Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Exodus 6:9

So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Despondency;   Moses;   Thompson Chain Reference - Despair;   Hope-Despair;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - God;   Person, Personhood;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Spirit;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Anguish;   Exodus, the Book of;   Feeble-Minded;   Psychology;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Moshe spoke so to the children of Yisra'el, but they didn't listen to Moshe for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
King James Version
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Lexham English Bible
And Moses spoke thus to the Israelites, but they did not listen to Moses, because of discouragement and because of hard work.
New Century Version
So Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to him. They were discouraged, and their slavery was hard.
New English Translation
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor.
Amplified Bible
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their impatience and despondency, and because of their forced labor.
New American Standard Bible
So Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Moses told the children of Israel thus: but they hearkened not vnto Moses, for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage.
Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their weakness of spirit and hard slavery.
Contemporary English Version
When Moses told this to the Israelites, they were too discouraged and mistreated to believe him.
Complete Jewish Bible
Moshe said this to the people of Isra'el. But they wouldn't listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.
Darby Translation
And Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not listen to Moses from anguish of spirit, and from hard service.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Moses told this to the Israelites, but the people would not listen to him. They were working so hard that they were not patient with Moses.
English Standard Version
Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
George Lamsa Translation
And Moses spoke so to the children of Israel; but they did not listen to him, because of their misery and because of bondage.
Good News Translation
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to him, because their spirit had been broken by their cruel slavery.
Christian Standard Bible®
Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.
Literal Translation
And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel. And they did not listen to Moses, from anguish of spirit and from hard bondage.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Moses tolde this vnto the childre of Israel. But they herkened not vnto him, for very anguysh of sprete, & for sore laboure.
American Standard Version
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Bible in Basic English
And Moses said these words to the children of Israel, but they gave no attention to him, because of the grief of their spirit and the cruel weight of their work.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Moyses tolde the children of Israel euen so: but they hearkened not vnto Moyses for anguishe of spirite and for cruell bondage.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
King James Version (1611)
And Moses spake so vnto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not vnto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for cruell bondage.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, and they hearkened not to Moses for faint-heartedness, and for their hard tasks.
English Revised Version
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
Berean Standard Bible
Moses relayed this message to the Israelites, but on account of their broken spirit and cruel bondage, they did not listen to him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Moises telde alle thingis to the sones of Irael, whiche assentide not to hym for the angwisch of spirit, and for the hardest werk.
Young's Literal Translation
And Moses speaketh so unto the sons of Israel, and they hearkened not unto Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for harsh service.
Update Bible Version
And Moses so spoke to the sons of Israel: but they didn't listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel slavery.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses spoke so to the children of Israel: but they hearkened not to Moses, by reason of anguish of spirit, and cruel bondage.
World English Bible
Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn't listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
New King James Version
So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.
New Life Bible
So Moses said this to the people of Israel. But they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and how hard they were made to work.
New Revised Standard
Moses told this to the Israelites; but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Moses spake thus unto the sons of Israel, but they hearkened not unto Moses, through shortness of spirit, and through hard service.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses told all this to the children of Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
Revised Standard Version
Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel; but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel bondage.
THE MESSAGE
But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.

Contextual Overview

1 Then the Lord told Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!" 2 And God said to Moses, "I am Yahweh—‘the Lord .' 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty'—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. 6 "Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord . I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord !'" 9 So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hearkened: Exodus 5:21, Exodus 14:12, Job 21:4, Proverbs 14:19

anguish: Heb. shortness, or, straitness, Numbers 21:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 1:14 - their lives Exodus 6:12 - children Job 9:16 - would I Ezekiel 20:5 - lifted up mine hand Mark 16:11 - believed

Cross-References

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
Genesis 5:1
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself.
Genesis 5:22
After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:24
walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
Genesis 6:15
Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
Genesis 7:1
When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.
Genesis 10:1
This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel,.... After this manner, and in the above words, declaring all that the Lord made known to him, and promised to do for them; which one would have thought would have revived their spirits, and refreshed and comforted their hearts under their troubles, and encouraged a lively exercise of faith and hope of deliverance:

but they hearkened not unto Moses; being disappointed of deliverance by him, and their afflictions being increased, and lying heavy upon them, they were heartless and hopeless;

for anguish of spirit; trouble of mind and grief of heart, with which they were swallowed up; or "for shortness of breath" b, being so pressed that they could hardly breathe, and so were incapable of attending to what was spoken to them:

and for cruel bondage; under which they laboured, and from which they had scarce any respite, and saw no way of deliverance from it.

b מקצר רוח "ob brevem anhelitum", Munster.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They hearkened not - The contrast between the reception of this communication and that recorded in Exodus 4:31 is accounted for by the change of circumstances. On the former occasion the people were comparatively at ease, accustomed to their lot, sufficiently afflicted to long for deliverance, and sufficiently free in spirit to hope for it.

For anguish - See the margin; out of breath, as it were, after their cruel disappointment, they were quite absorbed by their misery, unable and unwilling to attend to any fresh communication.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 6:9. But they hearkened not — Their bondage was become so extremely oppressive that they had lost all hope of ever being redeemed from it. After this verse the Samaritan adds, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians: for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. This appears to be borrowed from Exodus 14:12.

Anguish of spirit — קצר רוח kotzer ruach, shortness of spirit or breath. The words signify that their labour was so continual, and their bondage so cruel and oppressive, that they had scarcely time to breathe.


 
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