Exodus 6:16

Translation
King James Version
And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.
Ask
KJV (with Strong's)
And these are the names H8034 of the sons H1121 of Levi H3878 according to their generations H8435; Gershon H1648, and Kohath H6955, and Merari H4847: and the years H8141 of the life H2416 of Levi H3878 were an hundred H3967 thirty H7970 and seven H7651 years H8141.
Ask
Complete Jewish Bible
These are the names of the sons of Levi with their descendants: Gershon, K'hat and M'rari. Levi lived to be 137 years old.
Ask
Berean Standard Bible
These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
Ask
American Standard Version
And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years.
Ask
World English Bible Messianic
These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.
Ask
Geneva Bible (1599)
These also are the names of the sonnes of Leui in their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari (and the yeres of the life of Leui were an hundreth thirtie and seuen yere)
Ask
Young's Literal Translation
And these are the names of the sons of Levi, as to their births: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi are a hundred and thirty and seven years.
Ask
See also
Numbers 3:17Genesis 46:111 Chronicles 6:11 Chronicles 6:16Numbers 26:57Exodus 6:18Genesis 35:28
See on the biblical-era map
The Kingdom of Egypt in the Time of Moses
The Kingdom of Egypt in the Time of Moses View full PDF

Map © Biblica Open Bible Maps · CC BY-SA 4.0

In the KJVVerse 1,672 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Exodus 6:16 serves as a pivotal genealogical anchor, meticulously recording the names of Levi's three sons—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—and specifying Levi's lifespan of 137 years. This seemingly simple entry is foundational for establishing the lineage of Israel's future religious leadership, particularly the Levites and the Aaronic priesthood, thereby underscoring God's meticulous plan for His people and the continuity of His covenant promises amidst their enslavement in Egypt.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Exodus 6:16 is nestled within a crucial genealogical interlude (Exodus 6:14-27) that immediately precedes God's renewed and powerful commission to Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh and deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage. This section functions as a vital legitimization of Moses and Aaron's authority, tracing their lineage directly back to Levi, one of Jacob's twelve sons. By providing this detailed family record, the text establishes their tribal identity and divine appointment, preparing the reader for their subsequent actions as God's chosen deliverers. It transitions from the initial, somewhat hesitant call of Moses in Exodus 3 and Exodus 4 to a more robust presentation of the leaders through their ancestral roots, emphasizing that their mission is not arbitrary but deeply rooted in God's historical dealings with Israel.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, genealogies were far more than mere family trees; they were foundational documents that established identity, tribal affiliation, inheritance rights, social standing, and religious authority. For the Israelites, these records were crucial for maintaining their distinct identity amidst foreign cultures and for preserving the integrity of their tribal structures. The meticulous recording of Levi's descendants in this period of Egyptian oppression reassured the people that their heritage and God's covenant promises were being preserved, even as they suffered. Furthermore, the longevity of patriarchs like Levi (137 years) served as a link to the foundational era of the covenant, bridging the gap between the patriarchal narratives and the emerging nation of Israel, reinforcing the historical depth and continuity of God's plan.
  • Key Themes: This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Exodus and the Pentateuch. It powerfully underscores God's sovereign design and meticulous order in establishing His people and their specific roles within His grand redemptive narrative. The detailed lineage points to God's preparation for sacred service, demonstrating His foresight in setting apart a dedicated tribe—the Levites—for future service in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. This genealogical record also highlights the continuity of covenant faithfulness, assuring the reader that despite Israel's enslavement and suffering in Egypt, God faithfully preserves their lineages, ensuring the fulfillment of His covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (as reaffirmed in Exodus 6:2-5). It emphasizes the importance of heritage and identity, grounding the Israelites' collective and individual identity in their divinely chosen lineage and their unique relationship with the Lord, which would later manifest in their distinct laws and worship practices, as seen in Leviticus 1, Leviticus 2, Leviticus 3, Leviticus 4, Leviticus 5, Leviticus 6, Leviticus 7.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Exodus 6:16 precisely records the lineage of Levi, one of Jacob's twelve sons, by naming his three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and stating his lifespan of 137 years. This seemingly straightforward entry is foundational, providing the ancestral root for the entire Levitical tribe, which would later be set apart for sacred service to the Lord.

