Show Bible Commentary For A Bible Verse

Click here to show/hide instructions.

Selected Verse: Exodus 6:14 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ex 6:14	Strong Concordance	These be the heads [07218] of their fathers [01]' houses [01004]: The sons [01121] of Reuben [07205] the firstborn [01060] of Israel [03478]; Hanoch [02585], and Pallu [06396], Hezron [02696], and Carmi [03756]: these be the families [04940] of Reuben [07205].
	King James	These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

Open All | Close All Open All | Close All

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES. (Exo. 6:14-30) These be the heads of their fathers' houses--chiefs or governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi [Exo 6:16-19].

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

THE GENEALOGY OF MOSES. (Exo. 6:14-30)

These be the heads of their fathers' houses--chiefs or governors of their houses. The insertion of this genealogical table in this part of the narrative was intended to authenticate the descent of Moses and Aaron. Both of them were commissioned to act so important a part in the events transacted in the court of Egypt and afterwards elevated to so high offices in the government and Church of God, that it was of the utmost importance that their lineage should be accurately traced. Reuben and Simeon being the oldest of Jacob's sons, a passing notice is taken of them, and then the historian advances to the enumeration of the principal persons in the house of Levi [Exo 6:16-19].

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
These be the heads - We have in the following verses, not a complete genealogy, but a summary account of the family of the two brothers. Moses records for the satisfaction of Hebrew readers, to whom genealogical questions were always interesting, the descent and position of the designated leaders of the nation. See Exo 6:26-27.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron. - "These are their (Moses' and Aaron's) father's-houses." בּית־אבות father's-houses (not fathers' house) is a composite noun, so formed that the two words not only denote one idea, but are treated grammatically as one word, like בּית־עצבּים idol-houses (Sa1 31:9), and בּית־בּמות high-place-houses (cf. Ges. 108, 3; Ewald, 270c). Father's house was a technical term applied to a collection of families, called by the name of a common ancestor. The father's-houses were the larger divisions into which the families (mishpachoth), the largest subdivisions of the tribes of Israel, were grouped. To show clearly the genealogical position of Levi, the tribe-father of Moses and Aaron, among the sons of Jacob, the genealogy commences with Reuben, the first-born of Jacob, and gives the names of such of his sons and those of Simeon as were the founders of families (Gen 46:9-10). Then follows Levi; and not only are the names of his three sons given, but the length of his life is mentioned (Exo 6:16), also that of his son Kohath and his descendant Amram, because they were the tribe-fathers of Moses and Aaron. But the Amram mentioned in Exo 6:20 as the father of Moses, cannot be the same person as the Amram who was the son of Kohath (Exo 6:18), but must be a later descendant. For, however the sameness of names may seem to favour the identity of the persons, if we simply look at the genealogy before us, a comparison of this passage with Num 3:27-28 will show the impossibility of such an assumption. "According to Num 3:27-28, the Kohathites were divided (in Moses' time) into the four branches, Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites, who consisted together of 8600 men and boys (women and girls not being included). Of these, about a fourth, or 2150 men, would belong to the Amramites. Now, according to Exo 18:3-4, Moses himself had only two sons. Consequently, if Amram the son of Kohath, and tribe-father of the Amramites, was the same person as Amram the father of Moses, Moses must have had 2147 brothers and brothers' sons (the brothers' daughters, the sisters, and their daughters, not being reckoned at all). But as this is absolutely impossible, it must be granted that Amram the son of Kohath was not the father of Moses, and that an indefinitely long list of generations has been omitted between the former and his descendant of the same name" (Tiele, Chr. des A. T. p. 36). (Note: The objections of M. Baumgarten to these correct remarks have been conclusively met by Kurtz (Hist. of O. C. vol. ii. p. 144). We find a similar case in the genealogy of Ezra in Ezr 7:3, which passes over from Azariah the son of Meraioth to Azariah the son of Johanan, and omits five links between the two, as we may see from Ch1 6:7-11. In the same way the genealogy before us skips over from Amram the son of Kohath to Amram the father of Moses without mentioning the generations between.) The enumeration of only four generations, viz., Levi, Iohath, Amram, Moses, is unmistakeably related to Gen 15:16, where it is stated that the fourth generation would return to Canaan. Amram's wife Jochebed, who is merely spoken of in general terms as a daughter of Levi (a Levitess) in Exo 2:1 and Num 26:59, is called here the דּודה "aunt" (father's sister) of Amram, a marriage which was prohibited in the Mosaic law (Lev 18:12), but was allowed before the giving of the law; so that there is no reason for following the lxx and Vulgate, and rendering the word, in direct opposition to the usage of the language, patruelis, the father's brother's daughter. Amram's sons are placed according to their age: Aaron, then Moses, as Aaron was three years older than his brother. Their sister Miriam was older still (vid., Exo 2:4). In the lxx, Vulg., and one Hebrew MS, she is mentioned here; but this is a later interpolation. In Exo 6:21. not only are the sons of Aaron mentioned (Exo 6:23), but those of two of Amram's brothers, Izhar and Uzziel (Exo 6:21, Exo 6:22), and also Phinehas, the son of Aaron's son Eleazar (Exo 6:25); as the genealogy was intended to trace the descent of the principal priestly families, among which again special prominence is given to Aaron and Eleazar by the introduction of their wives. On the other hand, none of the sons of Moses are mentioned, because his dignity was limited to his own person, and his descendants fell behind those of Aaron, and were simply reckoned among the non-priestly families of Levi. The Korahites and Uzzielites are mentioned, but a superior rank was assigned to them in the subsequent history to that of other Levitical families (cf. Num 16-17; Num 26:11, and Num 3:30 with Lev 10:4). Aaron's wife Elisheba was of the princely tribe of Judah, and her brother Naashon was a tribe-prince of Judah (cf. Num 2:3). אבות ראשׁי (Exo 6:25), a frequent abbreviation for בית־אבות ראשׁי, heads of the father's-houses of the Levites. In Exo 6:26 and Exo 6:27, with which the genealogy closes, the object of introducing it is very clearly shown in the expression, "These are that Aaron and Moses," at the beginning of Exo 6:26; and again, "These are that Moses and Aaron," at the close of Exo 6:27. The reversal of the order of the names is also to be noticed. In the genealogy itself Aaron stands first, as the elder of the two; in the conclusion, which leads over to the historical narrative that follows, Moses takes precedence of his elder brother, as being the divinely appointed redeemer of Israel. On the expression, "according to their armies," see Exo 7:4.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron. - "These are their (Moses' and Aaron's) father's-houses." בּית־אבות father's-houses (not fathers' house) is a composite noun, so formed that the two words not only denote one idea, but are treated grammatically as one word, like בּית־עצבּים idol-houses (Sa1 31:9), and בּית־בּמות high-place-houses (cf. Ges. 108, 3; Ewald, 270c). Father's house was a technical term applied to a collection of families, called by the name of a common ancestor. The father's-houses were the larger divisions into which the families (mishpachoth), the largest subdivisions of the tribes of Israel, were grouped. To show clearly the genealogical position of Levi, the tribe-father of Moses and Aaron, among the sons of Jacob, the genealogy commences with Reuben, the first-born of Jacob, and gives the names of such of his sons and those of Simeon as were the founders of families (Gen 46:9-10). Then follows Levi; and not only are the names of his three sons given, but the length of his life is mentioned (Exo 6:16), also that of his son Kohath and his descendant Amram, because they were the tribe-fathers of Moses and Aaron. But the Amram mentioned in Exo 6:20 as the father of Moses, cannot be the same person as the Amram who was the son of Kohath (Exo 6:18), but must be a later descendant. For, however the sameness of names may seem to favour the identity of the persons, if we simply look at the genealogy before us, a comparison of this passage with Num 3:27-28 will show the impossibility of such an assumption. "According to Num 3:27-28, the Kohathites were divided (in Moses' time) into the four branches, Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites, who consisted together of 8600 men and boys (women and girls not being included). Of these, about a fourth, or 2150 men, would belong to the Amramites. Now, according to Exo 18:3-4, Moses himself had only two sons. Consequently, if Amram the son of Kohath, and tribe-father of the Amramites, was the same person as Amram the father of Moses, Moses must have had 2147 brothers and brothers' sons (the brothers' daughters, the sisters, and their daughters, not being reckoned at all). But as this is absolutely impossible, it must be granted that Amram the son of Kohath was not the father of Moses, and that an indefinitely long list of generations has been omitted between the former and his descendant of the same name" (Tiele, Chr. des A. T. p. 36).

(Note: The objections of M. Baumgarten to these correct remarks have been conclusively met by Kurtz (Hist. of O. C. vol. ii. p. 144). We find a similar case in the genealogy of Ezra in Ezr 7:3, which passes over from Azariah the son of Meraioth to Azariah the son of Johanan, and omits five links between the two, as we may see from Ch1 6:7-11. In the same way the genealogy before us skips over from Amram the son of Kohath to Amram the father of Moses without mentioning the generations between.)

