I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God" isn't just about future recognition; it's a promise that God's actions in liberating them will actively teach them who He truly is. This deliverance isn't just an escape, but a profound revelation of God's character, revealing His faithfulness and power in a way they couldn't grasp while still enslaved.
I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is speaking directly to Moses, reassuring him about the impending deliverance of the Israelites from their brutal Egyptian oppression. Moses, feeling inadequate and unheard by his own people, receives this promise as a confirmation of God's powerful intervention. This declaration sets the stage for the plagues and the ultimate exodus, solidifying the unique covenant relationship between God and Israel.
Why would God choose a people that seemed so broken and worthless? The answer lies not in their merit, but in His eternal faithfulness.
God's decision to make Israel His people wasn't based on their qualities. Instead, it was rooted in His promise to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This highlights God's sovereign choice and His desire to display His power and mercy through the unlikely.
God's Grace in Action
What does it truly mean for God to be 'your God' and for you to be 'His people'? It's a two-way street of divine commitment.
The core of God's promise is a unique relationship. He declares, 'I will be to you a God.' This signifies more than just a creator-creature dynamic; it establishes a covenant bond. God promises to rule, protect, provide, and intimately dwell with them. In return, they are called to revere, serve, and worship Him as His 'people.'
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More Than Just a Name
God doesn't just want us to believe in Him; He wants us to know Him through what He does.
The promise isn't just that God will deliver them, but that through this act of deliverance, 'ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.' Divine revelation often comes through divine action.
Experiencing God's Power
Understand the original words
am · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the covenant relationship where God sets apart a specific group of people as His own special possession. It implies a mutual relationship of protection, service, and allegiance between the Creator and His covenant community.
Elohim · Hebrew Noun/Title
A legally binding agreement between God and His people, characterized by God’s initiative and promise to be their God. It provides the foundation for the believer's identity and security.
This pivotal moment in Exodus solidifies God's covenant relationship with Israel, promising not just physical liberation from Egyptian bondage but also a profound spiritual identity as His chosen people, a truth confirmed through His mighty acts of deliverance.
c. 1800 BC
Jacob's Family Migrates to Egypt
Joseph, in Egypt to escape famine, arranges for his father Jacob and their entire family to settle in the land of Goshen.
c. 1700-1550 BC
Israelites Multiply and Face Oppression
The descendants of Jacob grow into a large population in Egypt. A new dynasty rises to power, viewing the Israelites with suspicion and imposing harsh labor and oppression upon them.
c. 1440 BC— this verse
Moses Receives His Commission
God appears to Moses at the burning bush, commissioning him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, revealing His covenant name, Yahweh, and promising deliverance.
c. 1440 BC
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
God unleashes a series of devastating plagues upon Egypt to break Pharaoh's will and compel him to release the Israelites from bondage.
c. 1440 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Led by Moses, the Israelites depart from Egypt after the final plague, crossing the Red Sea and beginning their journey toward the Promised Land.
c. 1440-1400 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
The Israelites journey through the Sinai Peninsula, receiving the Law at Mount Sinai and demonstrating both faith and frequent rebellion.
This passage echoes the promise of Exodus 6:7 by stating God's desire to write His laws on their hearts and to be their God, with them being His people, highlighting the enduring nature of God's covenant relationship.
Ezekiel 36:28This verse reiterates the core promise of Exodus 6:7, emphasizing that God will bring His people back to their land and make them His own people, and He will be their God, pointing to a future restoration and deeper spiritual union.
Deuteronomy 7:6This verse directly links the idea of being God's 'treasured possession' and 'holy people' to His act of bringing them out of Egypt, mirroring the 'I will take you to be my people' and the deliverance found in Exodus 6:7.
John 10:16Jesus speaks of having other sheep not of this fold, and that there will be one flock with one shepherd, which can be seen as a fulfillment of God taking people for Himself from all nations, expanding the concept of 'my people' beyond Israel.
Revelation 21:3This future vision declares God dwelling with His people, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them, and be their God, presenting the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant promises found in Exodus 6:7.
clarkeExodus 6:7: "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians."
I will take you to me for a people, etc. - This was precisely the covenant that he had made with Abraham. See Genesis 17:7 , and see Clarke's note on Genesis 17:7 . And ye shall know that I am the Lord your God - By thus fulfilling my promises ye shall know what is implied in my name. See Clarke's note on…
gillExodus 6:7: "And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians."
And I will take you to me for a people,.... Out of the hands of the Egyptians, and out of their country, to be in a political sense his kingdom and subjects; and in a religious sense a holy people to himself, to fear, serve, worship, and glorify him, by walking according to laws and rules given them by hi…
The phrase "and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God" isn't just about future recognition; it's a promise that God's actions in liberating them will actively teach them who He truly is. This deliverance isn't just an escape, but a profound revelation of God's character, revealing His faithfulness and power in a way they couldn't grasp while still enslaved.
God is speaking directly to Moses, reassuring him about the impending deliverance of the Israelites from their brutal Egyptian oppression. Moses, feeling inadequate and unheard by his own people, receives this promise as a confirmation of God's powerful intervention. This declaration sets the stage for the plagues and the ultimate exodus, solidifying the unique covenant relationship between God and Israel.
God is speaking directly to Moses, reassuring him about the impending deliverance of the Israelites from their brutal Egyptian oppression. Moses, feeling inadequate and unheard by his own people, receives this promise as a confirmation of God's powerful intervention. This declaration sets the stage for the plagues and the ultimate exodus, solidifying the unique covenant relationship between God and Israel.
"I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." — The phrase "and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God" isn't just about future recognition; it's a promise that God's actions in liberating them will actively teach them who He truly is. This d…
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Last reviewed October 2026