Key Word Analysis

  • names (Hebrew, shêm', H8034): An appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character. This word emphasizes that these are not just labels, but designations carrying significance, identity, and future authority for the individuals and their descendants.
  • sons (Hebrew, bên', H1121): From a root meaning "to build"; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense. This highlights the role of these individuals as progenitors, foundational to the construction and continuity of the family line and, by extension, the entire tribe of Levi.
  • Levi (Hebrew, Lêvîy', H3878): From a root meaning "attached"; Levi, a son of Jacob. This name's etymology, given by his mother Leah in Genesis 29:34, carries prophetic weight, foreshadowing the tribe's unique attachment and dedication to the Lord in sacred service.
  • life (Hebrew, chay', H2416): Alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun) life (or living thing). Here, it refers to Levi's physical existence and longevity, emphasizing the continuity of the lineage through generations, a testament to God's preservation of His chosen line.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations;": This introductory clause establishes the purpose of the verse: to list the direct descendants of Levi, structured by their generational order. It signifies a formal and authoritative record, emphasizing the importance of lineage in the divine plan for Israel.
  • "Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari:": These are the three foundational sons of Levi, from whom the three main Levitical clans would descend. This specific naming is crucial because these clans (Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites) would later be assigned distinct and vital duties in the care, transport, and service of the Tabernacle, as meticulously detailed in the book of Numbers 3.
  • "and the years of the life of Levi [were] an hundred thirty and seven years.": This statement records Levi's lifespan, a common feature in biblical genealogies. This longevity underscores the continuity of the patriarchal line and the preservation of the covenant through extended generations, ensuring that the foundational family structure remained intact despite the long period of Egyptian bondage. It also connects Levi's generation directly to the patriarchal era, providing a living link to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Literary Devices

The primary literary device at play in Exodus 6:16 is Genealogy. This verse functions as part of a larger genealogical record, which is a common literary form in the Pentateuch, serving to establish lineage, legitimacy, and historical continuity. By listing the "names of the sons of Levi according to their generations," the text employs a precise, factual style characteristic of genealogical records. This seemingly dry listing is imbued with theological significance, as it foreshadows the future roles of the Levites. The mention of Levi's lifespan also serves to emphasize continuity, bridging the gap between the patriarchal age and the emerging nation of Israel.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Exodus 6:16, though a brief genealogical entry, is profoundly significant. It highlights God's meticulous and sovereign planning, demonstrating that even amidst Israel's enslavement, He was actively preserving the lineage through which His covenant promises would be fulfilled. This verse lays the essential groundwork for understanding the structured worship system God would establish, showing His foresight in preparing a dedicated tribe—the Levites—for service in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. It underscores the divine order that undergirds Israel's identity and future, assuring them that their heritage and their leaders were divinely appointed, not accidental. This continuity of lineage is a powerful testament to God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant, ensuring that His redemptive purposes would unfold precisely as planned.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Exodus 6:16 serves as a profound reminder that God operates with precise order and profound purpose, even in what might appear to be mundane or administrative details. Just as He meticulously prepared Levi's descendants for their sacred calling and service, He has a specific place and purpose for each individual within His grand redemptive narrative. This verse encourages us to trust in God's sovereign plan, recognizing that our heritage, circumstances, and gifts are part of His design, equipping us for our unique contributions to His kingdom. It calls us to consider how our own lives, seemingly ordinary, are woven into a larger divine tapestry, and how our faithfulness in small things can contribute to God's grand purposes. We are invited to embrace our identity in Christ and to live out our calling with the same dedication and purpose that characterized the Levites in their sacred service, carrying His presence and truth into the world around us.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does understanding God's meticulous planning in genealogies, like that of Levi, deepen your trust in His overall plan for your life?
  • In what ways might God be preparing you, or has He already prepared you, for a specific "sacred service" within His kingdom, even if it doesn't involve a formal religious office?
  • How can recognizing your spiritual heritage in Christ (being "joined" to Him) shape your identity and purpose today?

FAQ

Why are genealogies so important in the Bible, especially here in Exodus?

Answer: Genealogies in the Bible, such as Exodus 6:16, serve multiple crucial purposes beyond mere historical record. They establish identity, tribal affiliation, and inheritance rights, which were foundational in ancient societies. Theologically, they demonstrate God's faithfulness in preserving His chosen lines, ensuring the fulfillment of covenant promises, and tracing the lineage of key figures like the priests and, ultimately, the Messiah. In Exodus, this genealogy specifically legitimizes the leadership of Moses and Aaron and sets the stage for the divinely appointed role of the Levites in Israel's worship, underscoring God's meticulous order and His sovereign hand in history as He prepares to deliver His people and establish His covenant.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Exodus 6:16 establishes the earthly lineage of the Levitical priesthood, its ultimate fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. The Levites and the Aaronic priests served as temporary mediators, offering sacrifices and interceding for Israel, thereby pointing to a greater High Priest to come. Jesus, though not of the tribe of Levi but of Judah, perfectly fulfills the Levitical role as our eternal High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as explained in Hebrews 7:11-17. He is the one truly "joined" to God and humanity, embodying the meaning of Levi's name in a profound spiritual sense. His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross (as described in Hebrews 9:11-14) superseded the need for animal sacrifices, and He continually intercedes for His people at the right hand of God (Hebrews 7:25). Thus, the shadows and types of the Old Covenant priesthood, rooted in Levi's lineage, find their complete and perfect reality in the person and work of Christ, the ultimate mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6).

