Exodus 6:1
in Exodus 6But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
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.
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This verse in Exodus 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWith a strong hand - יד חזקה yad chazakah, the same verb which we translate to harden; see Clarke on Exo 4:21 (note). The strong hand here means sovereign power, suddenly and forcibly applied. God purposed to manifest his sovereign power in the sight of Pharaoh and the Egyptians; in consequence of which Pharaoh would manifest his power and authority as sovereign of Egypt, in dismissing and thrusting out the people. See Exo 12:31-33.
This site's exposition
with a strong hand shall he let them go
Chapter 5 ended with Moses asking why God had done evil to this people, and this verse is the answer he gets. Pharaoh will drive Israel out of his own land, which is what 12:33 and 12:39 report happening on the morning after the last plague. Adam Clarke observes that the strong hand here is chazaq, the same root the book uses when it speaks of Pharaoh's heart being hardened.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then the Lord said unto Moses,....
Note, As some are brought to their duty by the strong hand of God's grace, who are made willing in the day of his power, so others by the strong hand of his justice, breaking those that would not bend. He gives him further instructions, that both he and the people of Israel might be encouraged to hope for a glorious issue of this affair.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the Lord said unto Moses--The Lord, who is long-suffering and indulgent to the errors and infirmities of His people, made allowance for the mortification of Moses as the result of this first interview and cheered him with the assurance of a speedy and successful termination to his embassy.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
NOW SHALT THOU SEE. When I bring the plagues upon Egypt things will start getting better for Israel, as I. That is, I.E.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| תִרְאֶ֔ה | tireh | you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | [that] which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה | ʾeeseh | I will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְפַרְעֹ֑ה | lefaroh | to Pharaoh | H6547 → | 274 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְיָ֤ד | veyad | by a hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| חֲזָקָה֙ | chazakah | strong | H2389 → | 56 times |
| יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔ם | yeshalechem | he will let go them | H7971 → | 845 times |
| וּבְיָ֣ד | uveyad | and by a hand | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| חֲזָקָ֔ה | chazakah | strong | H2389 → | 56 times |
| יְגָרְשֵׁ֖ם | yegareshem | he will drive out them | H1644 → | 46 times |
| מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ ס | meartzo | from land his | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עַתָּ֣הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
תִרְאֶ֔הyou will see
tirehH7200 →1300 times
אֲשֶׁ֥ר[that] which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖הI will do
ʾeesehH6213 →2628 times
לְפַרְעֹ֑הto Pharaoh
lefarohH6547 →274 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְיָ֤דby a hand
veyadH3027 →1618 times
חֲזָקָה֙strong
chazakahH2389 →56 times
יְשַׁלְּחֵ֔םhe will let go them
yeshalechemH7971 →845 times
וּבְיָ֣דand by a hand
uveyadH3027 →1618 times
חֲזָקָ֔הstrong
chazakahH2389 →56 times
יְגָרְשֵׁ֖םhe will drive out them
yegareshemH1644 →46 times
מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ סfrom land his
meartzoH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 12:33And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!”
it leads to
- Psalms 105:38
Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 11:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 105:38
Through
Psalms 136:12with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. His loving devotion endures forever.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:21
You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.
- Deuteronomy 4:34
Or has any god tried to take as his own a nation out of another nation—by trials, signs, wonders, and war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors—as the…
- Exodus 6:6
Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched…
- Psalms 44:3
For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because…
- Jeremiah 32:21
Through
Exodus 12:31Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.
it leads to
- Exodus 3:19–20
But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.
- Exodus 10:9
“We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
- Exodus 3:19–20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.