The enumeration of only four generations, viz., Levi, Iohath, Amram, Moses, is unmistakeably related to Gen 15:16, where it is stated that the fourth generation would return to Canaan. Amram's wife Jochebed, who is merely spoken of in general terms as a daughter of Levi (a Levitess) in Exo 2:1 and Num 26:59, is called here the דּודה "aunt" (father's sister) of Amram, a marriage which was prohibited in the Mosaic law (Lev 18:12), but was allowed before the giving of the law; so that there is no reason for following the lxx and Vulgate, and rendering the word, in direct opposition to the usage of the language, patruelis, the father's brother's daughter. Amram's sons are placed according to their age: Aaron, then Moses, as Aaron was three years older than his brother. Their sister Miriam was older still (vid., Exo 2:4). In the lxx, Vulg., and one Hebrew MS, she is mentioned here; but this is a later interpolation. In Exo 6:21. not only are the sons of Aaron mentioned (Exo 6:23), but those of two of Amram's brothers, Izhar and Uzziel (Exo 6:21, Exo 6:22), and also Phinehas, the son of Aaron's son Eleazar (Exo 6:25); as the genealogy was intended to trace the descent of the principal priestly families, among which again special prominence is given to Aaron and Eleazar by the introduction of their wives. On the other hand, none of the sons of Moses are mentioned, because his dignity was limited to his own person, and his descendants fell behind those of Aaron, and were simply reckoned among the non-priestly families of Levi. The Korahites and Uzzielites are mentioned, but a superior rank was assigned to them in the subsequent history to that of other Levitical families (cf. Num 16-17; Num 26:11, and Num 3:30 with Lev 10:4). Aaron's wife Elisheba was of the princely tribe of Judah, and her brother Naashon was a tribe-prince of Judah (cf. Num 2:3). אבות ראשׁי (Exo 6:25), a frequent abbreviation for בית־אבות ראשׁי, heads of the father's-houses of the Levites. In Exo 6:26 and Exo 6:27, with which the genealogy closes, the object of introducing it is very clearly shown in the expression, "These are that Aaron and Moses," at the beginning of Exo 6:26; and again, "These are that Moses and Aaron," at the close of Exo 6:27. The reversal of the order of the names is also to be noticed. In the genealogy itself Aaron stands first, as the elder of the two; in the conclusion, which leads over to the historical narrative that follows, Moses takes precedence of his elder brother, as being the divinely appointed redeemer of Israel. On the expression, "according to their armies," see Exo 7:4.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
This genealogy ends in those two great patriots, Moses and Aaron; and comes in here to shew that they were Israelites, bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh, whom they were sent to deliver, raised up unto them of their brethren, as Christ also should be, who was to be the prophet and priest, the Redeemer and law - giver of the house of Israel, and whose genealogy also like this was to be carefully preserved. The heads of the houses of three of the tribes are here named, agreeing with the accounts we had, Gen. 46:8-27. Reuben and Simeon seem to be mentioned only for the sake of Levi, from whom Moses and Aaron descended, and all the priests of the Jewish church.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
These be the heads - ראשי rashey, the chiefs or captains. The following genealogy was simply intended to show that Moses and Aaron came in a direct line from Abraham, and to ascertain the time of Israel's deliverance. The whole account from Exo 6:14-26 inclusive, is a sort of parenthesis, and does not belong to the narration; and what follows from Exo 6:28 is a recapitulation of what was spoken in the preceding chapters.

Top

¹⁶ And these are the names [08034] of the sons [01121] of Levi [03878] according to their generations [08435]; Gershon [01648], and Kohath [06955], and Merari [04847]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Levi [03878] were an hundred [03967] thirty [07970] and seven [07651] years [08141].
¹⁷ The sons [01121] of Gershon [01648]; Libni [03845], and Shimi [08096], according to their families [04940].
¹⁸ And the sons [01121] of Kohath [06955]; Amram [06019], and Izhar [03324], and Hebron [02275], and Uzziel [05816]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Kohath [06955] were an hundred [03967] thirty [07970] and three [07969] years [08141].
¹⁹ And the sons [01121] of Merari [04847]; Mahali [04249] and Mushi [04187]: these are the families [04940] of Levi [03878] according to their generations [08435].

²⁶ These [01931] are that Aaron [0175] and Moses [04872], to whom [0834] the LORD [03068] said [0559], Bring out [03318] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] from the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] according to their armies [06635].
²⁷ These [01992] are they which spake [01696] to Pharaoh [06547] king [04428] of Egypt [04714], to bring out [03318] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] from Egypt [04714]: these are that Moses [04872] and Aaron [0175].

