Exodus 6:8

Exo 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I [am] the LORD.

Ver. 8. And I will bring you.]. {See Trapp on "Exo 5:4"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, Lift up mine hand.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 8. Which I did swear] נשאתי את ידי nasathi eth yadi, I have lifted up my hand. The usual mode of making an appeal to God, and hence considered to be a form of swearing. It is thus that Isa 62:8 is to be understood: The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.—Heb., I will give it to you for an heritage, I Jehovah. The whole is one sentence, and implies that, as being Immutable and Eternal, He would assuredly give it them.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. lifted up my hand] i.e. sware; the expression being derived from the custom of raising the hand to heaven when taking an oath. So Num_14:30 (P), Deu_32:40 (the Song); and esp. in Eze_20:5-6; Eze_20:15; Eze_20:23; Eze_20:28; Eze_20:42; Eze_36:7; Eze_47:14; Psa_106:26 (misrendered in PBV. ‘against’). Also, with a different verb for ‘lift up,’ Gen_14:22. The reference is no doubt to Gen_24:7 J (cf. Exo_15:18 J).

heritage] not the usual word (naḥãlâh), but môrâshâh: elsewhere only Deu_33:4 (the Blessing), and in Eze_11:15; Eze_25:4; Eze_25:10; Eze_33:24; Eze_36:2-3; Eze_36:5.

I am Yahweh] a solemn asseverative formula, closing a Divine utterance. It occurs with remarkable frequency in the ‘Law of Holiness’ (Leviticus 17-26), as Lev_18:5; Lev_18:21; Lev_19:12; Lev_19:14; Lev_19:16; Lev_19:18, &c.; sometimes also elsewhere in P, Exo_12:12; Exo_29:46 (with the addition of ‘their God’), Num_3:13; Num_3:41; Num_3:45. It is never found in J or E.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 would have revived their spirits, and refreshed and comforted their hearts under their troubles, and encouraged a lively exercise of faith and hope of deliverance:

but they hearkened not unto Moses; being disappointed of deliverance by him, and their afflictions being increased, and lying heavy upon them, they were heartless and hopeless:

for anguish of spirit; trouble of mind and grief of heart, with which they were swallowed up; or "for shortness of breath" (b), being so pressed that they could hardly breathe, and so were incapable of attending to what was spoken to them:

and for cruel bondage; under which they laboured, and from which they had scarce any respite, and saw no way of deliverance from it.

(b) "ob brevem anhelitum", Munster.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hand; swearing. (Chap. xiv. 22; 2 Esdras. ix. 15.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And therefore, have authority and power to dispose of lands and kingdoms as I please; and faithful to give you what I have promised.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The land which I did swear to give it to Abraham etc. See Gen_22:16-18 Gen_26:3, etc. The only formal oath is recorded in Gen_22:16; but an oath is perhaps implied in every covenant between God and man. God"s faithfulness is pledged to the performance of the terms of the covenant on his part. I will give it you for a heritage: I am the Lord. Rather, "I will give it you for a heritage, I the Lord" (or "I Jehovah," or "I the Eternal One") "You have the pledge of my Eternity and Immutability that it shall be yours.

HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG Ver. 8. God encourages Moses in his despondency.

We have here

I MOSES QUESTIONING THE PROCEDURE OF JEHOVAH. Observe

1. Moses in all his perplexity still acts upon the firm assurance that there is a Jehovah to resort to. "He returned unto the Lord." Neither the reproaches of the people nor his own disappointment made him at all to doubt that he was dealing with a glorious, awful, and Divine existence outside of himself. It seems just as much a matter of course for Moses to meet with Jehovah, as it had been for the Israelite officers to meet with Moses. This is one good result of all the discussion (for hardly any other term will sufficiently indicate it) which Moses has had with Jehovah concerning his own fitness. Every time God spoke he stood out before the mind of his servant more distinctly and impressively as a real existence. The troubled heart of Moses leads him here into a set of very ignorant questions; but these were a small evil compared with what might have happened, viz. a lapse into utter atheism.

2. Moses, like the Israelite officers makes the mistake of going by first consequences. He does not rebuke the officers for wrong expectations and hasty conclusions. By his language in approaching God, he admits to the full that these officers have reason for their reproaches. They have appealed to Jehovah as against Moses; Moses in turn can only appeal to Jehovah, not against them, but to justify himself. How easy it is for a man, even though fully persuaded of God"s existence, to have utterly erroneous thoughts of his purposes and of his ways of working. Evidently it will need a gradual process and not without temporary retrogressions in order to lift Moses above such conceptions of deity as he had gainedin Egypt and Midian, and by all his acquaintance with current idolatries. It is easier to remember the name I AM than to understand the thing signified by the name.

3. In particular, Moses blundered in thinking of deliverance, not as a process, but as an act something to be achieved by a miracle as instantaneous and complete as those which he had wrought before Israel. One of the most pernicious misapprehensions of the Gospel is that which looks on salvation as an instantaneous thing which speaks of the saved, instead of using the more exact description, "those who are being saved". (Rom_5:10; 1Co_1:18; Php_2:12; 1Pe_1:9) First of all, we put our shallow, unspiritual notions into the Word of God, and then turn round in amazement, because his actions do not correspond with our ideas of what they should be.

