Exodus 7:6 tells us that Moses and Aaron did exactly what the LORD had commanded them, with no delay and no changes of their own. The verse is a short summary of obedience, placed right before the moment when Pharaoh asks for a sign. Moses and Aaron, the brothers God had chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt, are the speakers in view here, and the readers are the people of Israel who first heard this account of their deliverance.
Moses and Aaron did so. As the LORD commanded them, so they did.
Exodus 7:6 (WEB)
What Exodus 7:6 Means
The verse begins with “Moses and Aaron did so.” The word “so” points back to the instructions God had just given them in the verses before, about what they were to say to Pharaoh and how God would act through them. The brothers did not argue, bargain, or postpone. They took God at His word and went to the palace.
The second sentence repeats the point in a different form: “As the LORD commanded them, so they did.” The repetition is deliberate. It stresses that the measure of their faithfulness was God’s command, not their own sense of what would work or what would impress the king. Their obedience follows God’s word exactly.
It is important to note what the verse does not promise. It does not say that Pharaoh will listen, that the task will be easy, or that the brothers will feel confident along the way. Later chapters show Pharaoh hardening his heart and the people suffering for it. Exodus 7:6 promises only that God’s servants acted faithfully, and that faithfulness mattered in God’s larger plan.
The Context of Exodus 7:6
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells the story of how God brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt and formed them into a covenant people at Sinai. Its first audience was the Israelite community, who needed to understand that their deliverance came from the LORD and not from Pharaoh, the gods of Egypt, or their own strength. The book sets the pattern of God’s rescue, God’s law, and God’s presence among His people.
Just before verse 6, God explains that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply His signs in Egypt so that the Egyptians will know He is the LORD. Verse 6 then reports the brothers’ response to that announcement. Read this way, their obedience is not a stand-alone virtue but a part of God’s purpose to make Himself known. Their willingness to go is one piece of a much larger story that God is directing.
Key Phrases in Exodus 7:6
Joshua 1:9
Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(WEB)
This verse comes at another turning point, when God commissions Joshua to lead Israel into the land. It pairs God’s command with His promise of presence, showing that the call to obey is always backed by the LORD’s faithfulness to go with His servant.
Hebrews 11:8
By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.
(WEB)
The writer of Hebrews uses Abraham as an example of obedience to a call he did not fully understand. Like Moses and Aaron, Abraham acted on God’s word, and the passage shows that such obedience is an expression of faith.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 7:6
Lord, you have spoken and I want to answer with a willing heart. Help me to hear your commands clearly and to act on them without needless delay or argument. When I cannot see how things will turn out, remind me that you are faithful and that my obedience is part of your larger purpose. Give me the courage of Moses and Aaron to go where you send me, trusting that you will be with me in every step. Amen.