Copy as

Commentary on Exodus 6 verses 14–30

I. We have here a genealogy, not an endless one, such as the apostle condemns (Ti1 1:4), for it ends in those two great patriots Moses and Aaron, and comes in here to show that they were Israelites, bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh whom they were sent to deliver, raised up unto them of their brethren, as Christ also should be, who was to be the prophet and priest, the Redeemer and lawgiver, of the people of Israel, and whose genealogy also, like this, was to be carefully preserved. The heads of the houses of three of the tribes are here named, agreeing with the accounts we had, Gen. 46. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, are thus dignified here by themselves for this reason, because they were left under marks of infamy by their dying father, Reuben for his incest and Simeon and Levi for their murder of the Shechemites; and therefore Moses would put this particular honour upon them, to magnify God's mercy in their repentance and remission, as a pattern to those that should afterwards believe: the two former seem rather to be mentioned only for the sake of a third, which was Levi, from whom Moses and Aaron descended, and all the priests of the Jewish church. Thus was the tribe of Levi distinguished betimes. Observe here, 1. That Kohath, from whom Moses and Aaron, and all the priests, derived their pedigree, was a younger son of Levi, Exo 6:16. Note, The grants of God's favours do not go by seniority of age and priority of birth, but the divine sovereignty often prefers the younger before the elder, so crossing hands. 2. That the ages of Levi, Kohath, and Amram, the father, grandfather, and great grandfather, of Moses, are here recorded; they all lived to a great age, Levi to 137, Kohath to 133, and Amram to 137. Moses himself came much short of them, and fixed seventy or eighty for the ordinary stretch of human life (Psa 90:10); for now that God's Israel was multiplied and had become a great nation, and divine revelation was by the hand of Moses committed to writing and no longer trusted to tradition, the two great reasons for the long lives of the patriarchs had ceased, and therefore henceforward fewer years must serve men. 3. That Aaron married Elisheba (the same name with that of the wife of Zecharias, Elizabeth, as Miriam is the same with Mary), daughter of Amminadab, one of the chief of the fathers of the tribe of Judah; for the tribes of Levi and Judah often intermarried, Exo 6:23. 4. It must not be omitted that Moses has recorded the marriage of his father Amram with Jochebed his own aunt (Exo 6:20); and it appears by Num 26:59 that it must be taken strictly for his father's own sister, at least by the half blood. This marriage was afterwards forbidden as incestuous (Lev 18:12), which might be looked upon as a blot upon his family, though before that law; yet Moses does not conceal it, for he sought not his own praise, but wrote with a sincere regard to truth, whether it smiled or frowned upon him. 5. He concludes it with a particular mark of honour on the persons he is writing of, though he himself was one of them, Exo 6:26, Exo 6:27. These are that Moses and Aaron whom God pitched upon to be his plenipotentiaries in this treaty. These were those to whom God spoke (Exo 6:26), and who spoke to Pharaoh on Israel's behalf, Exo 6:27. Note, Communion with God and serviceableness to his church are things that, above any other, put true honour upon men. Those are great indeed with whom God converses and whom he employs on his service. Such were that Moses and Aaron; and something of this honour have all his saints, who are made to our God kings and priests.

II. In the close of the chapter Moses returns to his narrative, from which he had broken off somewhat abruptly (Exo 6:13), and repeats, 1. The charge God had given him to deliver his message to Pharaoh (Exo 6:29): Speak all that I say unto thee, as a faithful ambassador. Note, Those that go on God's errand must not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. 2. His objection against it, Exo 6:30. Note, Those that have at any time spoken unadvisedly with their lips ought often to reflect upon it with regret, as Moses seems to do here.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 14–30. Public domain.
Copy as
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as

Continue studying Exodus 6:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.

Read & Compare

Commentaries

Original Language & Research

Sermons, Hymns & Audio

TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.