Exodus 6:10 is a short transition: the LORD speaks directly to Moses and sends him back to the work of rescuing Israel, even though Moses has just been discouraged by the people’s refusal to listen. The verse itself is a simple introduction to a new word from God. It is spoken by the LORD, the covenant name of God, and it is addressed to Moses, the man God has chosen to lead Israel out of Egypt.
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying…
Exodus 6:10 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:10 Means
The phrase “The LORD spoke to Moses” tells you the source of everything that follows. Moses is not improvising a plan or relying on his own confidence. The initiative comes from God, and the words that come next carry God’s authority. That matters because Moses has just been through a hard stretch. He tried to speak for God, Pharaoh made the labor worse, and the Israelites stopped listening out of exhaustion and despair.
The word “saying” simply introduces the message that follows in verses 11 through 13. Verse 10 does not promise rescue, comfort, or success in itself. It does not tell Moses that Pharaoh will yield or that the people will suddenly trust him. What it does is show that God keeps speaking when humans feel stalled. The promise of deliverance is grounded in God’s willingness to renew the mission, not in the circumstances looking favorable.
The Context of Exodus 6:10
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses, and it tells the story of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, God’s deliverance, and the covenant at Sinai. Its first readers were the Israelites themselves, who needed to understand that their suffering had not gone unnoticed and that God had a purpose for their history. Chapter 6 sits right after Moses’ first attempt to approach Pharaoh went badly, and it begins a fresh restatement of God’s name and promises.
The verses just before this one, in Exodus 6:7 through 9, describe God’s covenant pledge to take Israel as his people and bring them into the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet the people did not listen, weighed down by anguish and cruel bondage. The verses just after, in 6:11 through 13, show God sending Moses and Aaron again to Pharaoh. Read in that setting, verse 10 is the hinge that turns the story from a discouraged man back toward obedience.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:10
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 verse records God’s original commission to Moses at the burning bush, sending him to Pharaoh to bring Israel out. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:10 shows that God’s call has not changed even when Moses feels unready or discouraged.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
(WEB)
Isaiah speaks of renewed strength for those who wait on the LORD. Like Exodus 6:10, it speaks to weary people and points them back to God as the source of endurance rather than their own efforts.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:10
Lord, you spoke to Moses when he felt stalled and unsure, and you did not leave him in his discouragement. I bring you the places in my life where I feel stuck, where my efforts seem unheard and my hope is thin. Help me to listen for your voice and to trust that you are still at work even when I cannot see the path ahead. Give me the willingness to take the next faithful step you show me, however small it may be. Remind me that your word comes with your presence, and that you are faithful to the people you have called. Amen.