⁴ But Pharaoh [06547] shall not hearken [08085] unto you, that I may lay [05414] my hand [03027] upon Egypt [04714], and bring forth [03318] mine armies [06635], and my people [05971] the children [01121] of Israel [03478], out of the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] by great [01419] judgments [08201].

²⁷ These [01992] are they which spake [01696] to Pharaoh [06547] king [04428] of Egypt [04714], to bring out [03318] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] from Egypt [04714]: these are that Moses [04872] and Aaron [0175].

²⁵ And Eleazar [0499] Aaron's [0175] son [01121] took [03947] him one of the daughters [01323] of Putiel [06317] to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Phinehas [06372]: these are the heads [07218] of the fathers [01] of the Levites [03881] according to their families [04940].

³ And on the east side [06924] toward the rising [04217] of the sun shall they of the standard [01714] of the camp [04264] of Judah [03063] pitch [02583] throughout their armies [06635]: and Nahshon [05177] the son [01121] of Amminadab [05992] shall be captain [05387] of the children [01121] of Judah [03063].

⁴ And Moses [04872] called [07121] Mishael [04332] and Elzaphan [0469], the sons [01121] of Uzziel [05816] the uncle [01730] of Aaron [0175], and said [0559] unto them, Come near [07126], carry [05375] your brethren [0251] from before [06440] the sanctuary [06944] out [02351] of the camp [04264].

³⁰ And the chief [05387] of the house [01004] of the father [01] of the families [04940] of the Kohathites [06956] shall be Elizaphan [0469] the son [01121] of Uzziel [05816].

¹¹ Notwithstanding the children [01121] of Korah [07141] died [04191] not.

²² And the sons [01121] of Uzziel [05816]; Mishael [04332], and Elzaphan [0469], and Zithri [05644].

²¹ And the sons [01121] of Izhar [03324]; Korah [07141], and Nepheg [05298], and Zichri [02147].

²³ And Aaron [0175] took [03947] him Elisheba [0472], daughter [01323] of Amminadab [05992], sister [0269] of Naashon [05177], to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], Eleazar [0499], and Ithamar [0385].

²¹ And the sons [01121] of Izhar [03324]; Korah [07141], and Nepheg [05298], and Zichri [02147].

⁴ And his sister [0269] stood [03320] afar off [07350], to wit [03045] what would be done [06213] to him.

¹² Thou shalt not uncover [01540] the nakedness [06172] of thy father's [01] sister [0269]: she is thy father's [01] near kinswoman [07607].

⁵⁹ And the name [08034] of Amram's [06019] wife [0802] was Jochebed [03115], the daughter [01323] of Levi [03878], whom her mother bare [03205] to Levi [03878] in Egypt [04714]: and she bare [03205] unto Amram [06019] Aaron [0175] and Moses [04872], and Miriam [04813] their sister [0269].

¹ And there went [03212] a man [0376] of the house [01004] of Levi [03878], and took [03947] to wife a daughter [01323] of Levi [03878].

¹⁶ But in the fourth [07243] generation [01755] they shall come hither [02008] again [07725]: for the iniquity [05771] of the Amorites [0567] is not yet [02008] full [08003].

⁷ Meraioth [04812] begat [03205] Amariah [0568], and Amariah [0568] begat [03205] Ahitub [0285],
⁸ And Ahitub [0285] begat [03205] Zadok [06659], and Zadok [06659] begat [03205] Ahimaaz [0290],
⁹ And Ahimaaz [0290] begat [03205] Azariah [05838], and Azariah [05838] begat [03205] Johanan [03110],
¹⁰ And Johanan [03110] begat [03205] Azariah [05838], (he it is that executed the priest's office [03547] in the temple [01004] that Solomon [08010] built [01129] in Jerusalem [03389]:)
¹¹ And Azariah [05838] begat [03205] Amariah [0568], and Amariah [0568] begat [03205] Ahitub [0285],

³ The son [01121] of Amariah [0568], the son [01121] of Azariah [05838], the son [01121] of Meraioth [04812],

³ And her two [08147] sons [01121]; of which the name [08034] of the one [0259] was Gershom [01647]; for he said [0559], I have been an alien [01616] in a strange [05237] land [0776]:
⁴ And the name [08034] of the other [0259] was Eliezer [0461]; for the God [0430] of my father [01], said he, was mine help [05828], and delivered [05337] me from the sword [02719] of Pharaoh [06547]:

²⁷ And of Kohath [06955] was the family [04940] of the Amramites [06020], and the family [04940] of the Izeharites [03325], and the family [04940] of the Hebronites [02276], and the family [04940] of the Uzzielites [05817]: these are the families [04940] of the Kohathites [06956].
²⁸ In the number [04557] of all the males [02145], from a month [02320] old [01121] and upward [04605], were eight [08083] thousand [0505] and six [08337] hundred [03967], keeping [08104] the charge [04931] of the sanctuary [06944].

