אֵ֖לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֣י בֵית־אֲבֹתָ֑ם בְּנֵ֨י רְאוּבֵ֜ן בְּכֹ֣ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל חֲנ֤וֹךְ וּפַלּוּא֙ חֶצְר֣וֹן וְכַרְמִ֔י אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת רְאוּבֵֽן׃

Thus far, the Torah has depicted the events of Moses’ life that prepared him for his mission: his birth and upbringing; his stay in Midyan; and his appointment by God at the burning bush and again in Egypt. Before describing Moses’ fulfillment of his mission, the Torah presents a genealogical summary of his place among the children of Israel, the family that became a nation in Egypt. These are the heads of their patrilineal houses in Egypt: This list, which follows the order of birth of the sons of Jacob, is only partial and concludes with the descendants of Levi, the tribe of Moses and Aaron. It parallels, to a certain extent, the list of Jacob’s descendants in Genesis 46:8–11. The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanokh and Palu, Hetzron and Karmi; these are the families of Reuben.

וּבְנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֗וֹן יְמוּאֵ֨ל וְיָמִ֤ין וְאֹ֙הַד֙ וְיָכִ֣ין וְצֹ֔חַר וְשָׁא֖וּל בֶּן־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑ית אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃

The sons of Simeon: Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tzohar, and Shaul, who was apparently anomalous in that he was the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

וְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִי֙ לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

The genealogical list becomes more detailed as it nears Moses. These are the names of the sons of Levi by their descendants: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari. Since the chapter’s focus is on the tribe of Levi, it relates information about him that did not appear with regard to the previous sons of Jacob: And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven years. From among all the sons of Israel, the verse relates only the life spans of Joseph, who was their leader in Egypt, and Levi, who was the forefather of the family of Moses and Aaron.

בְּנֵ֥י גֵרְשׁ֛וֹן לִבְנִ֥י וְשִׁמְעִ֖י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃

The sons of Gershon: Livni and Shimi, according to their families.

וּבְנֵ֣י קְהָ֔ת עַמְרָ֣ם וְיִצְהָ֔ר וְחֶבְר֖וֹן וְעֻזִּיאֵ֑ל וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י קְהָ֔ת שָׁלֹ֧שׁ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

The sons of Kehat: Amram, Yitzhar, Hevron, and Uziel; and the years of the life of Kehat, which are mentioned because he was the grandfather of Moses and Aaron, were one hundred and thirty-three years.

וּבְנֵ֥י מְרָרִ֖י מַחְלִ֣י וּמוּשִׁ֑י אֵ֛לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַלֵּוִ֖י לְתֹלְדֹתָֽם׃

The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; these are the families of the Levites by their descendants.

וַיִּקַּ֨ח עַמְרָ֜ם אֶת־יוֹכֶ֤בֶד דֹּֽדָתוֹ֙ ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֔וֹ אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְאֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י עַמְרָ֔ם שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

Amram took Yokheved his aunt, Levi’s daughter, as his wife, which was permitted before the giving of the Torah. And she bore him Aaron and Moses and their eldest child, Miriam. The verse does not mention her because it is dealing with the lineages of tribes and households, which are determined by patrilineal descent. And like Levi, the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven years.

וּבְנֵ֖י יִצְהָ֑ר קֹ֥רַח וָנֶ֖פֶג וְזִכְרִֽי׃

Once the births of Moses and Aaron have been mentioned, the genealogical list refers only to those closely related to them. The sons of Yitzhar son of Kehat: Korah, who will later be revealed as a troublesome individual, Nefeg, and Zikhri.

וּבְנֵ֖י עֻזִּיאֵ֑ל מִֽישָׁאֵ֥ל וְאֶלְצָפָ֖ן וְסִתְרִֽי׃

The sons of Uziel, son of Kehat: Mishael and Eltzafan, who will appear later in the Torah as well, and Sitri.

וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־אֱלִישֶׁ֧בַע בַּת־עַמִּינָדָ֛ב אֲח֥וֹת נַחְשׁ֖וֹן ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־נָדָב֙ וְאֶת־אֲבִיה֔וּא אֶת־אֶלְעָזָ֖ר וְאֶת־אִֽיתָמָֽר׃

Aaron took Elisheva, daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nahshon, for his wife. Nahshon is later listed as the prince of the tribe of Judah. The fact that he married the sister of a prince of Israel indicates that Aaron was already considered an esteemed member of Israel. And she, Elisheva, bore him Nadav and Avihu, Elazar and Itamar.

וּבְנֵ֣י קֹ֔רַח אַסִּ֥יר וְאֶלְקָנָ֖ה וַאֲבִיאָסָ֑ף אֵ֖לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הַקָּרְחִֽי׃

The sons of Korah: Asir, Elkana, and Aviasaf; these are the families of the Korahites.

וְאֶלְעָזָ֨ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֜ן לָקַֽח־ל֨וֹ מִבְּנ֤וֹת פּֽוּטִיאֵל֙ ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד ל֖וֹ אֶת־פִּֽינְחָ֑ס אֵ֗לֶּה רָאשֵׁ֛י אֲב֥וֹת הַלְוִיִּ֖ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָֽם׃

Elazar son of Aaron took from the daughters of Putiel, an otherwise unknown person, for his wife. Some identify Putiel as Yitro, who had many names; others say he was a member of the family of Joseph. And she bore him Pinhas, who will later perform an important task. It may be assumed that Itamar married as well, but the verse omits this fact because his marriage has no implications for future events. These are the heads of the house of the fathers of the Levites by their families.

ה֥וּא אַהֲרֹ֖ן וּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ לָהֶ֔ם הוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃

The verse returns to the main story involving Moses and Aaron, listed above as the sons of Amram: These were that same Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said: Take out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt with their hosts, not only particular individuals or sections of the people, but the entire nation.

הֵ֗ם הַֽמְדַבְּרִים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְהוֹצִ֥יא אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם ה֥וּא מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃

It is they who speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt to take the children of Israel out from Egypt: that Moses and Aaron.

וַיְהִ֗י בְּי֨וֹם דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (פ)

After interrupting the narrative to present the tribal and familial background of Moses and Aaron, the verse reiterates the end of the earlier dialogue between God and Moses (6:11–12). It was on the day that the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.