John Calvin Commentary Exodus 6:5

"And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant." — Exodus 6:5 (ASV)

And I have also heard the groaning. He assigns the reason why He had delayed so long to fulfill His promise: namely, because He intended for His people to be severely troubled, so that He might more openly help them in their affliction. Besides, He chose for them to be unjustly oppressed by the Egyptians, so that He might more justly rescue them from their tyrannical masters, as He had said to Abraham that He would avenge them after they had been afflicted (Genesis 15:13–14).

He therefore reminds them by this circumstance that the proper time for helping them had come. For if they had always been treated humanely, and if the laws of hospitality had been observed towards them, there would have been no cause for shaking off the yoke. But now, after the Egyptians, regardless of all justice, had broken faith with them, it was right that the groaning and cries of His cruelly afflicted people should be heard by God.

But He always expressly asserts that this depended on the covenant. This was so that the Jews might acknowledge Him to be bound to them only out of regard for His own free promise, and also so that, being persuaded that He is true to His promises, they might more surely expect deliverance. The meaning of God’s “remembering” His promise, as I have said elsewhere, is that He shows His remembrance of it by what He does.⁷³

What follows in the next verse, Say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, is intended to remove their doubts. To human apprehension, it was as impossible to tear this weak and unwarlike people away from their cruel tyrants as it would be to rescue sheep from the jaws of wolves and keep them safe after they had been mangled and wounded by their teeth.

Therefore, God begins by declaring His incomparable power, to show that there is no difficulty for Him in performing anything whatsoever, however incredible it may seem. He therefore adds that He would redeem them with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments, meaning, “I will give miraculous proofs of My mighty power, which shall surpass all human apprehension.”

By judgments,⁷⁴ He means the manner of His dealing, which would at the same time testify to His justice. For with the Hebrews, this word means any disposition, method, order, or custom, and sometimes also measure. We say in French, facons notables ou estranges (notable or strange fashions).

⁷³ Vide Note on chap. 2. 24, “demonstrationem effectus.” —Note on chap. 2. 24, “demonstrationem effectus.” — Lat..

⁷⁴ שפטים, judicial inflictions What C. has said of the latitude of the meanings assignable to this word, is rather true of the kindred noun, סשפט. — W