וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

God spoke to Moses, and He said to him: I am the Lord, who appeared to you at the burning bush.

וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, although not in the manner that I appeared to you. To them I made Myself known as God Almighty, and that is what they called Me; but with My name, the Lord, the Tetragrammaton, I was not known to them. In other words, I did not reveal Myself to them to the same degree as to you, Moses. Although the Tetragrammaton is written in Genesis, it is possible that it was unknown to the patriarchs, and it appears in the verse because it was revealed at a later time.

וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃

Yet I have also established My covenant with them, as I pledged, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their residence, in which they resided.

וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֲנִ֣י שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶֽת־נַאֲקַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם מַעֲבִדִ֣ים אֹתָ֑ם וָאֶזְכֹּ֖ר אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃

And I also have heard the groans of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians are coercing to work and I have remembered My covenant with the patriarchs.

לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֒ וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃

Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord. I am the Source of all existence, and Master of all strengths, and therefore I can guarantee that I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt and I will deliver you from their work, so that you will no longer be slaves. And not only that, but I will also redeem you from Egypt with an outstretched arm, with great strength, and with great punishments that will be exacted upon the Egyptians. The redemption process will be so powerful that it will be clear to all.

וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃

I will take you for Me as My people, and I will be God for you and you will know that I am the Lord your God, who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt. The nation of Israel was not established through natural processes, nor does it operate under such laws. When the Israelites will emerge united from under the burden of Egypt, all will know that the Lord has chosen them as His people.

וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֣ת אֹתָ֔הּ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֥הּ לָכֶ֛ם מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

I will bring you to the land with regard to which I raised My hand as a sign of My oath to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it you as an eternal heritage: I am the Lord.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ (פ)

Moses carried out the directive of God. He spoke so to the children of Israel, but they did not heed Moses, they remained unaffected by his statements, because of lack of patience, and because of hard work.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

This verse introduces a new prophecy, although it repeats certain elements from the revelation at the burning bush. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃

Come and speak again to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he will send forth the children of Israel from his land.

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ (פ)

Moses spoke before the Lord, saying: Behold, the children of Israel did not heed me despite the fact that I conveyed good tidings to them. And how, then, will Pharaoh heed me when I come with demands? And I am one whose lips are obstructed; I do not speak well (see 4:10), so how can I successfully persuade him to obey?

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ וַיְצַוֵּם֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ס)

God does not directly address the issues raised by Moses. Rather, He again includes Aaron in the mission, as He did at the end of the revelation at the burning bush. The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron and He commanded them to speak to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt. The aim of both missions was to take the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.