Exodus 6:27 is a short genealogical note that identifies the two men at the center of the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. It says that Moses and Aaron are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh about releasing the Israelites. The verse is spoken by the narrator of Exodus, traditionally understood to be Moses himself, and it closes a family record that places these two brothers in the line of Levi.
These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.
Exodus 6:27 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:27 Means
The verse begins by pointing to “those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt.” The writer is not describing a general group of messengers. He is naming a specific pair who carried God’s demand into the royal court. The phrase “to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt” states the purpose of that speaking: the request was not simply for a change of labor or a better quota of bricks, but for the whole nation to leave.
The final sentence, “These are that Moses and Aaron,” removes any doubt about who is meant. It is a way of saying, in plain terms, that the two men already introduced in the genealogy are the ones who stood before the king. The verse does not promise anything to the reader directly. What it does is anchor the coming story in real people with a real family history, which is how the book wants you to understand God’s work: through named human messengers who obeyed a specific word.
The Context of Exodus 6:27
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and it is traditionally attributed to Moses. It tells how the descendants of Jacob grew into a nation in Egypt, were enslaved, and were rescued by God through Moses. The book is written first for the Israelites who had come out of Egypt and were preparing to enter the land God promised, and then for every later generation that reads the story as the founding account of God’s people.
The verse sits inside a genealogy in Exodus 6:24 to 30. Just before it, the text lists the sons of Korah and the descendants of Aaron’s son Eleazar, which establishes the Levite families. Just after it, in verses 28 to 30, God speaks again to Moses and Moses protests that he has “uncircumcised lips,” which sets up the tension of the commission. Read in that sequence, verse 27 functions as a hinge: it confirms that the men God is about to send are the ones already recorded in the family line, and it introduces the speaking role that the next chapters will develop.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:27
Exodus 3:10
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
(WEB)
This is God’s original call to Moses at the burning bush, where he is told to go to Pharaoh and bring out the Israelites. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:27 shows that the commission was given long before the genealogy identifies the messengers, and that the verse is confirming who God had already chosen.
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)
In this verse God responds to Moses’s reluctance by giving Aaron as a spokesman. It explains the partnership named in Exodus 6:27 and shows that the two brothers were sent together by God’s own provision for a task Moses felt unable to carry alone.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:27
Lord, you know each person who has been called to speak for you, and you remember their names and their families. Thank you that you did not leave Moses and Aaron without clear direction, and that you placed them within the story of your people. When I face a moment that requires courage, help me to trust that you have already gone before me. Give me words that are honest and kind, and let my obedience be part of your larger work of freedom and faithfulness. Amen.
