Exodus 6:13 records God giving Moses and Aaron a clear assignment: to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and to deliver that same command to Pharaoh himself. The verse marks the moment God formally commissions the two brothers for the task of liberation. It is spoken by the narrator of Exodus, who reports that the LORD addressed both Moses and Aaron, and that the message was aimed at both the Hebrew people and the king of Egypt.
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
Exodus 6:13 (WEB)
What Exodus 6:13 Means
The phrase “the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron” tells you that God is the one initiating the mission. Moses has just objected that he is a poor speaker, so the verse reinforces that the call comes from God, not from Moses’s own confidence. Aaron is included as a partner who will carry the message alongside him.
The phrase “gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh” shows that the assignment has two audiences. The Israelites need to hear that their deliverance is coming, and Pharaoh needs to hear that Israel is to be released. The verse is a summary of the commission rather than a detailed list of instructions, so it describes the goal of the mission without spelling out every step.
What the verse does not promise is ease or success in the task. It does not say Pharaoh will agree, nor does it describe how long the process will take. It establishes that God has given the command and that Moses and Aaron are the ones He has chosen to carry it out.
The Context of Exodus 6:13
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells the story of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, their deliverance, and the covenant at Sinai. Its first audience was the Israelite community, who would have been reading or hearing this account of their origins and of the God who rescued them. The book is part of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
Verse 13 sits within a passage where Moses has just protested that the Israelites have not listened to him and that Pharaoh will not listen either (verses 10 to 12). Against that discouragement, verse 13 shows God renewing the commission despite Moses’s hesitation. The following verses (14 to 16) then pause to list the family heads of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, which many readers see as a genealogical record that anchors Moses and Aaron within the larger family of Israel. Seeing the verse in this setting helps you understand that God’s assignment is given in the middle of human doubt and that the story keeps returning to the lineage of the people being delivered.
Key Phrases in Exodus 6:13
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 earlier commissioning of Moses at the burning bush, where He first sends him to Pharaoh to bring Israel out. Reading it alongside Exodus 6:13 shows that the mission was consistent from the start and that God renewed it when Moses later doubted.
Exodus 4:12
Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
(WEB)
In this verse God answers Moses’s objection about his speaking by promising to be with his mouth and to teach him what to say. It helps explain how God can give a command to Moses and Aaron even when the human messengers feel inadequate.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 6:13
Lord, you spoke to Moses and to Aaron and gave them a task that seemed far too large for two ordinary people. Thank you that your calling does not depend on our confidence but on your faithfulness. Where I feel unready, remind me that you have already chosen the way forward. Give me the courage to take the next step you have set before me, and help me trust that you will carry the outcome. Amen.
