And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.
Exodus 6:19 stands in the first, mainly historical division of Exodus embracing chapters 1-18. Within that division it stands in chapters 5-10, which contain the interviews with Pharaoh, the contest with his magicians, and the infliction of the plagues. Those plagues culminate in the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, and the hurried departure of Israel.
The verse stands at the beginning of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, when Israel is in oppression and bondage with the whole power of Egypt set against them. It comes before God's mighty work of saving them by creative power, a saving work greater than was ever done for any other nation. That saving work leads to Israel's song of triumph on the farther side of the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown.
Exodus 6:16-20 identifies Levi's descendants and divides them into family lines, with Merari's sons Mahali and Mushi forming the Merarite families. This lineage identifies the Levites whose descendants served in Israel's religious system.
The verse marks the point after which critics could no longer distinguish sources by the use of divine names. After that point they instead claimed to identify other linguistic features.
Exodus 6:19 stands in the first, mainly historical division of Exodus embracing chapters 1-18. Within that division it stands in chapters 5-10, which contain the interviews with Pharaoh, the contest with his magicians, and the infliction of the plagues. Those plagues culminate in the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, and the hurried departure of Israel.
The verse stands at the beginning of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, when Israel is in oppression and bondage with the whole power of Egypt set against them. It comes before God's mighty work of saving them by creative power, a saving work greater than was ever done for any other nation. That saving work leads to Israel's song of triumph on the farther side of the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown.
Exodus 6:16-20 identifies Levi's descendants and divides them into family lines, with Merari's sons Mahali and Mushi forming the Merarite families. This lineage identifies the Levites whose descendants served in Israel's religious system.
The verse marks the point after which critics could no longer distinguish sources by the use of divine names. After that point they instead claimed to identify other linguistic features.