The Meaning of Exodus 6:23 Explained

Exodus 6:23

KJV: And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

YLT: And Aaron taketh Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to himself for a wife, and she beareth to him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Darby: And Aaron took Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

ASV: And Aaron took him Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Aaron  took  him Elisheba,  daughter  of Amminadab,  sister  of Naashon,  to wife;  and she bare  him Nadab,  and Abihu,  Eleazar,  and Ithamar. 

What does Exodus 6:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 6:10-27 - The Line Of Descent Of God's Spokesmen
Here is an inventory of God's jewels, in the day when He counted them up. We are reminded of Malachi 3:17. Before He led forth the flock, the Good Shepherd counted them, that not one might be missing. There is a peculiar emphasis on the mention of Moses and Aaron in Exodus 6:26 : "These are that Moses and Aaron." It was as though we were led to the hole of the pit whence they were digged, and a very poor hole it was, for their parentage and estate were quite humble and ordinary. But by means of them the Almighty wrought the deliverance of His people. It was through such feeble instruments as these that He spake to the greatest monarch of the time, the mighty Pharaoh, whose remains are with us to this day. It is His method to choose the weak and foolish things to bring to naught and confound the strong and wise, that no flesh should glory in His presence. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 6

1  God renews his promise by his name JEHOVAH
9  Moses vainly attempts to encourage the Israelites
10  He and Aaron are again sent to Pharaoh
14  Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron
26  The history resumed

What do the individual words in Exodus 6:23 mean?

And took Aaron - Elisheba daughter of Amminadab sister of Nahshon to himself as wife and she bore to him Nadab and Abihu Eleazar Ithamar
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־ אֱלִישֶׁ֧בַע בַּת־ עַמִּינָדָ֛ב אֲח֥וֹת נַחְשׁ֖וֹן ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ נָדָב֙ וְאֶת־ אֲבִיה֔וּא אֶלְעָזָ֖ר אִֽיתָמָֽר

וַיִּקַּ֨ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אַהֲרֹ֜ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלִישֶׁ֧בַע  Elisheba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱלִישֶׁבַע  
Sense: Aaron’s wife.
בַּת־  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
עַמִּינָדָ֛ב  of  Amminadab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמִּינָדָב  
Sense: son of Ram or Aram and father of Nahshon or Naasson and an ancestor of Jesus; father-in-law of Aaron.
אֲח֥וֹת  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
נַחְשׁ֖וֹן  of  Nahshon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַחְשֹׁון  
Sense: son of Amminadab and prince of the Judah at the first numbering in the wilderness; 5th in descent from Judah in the genealogy of Christ.
ל֣וֹ  to  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְאִשָּׁ֑ה  as  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וַתֵּ֣לֶד  and  she  bore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
ל֗וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
נָדָב֙  Nadab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָדָב  
Sense: eldest son of Aaron by Elisheba; struck dead before the sanctuary in the wilderness for kindling the censers with strange fire.
אֲבִיה֔וּא  Abihu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִיהוּא  
Sense: a son of Aaron destroyed for sacrificing strange fire to God.
אֶלְעָזָ֖ר  Eleazar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְעָזָר  
Sense: Additional Information: Eleazar = “God has helped”.
אִֽיתָמָֽר  Ithamar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִיתָמָר  
Sense: fourth and youngest son of Aaron.