Exodus 6:20 records the family line of Moses and Aaron, showing that they were born to Amram and Jochebed, both from the tribe of Levi. The verse is a genealogy, a short record of marriage, children, and a lifespan, placed in the middle of the story of Israel’s deliverance. It is spoken by the narrator of the book of Exodus, who is traditionally identified as Moses himself, and it is written for the people of Israel who would remember how their leaders came into the world.
Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.
Exodus 6:20 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:20 Means
The verse begins with “Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife.” Marriage between an uncle and a niece, or in this case between a man and his aunt, was later forbidden in the law given at Sinai (Leviticus 18:12-13), but in this early period the text presents the union without judgment. The point of the phrase is to identify exactly who Jochebed was in the family, which matters because her children are the ones who will lead Israel out of Egypt.
The second part, “she bore him Aaron and Moses,” names the two brothers who will stand before Pharaoh. Their names are placed side by side, with Aaron first, though Moses is the one who receives the greater role in the story. The verse does not explain why, and readers should not read more into the order than the text gives.
The last clause gives Amram’s lifespan, one hundred and thirty-seven years. Genealogies in Genesis and Exodus often record how long a man lived, and this detail places Amram in the long chain of ancestors that stretches back to the patriarchs. The verse makes no promise about how long any reader will live; it simply records a fact about one man’s life.
The Context of Exodus 6:20
Exodus was written as part of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and the book itself belongs to the account of how God brought the descendants of Jacob out of slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 6, God has just reaffirmed his covenant promise to Israel through Moses (6:2-8), and the genealogy in verses 14-25 narrows the focus to the tribe of Levi, from which Moses and Aaron come. The surrounding verses trace the sons of Levi through Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and Amram is one of the sons of Kohath.
Because verse 20 sits in the middle of this family list, its meaning depends on the verses around it. Verse 19 ends with “These are the families of the Levites according to their generations,” which tells the reader that this is an official record, not a casual family history. Read in that setting, Exodus 6:20 is part of Israel’s documented identity, showing that the men who will confront Pharaoh belong to a known and recorded line of priestly descent.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:20
Exodus 2:1-2
1 A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife. 2 The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
(WEB)
This passage tells of the birth of Moses to a Levite couple during the time of Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew boys. It fills in the story of how Moses came into the world that Exodus 6:20 only names, showing how God protected a child from the start.
Exodus 4:14
The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
(WEB)
Here God speaks to Moses about his brother Aaron, who will be his spokesman. The verse shows the relationship named in Exodus 6:20 coming into full view, and how the two brothers were given distinct roles in the work of the exodus.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:20
Lord, you knew Amram and Jochebed by name, and you knew the children they would bring into the world. Thank you that you keep careful record of every family line, including the ones that seem quiet and unnoticed. Help me to trust that my own family, with all its history, is held in your hands. Give me a heart that sees my place in your larger story and that is faithful wherever you have put me. Amen.
