Exodus 6:14-27
The Families of Moses and Aaron
Read the passage
14These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of the Levites according to their records.
20And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
24The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the clans of the Korahites.
25Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families by their clans.
26It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.”
27Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Exodus pauses the rescue story to name the heads of the fathers' houses. Reuben's sons are listed first, followed by Simeon, and then Levi. Levi's sons are Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; Kohath's sons include Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Amram marries Jochebed, his father's sister, and she bears Aaron and Moses. Aaron's sons are Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar becomes the father of Phinehas.
These are the families of Aaron and Moses, the men whom the LORD commands to bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. The list turns public leadership back into family history.
The names are not an interruption without meaning. The people who will stand before Pharaoh belong to a particular household, and their calling is connected to the generations and marriages named here. Scripture remembers the community through people rather than through an anonymous movement.
The genealogy also places responsibility in context. Moses and Aaron are leaders, but they are not self-created. They stand within a people whose story God has been carrying for generations.
Questions
1 Which three sons of Israel begin this genealogy?
AnswerReuben, Simeon, and Levi. The list then follows Levi's family in greater detail.
2 How does the list connect Moses and Aaron to Levi?
AnswerLevi's son Kohath is named, then Kohath's son Amram. Amram and Jochebed are identified as the parents of Aaron and Moses.
3 Which members of Aaron's family are named?
AnswerHis wife Elisheba and their sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The list also names Eleazar's son Phinehas.
4 How do the final verses explain the list's place in Exodus?
AnswerThey identify this Aaron and Moses as the men God commanded to bring Israel out and who spoke to Pharaoh. The genealogy connects the leaders to the people they are sent to help.
What This Means for Us
Moses and Aaron enter the story with a family behind them. God's work takes place among particular people across generations. Even a list that feels unfamiliar can remind us that the church is made up of people with names, relationships, and responsibilities.
Family history can give us reasons for gratitude, but it cannot make us faithful automatically. Thank God for someone who helped you learn His word, and consider what you are passing on. A child who hears you pray, a younger believer you encourage, or a relative you patiently care for is part of the life God has entrusted to you.
Prayer
God of every generation, thank you for remembering families by name. Help us honor the people whose faithfulness brought us here, receive our own responsibilities humbly, and treat every community as people rather than numbers. Amen.