Exodus 6:9

6:9 1 Moses told this 2  to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him 3  because of their discouragement 4  and hard labor.

Exodus 6:30

6:30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Since I speak with difficulty, 5  why should Pharaoh listen to me?”

Exodus 7:13

7:13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard, 6  and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

1 sn The final part of this section focuses on instructions for Moses. The commission from God is the same – he is to speak to Pharaoh and he is to lead Israel out. It should have been clear to him that God would do this, for he had just been reminded how God was going to lead out, deliver, redeem, take the people as his people, and give them land. It was God’s work of love from beginning to end. Moses simply had his task to perform.

2 tn Heb “and Moses spoke thus.”

3 tn Heb “to Moses.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

4 tn The Hebrew מִקֹּצֶּר רוּחַ (miqqotser ruakh) means “because of the shortness of spirit.” This means that they were discouraged, dispirited, and weary – although some have also suggested it might mean impatient. The Israelites were now just not in the frame of mind to listen to Moses.

5 tn See note on Exod 6:12.

6 tn This phrase translates the Hebrew word חָזַק (khazaq); see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 53.

sn For more on this subject, see B. Jacob, Exodus, 241-49. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 53) notes that when this word (חָזַק) is used it indicates a will or attitude that is unyielding and firm, but when כָּבֵד (kaved) is used, it stresses the will as being slow to move, unimpressionable, slow to be affected.