4. We see from this utterance of Moses, how a man may make the first step towards freedom and Divine fulfilments of gracious purposes to him, and yet not know it. Moses having gone to Pharaoh, had met with nothing but rebuff; and was further compelled to see his brethren treated more cruelly than ever. He thinks nothing has been done, because he can see nothing, but he is utterly mistaken. The Israelites, had they only known it, were nearer salvation a great deal nearer than when they first believed. "Wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people?" says Moses to Jehovah. Wherefore? indeed! only we should ever ask all-important questions in their proper order. First, Is it so?" and then, "Why is it so?" It was not true that Jehovah was evilly entreating the people. The liberating work was really begum, even though Moses could see no sign of it. When, from the point of view given by the catastrophe of the Red Sea, we look back on this first interview, then we see that it was also the first step in a solemn gradation for Moses and Israel, the first step upwards; and just as surely for Pharaoh, the first step downwards.

II GOD GIVES AN ANSWER FULL OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

1. Notice the absence of anything in the shape of rebuke. These words of Moses had a very offensive and dishonouring sound, but we do not read that Jehovah"s anger was kindled against Moses, (Exo_4:14) or that he sought to kill him. (Exo_4:24) When there is a want of due and prompt submission to the commandments of God, especially when they are plain and decisive ones, then God begins to threaten. But when the thing lacking is a want of understanding as to God"s way, then he patiently extends sympathy, and endeavours to give light and truth. A commander severely punishes a subordinate when he neglects plain orders at a critical juncture; but he would be very unreasonable if he expected him all at once to appreciate the plan of a campaign. Moses would have been very differently treated, if, after the reproaches of the officers, be had shown a spirit of disobedience towards Jehovah.

2. As to the substance of God"s reply, what can be said that he has not saidalready; save that he puts the old truths and promises more emphatically, more comprehensively than ever? The first appeal to Moses is, to rest as far as he can in an undisturbed sense of the power of God. That power belongs to Jehovah is the one thing which Moses has seen most clearly, felt most deeply; and God began by assuring him that he will yet be convinced how strong the Divine hand is. The strong man, violently and wastefully laying hold of Jehovah"s possessions, will be utterly subdued by a far stronger than himself. The next point to be noticed is that though, as we have said, there was no expressed rebuke, yet there are elements in this reply of God, out of which Moses, reflecting on what was expressed, could construct a rebuke for himself. Moses is not showing a faith equal to that of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and yet they were without the revelation of this name JEHOVAH. Moses, who had been told more of the Divine nature than Abraham was told, ought to have believed not less readily and steadily than Abraham. Rest if you can, Moses, in all the comforts that flow from a due consideration of this great and exhaustless Name! Then God goes on to speak of his own faithfulness, of the covenant which was constantly in the Divine mind. Was it for Moses to speak as if God was unmindful of that covenant; he to speak, who but lately had shown his own want of regard to the human side of it, and been in deadly pork because of his uncircumcised son! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is Jehovah, the great I Am. If, then, he made a covenant with all its promises yesterday, be sure that to-day he is doing something to carry that covenant out. If, yesterday, he expressed compassion for the oppressed, and wrath with the oppressor, be sure that he has not relapsed into cold indifference to-day. These capricious sympathies are reserved for men and women who will weep over the mimic and exaggerated sorrows of the stage, and then go home to harden their hearts against the terrible sorrows of real life. When we read over the words of Moses here, and compare them with the words of God, we see how contracted were the views of Moses, and how gloriously enlarged were the views of God. Moses is thinking simply of deliverance how to get the present generation from under the yoke of the oppressor; but God has in his mind a great plan, of which the deliverance from Pharaoh is but one stage in the development, and that a very brief stage. To the completion of this plan the liberation of Israel was necessary, and therefore this liberation would assuredly be achieved. Moses, so to speak, was low down in a hollow; he could get no proper view of the distances; he could not get a due impression of all this tract of time, from God"s first appearing to Abraham down to the securing of the inheritance; and therefore he may well be excused if he speaks hastily. But God looks down from his throne.in eternity. The whole stretch of the work lies before him, and thus beholding it, he can but reiterate his promises, exhibit the great features of his plan, and counsel Moses and Israel to do the one thing needful, i.e. continue obediently waiting upon him in the generation in which they live. Let us do what God tells us, being perfectly sure that he sees what we cannot see, and that, because he is the God who cannot lie, he sets all things before us just as they are.

3. Another thing is to be considered here, which, though omitted fromJehovah"s answer to Moses, ought not to be neglected by us. For typical purposes, the welfare and future of Israel is the great thing spoken of; Pharaoh is looked at simply as the cruel adversary and oppressor of Israel. Hence just those things are stated which most effectively show his complete downfall. But we must remember that the things which are stated at any particular time are only a small part of what are in the mind of God. He states not all the considerations which inspire his acts, but only such as it may be well for us to know. Pharaoh had to be dealt with as a man, even though the record is emphatically constructed so as to set him forth merely as a type. It would have been manifestly unjust to bring upon him sudden and terrible destruction of all his power, without an appearance of appeal to his voluntary action. Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I am the Lord - And therefore have power to dispose of lands and kingdoms as I please.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

I swore

"I promised" or "I said I would"

translationWords

oath

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

נשאתי את ידי I HAVE LIFTED UP MY HAND — I have lifted it up to swear by My Throne.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND I WILL BRING YOU IN UNTO THE LAND CONCERNING WHICH I LIFTED UP MY HAND. “I have lifted it up to swear by My throne.” Thus the language of Rashi. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that it is an idiom [denoting the exercise of power], just like a man who lifts his hand to the heavens and swears, such as: For I lift up My hand to heaven, Verse 40. [to take an oath of vengeance]; And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore. By way of the Truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], I lifted up My hand means that “I have raised the strength of My arm to Myself that I will give them the Land.” Similarly, For I lift up My hand to heaven, Verse 40. means that “I will lift up the great hand to the heavens since it abounds in eternal life.” But the verse, And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, has no relevance here, for that was said concerning the angel clothed in linen, who swore by Him that liveth for ever.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.