON, AND LEVI 1. The STRONG HAND is the hand of Jehovah, not of Pharaoh. So RV renders, 'by a strong hand,' i.e. under the compelling force of Je...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION THE *ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT EXODUS CHAPTER S 1 TO 18 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 6 V1 Then the *LORD replied to Moses. ‘Now you will see what I will d...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEY HEARKENED NOT. — The second message was received in quite a different spirit from the first. Then “the people believed, and bowed their knees and worshipped” (Exodus 4:31). Now they could not eve...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל ־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER VI. _ THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF MOSES._ Exodus 6:1. We have seen that the name Jehovah expresses not a philosophic meditation, but the most bracing and reassuring truth--viz., that an immutable a...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S NAME CONFIRMS HIS PROMISES Exodus 6:2 The statement of Exodus 6:3 is at first sight, startling, because we remember several passages in Genesis where that sacred name appears. But this arises f...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here commences the section of Exodus devoted to the subject of national deliverance. Everything began with a solemn charge to Moses. It is first an answer to the complaint which God's servant had utte...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened (c) not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (c) So hard a thing it is to show true obedience under the cross....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Anguish: Septuagint, "pusillanimity." They would not even hope for a change. (Menochius) --- The Samaritan copy records the speech which they made to Moses. (Kennicott, p. 313.)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Proverbs 13:12; Isaiah 28:12....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is hardly a book of the Old Testament that stands out in more decided contrast with the book of Genesis than the one which follows it most closely. And this is the more striking, because God emp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    9._And Moses spake so. _From this verse it appears that Moses is referring to the second message which he was commanded to bear. For they had before heard with great joy and approbation, and had expre...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 5 THROUGH 13. At the news of the goodness of God, the people adore Him; but the struggle against the power of evil is another matter. Satan will not let the p...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND MOSES SPAKE SO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... After this manner, and in the above words, declaring all that the Lord made known to him, and promised to do for them; which one would have thought...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. Ver. 9. _But they hearkened not._] The ear, which tastes words as the m...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _I will take you to me for a people_ A peculiar people; and _I will be to you a God_ And more than this we need not ask, we cannot have, to make us happy. _I am the Lord_ And therefore have power to d...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 God renueth his promise by his Name IEHOVAH. 14 The genealogie of Reuben, 15 of Simeon, 16 of Leui, of whom came Moses and Aaron. 1 THEN the LORD said vnto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    GOD'S CHARGE TO MOSES AND AARON...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage, literally, for shortness of breath and for hard slavery. It was not merel...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    D. MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH. THE SEEMINGLY MISCHIEVOUAS EFFECT OF THEIR DIVINE MESSAGE, AND THE DISCOURAGMENT OF THE PEOPLE AND THE MESSENGERS THEMSELVES. GOD REVERSES THIS EFFECT NU SOLEMNLY PR...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    GOD'S FURTHER PATIENT PREPARATION (vs.1-13) The impatience of Moses and of the children of Israel could not hasten God to act out of impatience. He accomplished matters in His own wise way. He tells...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    ANGUISH: _ Heb._ shortness, or, straitness...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Their minds were so oppressed with their present burdens and future expectations, that they could not believe nor hope for any deliverance, but deemed it impossible; and having been once deceived in t...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    The effect of the first appeal to Pharaoh seemed ought but encouraging. The thought of losing Israel made him clutch them with greater eagerness and watch them with greater vigilance. Whenever Satan's...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 6:9 Moses H4872 spoke H1696 (H8762) children H1121 Israel H3478 heed H8085 (H8804) Moses H4872 anguish...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    YAHWEH'S RESPONSE TO PHARAOH'S BEHAVIOUR AND PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE (EXODUS 6:2). This promise is in the usual form of a chiasmus as follows: a God speaks to Moses (Exodus 6:2 a). b God says to Moses...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jehovah's answer to Moses' first prayer. Covenant renewed. Families of Israel. Moses' commission renewed. CHARACTERS: God, Moses, Pharaoh. CONCLUSION: Man's extremity is God's opportunity...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 6:1. _With a strong hand._ In a general view we do not find that heaven has recourse to miracles, except when religion is low and greatly depressed, somewhat as a fire which is burnt down has n...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit._ PHYSICAL DESTITUTION STIFLING SPIRITUAL LIFE A permanent principle of our nature, and a distinctive feature of the Divine government are here e...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 6:9_ PHYSICAL DESTITUTION STIFLING SPIRITUAL LIFE This fact has long since passed away; but its lesson remains ever new. Its body is dead, and has returned...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EXODUS 6:9 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. The Israelites, who had expected a speedy deliverance, and found themselves only the more down-trodden for Moses' interference, were too muc...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter five of the book of Exodus, we left Moses in great despair. He did what he thought God was calling him to do. He went to the Pharaoh and demanded the release of the children of Israel. But the...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    hearkened Exodus 5:21 Exodus 14:12 Job 21:4 Proverbs 14:19 anguish. Heb. shortness. or, straitness...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    FAITH AS EXEMPLIFIED IN MOSES Selections from Exodus 3:1; Exodus 6:1; Exodus 7:1; Exodus 8:1;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    But they hearkened not to Moses for anguish of spirit — That is, They were so taken up with their troubles that they did not heed him....

Continues after advertising