Exodus 6:20
Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights Amram's long life, 137 years, which was abnormal even for that era, suggesting God's special blessing on Levi's lineage. It also quietly reveals that Moses and Aaron's parents, Amram and Jochebed, were uncle and niece, a relationship later forbidden by Mosaic law, showing Moses’s honest record-keeping for truth's sake, not personal glory.
This passage is part of a genealogy tracing the lineage of Moses and Aaron back to Jacob. It details the sons of Levi and their descendants, emphasizing the family line that would lead to Israel's great deliverers. The text explicitly names Amram as the father of Aaron and Moses, noting his wife Jochebed and his lifespan, though modern readers might be surprised by the familial relationship mentioned.
Wait a minute... isn't that marriage forbidden? This verse names Amram and Jochebed, whose relationship might raise an eyebrow. Let's dive into what the text reveals.
The verse states, "Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister." This union, a marriage between an uncle and his niece, was not permissible under the Law given later to Moses (Leviticus 18:12). However, at this time, before the Law was formally given, such unions were not explicitly prohibited.
Amram lived to be 137 years old. That's a significant lifespan, especially in ancient times. What does this tell us about God's people during this era?
The verse records Amram's age at death: "the years of the life of Amram being 137 years." This, along with the recorded ages of his father (Kohath) and grandfather (Levi), points to a pattern of remarkably long lives within the patriarchal line leading up to Moses.
Understand the original words
ishshah · Hebrew Noun
A legally recognized partner in marriage. In biblical theology, this relationship serves as a foundational covenantal union, mirroring the relationship between God and His people.
The verse highlights the lineage of Moses and Aaron, placing their births within the context of severe Egyptian oppression and specific decrees aimed at eradicating the Israelite males. This sets the stage for God's dramatic intervention through these chosen leaders.
c. 1530 BC— this verse
Birth of Moses and Aaron
Moses and his older brother Aaron are born into the Israelite slave community in Egypt. Aaron is older than Moses, and their sister Miriam is also born around this time.
c. 1520-1450 BC
Oppression Intensifies
The Israelite population grows rapidly, leading to increased fear and harsher enslavement by the Egyptians under a new dynasty. Building projects like Pithom and Raamses are intensified.
c. 1490 BC
Pharaoh's Decree
In response to the growing Israelite population, Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives to kill every male Israelite infant at birth. When they refuse, he commands all his people to throw male newborns into the Nile.
c. 1450 BC
Moses' Flight to Midian
After killing an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating an Israelite, Moses flees Egypt and settles in Midian, where he marries Zipporah.
This passage directly addresses the prohibition of marrying one's aunt, which clarifies the unusual nature of Amram and Jochebed's union in the context of God's law given later.
Numbers 26:59This verse confirms that Jochebed was a daughter of Levi, providing further detail about her lineage and her relationship to Amram within the larger Israelite history.
Exodus 2:1This verse introduces Amram and Jochebed as the parents of Moses, highlighting their role as the direct ancestors of the great lawgiver and deliverer.
Exodus 7:7This verse establishes Aaron as being older than Moses, giving context to the order in which they are mentioned as being born to Amram and Jochebed.
gillExodus 6:20: "And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years."
And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife,.... This Amram was the first son of Kohath, and the father of Moses, as after related, and so must be the same with the man of the house of Levi, and his wife the daughter of Levi, as in Exodus 2:1 and though such a marriage was afterwards prohibited, Moses…
bensonExodus 6:20: "And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years."
Exodus 6:20-23 . His father’s sister — That is, kinswoman, as the Hebrew word frequently means. Amminadab — A prince of the tribe of Judah. The Levites might marry into any tribe, there being no danger of confusion or loss of inheritance thereby.
The verse highlights Amram's long life, 137 years, which was abnormal even for that era, suggesting God's special blessing on Levi's lineage. It also quietly reveals that Moses and Aaron's parents, Amram and Jochebed, were uncle and niece, a relationship later forbidden by Mosaic law, showing Moses’s honest record-keeping for truth's sake, not personal glory.
This passage is part of a genealogy tracing the lineage of Moses and Aaron back to Jacob. It details the sons of Levi and their descendants, emphasizing the family line that would lead to Israel's great deliverers. The text explicitly names Amram as the father of Aaron and Moses, noting his wife Jochebed and his lifespan, though modern readers might be surprised by the familial relationship mentioned.
This passage is part of a genealogy tracing the lineage of Moses and Aaron back to Jacob. It details the sons of Levi and their descendants, emphasizing the family line that would lead to Israel's great deliverers. The text explicitly names Amram as the father of Aaron and Moses, noting his wife Jochebed and his lifespan, though modern readers might be surprised by the familial relationship mentioned.
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c. 1410 BC
Moses' Return to Egypt
God appears to Moses in the burning bush and commissions him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.
"Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years." — The verse highlights Amram's long life, 137 years, which was abnormal even for that era, suggesting God's special blessing on Levi's lineage. It also quietly reveals that Moses and Aaron's parents, A…