¹⁸ And the sons [01121] of Kohath [06955]; Amram [06019], and Izhar [03324], and Hebron [02275], and Uzziel [05816]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Kohath [06955] were an hundred [03967] thirty [07970] and three [07969] years [08141].

²⁰ And Amram [06019] took [03947] him Jochebed [03115] his father's sister [01733] to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Aaron [0175] and Moses [04872]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Amram [06019] were an hundred [03967] and thirty [07970] and seven [07651] years [08141].

⁹ And the sons [01121] of Reuben [07205]; Hanoch [02585], and Phallu [06396], and Hezron [02696], and Carmi [03756].
¹⁰ And the sons [01121] of Simeon [08095]; Jemuel [03223], and Jamin [03226], and Ohad [0161], and Jachin [03199], and Zohar [06714], and Shaul [07586] the son [01121] of a Canaanitish [03669] woman.

⁹ And they cut off [03772] his head [07218], and stripped off [06584] his armour [03627], and sent [07971] into the land [0776] of the Philistines [06430] round about [05439], to publish [01319] it in the house [01004] of their idols [06091], and among the people [05971].

²⁸ And it came to pass on the day [03117] when the LORD [03068] spake [01696] unto Moses [04872] in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714],

¹⁴ These be the heads [07218] of their fathers [01]' houses [01004]: The sons [01121] of Reuben [07205] the firstborn [01060] of Israel [03478]; Hanoch [02585], and Pallu [06396], Hezron [02696], and Carmi [03756]: these be the families [04940] of Reuben [07205].
¹⁵ And the sons [01121] of Simeon [08095]; Jemuel [03223], and Jamin [03226], and Ohad [0161], and Jachin [03199], and Zohar [06714], and Shaul [07586] the son [01121] of a Canaanitish woman [03669]: these are the families [04940] of Simeon [08095].
¹⁶ And these are the names [08034] of the sons [01121] of Levi [03878] according to their generations [08435]; Gershon [01648], and Kohath [06955], and Merari [04847]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Levi [03878] were an hundred [03967] thirty [07970] and seven [07651] years [08141].
¹⁷ The sons [01121] of Gershon [01648]; Libni [03845], and Shimi [08096], according to their families [04940].
¹⁸ And the sons [01121] of Kohath [06955]; Amram [06019], and Izhar [03324], and Hebron [02275], and Uzziel [05816]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Kohath [06955] were an hundred [03967] thirty [07970] and three [07969] years [08141].
¹⁹ And the sons [01121] of Merari [04847]; Mahali [04249] and Mushi [04187]: these are the families [04940] of Levi [03878] according to their generations [08435].
²⁰ And Amram [06019] took [03947] him Jochebed [03115] his father's sister [01733] to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Aaron [0175] and Moses [04872]: and the years [08141] of the life [02416] of Amram [06019] were an hundred [03967] and thirty [07970] and seven [07651] years [08141].
²¹ And the sons [01121] of Izhar [03324]; Korah [07141], and Nepheg [05298], and Zichri [02147].
²² And the sons [01121] of Uzziel [05816]; Mishael [04332], and Elzaphan [0469], and Zithri [05644].
²³ And Aaron [0175] took [03947] him Elisheba [0472], daughter [01323] of Amminadab [05992], sister [0269] of Naashon [05177], to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Nadab [05070], and Abihu [030], Eleazar [0499], and Ithamar [0385].
²⁴ And the sons [01121] of Korah [07141]; Assir [0617], and Elkanah [0511], and Abiasaph [023]: these are the families [04940] of the Korhites [07145].
²⁵ And Eleazar [0499] Aaron's [0175] son [01121] took [03947] him one of the daughters [01323] of Putiel [06317] to wife [0802]; and she bare [03205] him Phinehas [06372]: these are the heads [07218] of the fathers [01] of the Levites [03881] according to their families [04940].
²⁶ These [01931] are that Aaron [0175] and Moses [04872], to whom [0834] the LORD [03068] said [0559], Bring out [03318] the children [01121] of Israel [03478] from the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] according to their armies [06635].