Shemot 6:5-8 records eight verbs in reference to G-d: "I will remember," I will take them out," I will save them," "I will redeem them," "I will take them," "I will be for them," "I will bring them," and "I will give them." Of these eight verbs, the Yerushalmi (Pesachim 10:1, 68b) quotes R. Yochanon in the name of R. Biniyah(?) that four of them (take out, save, redeem and take) are the reason why we drink four cups of wine at the Seder, and these four words are referred to as the four words of redemption. Yet, why are only four verbs counted? Why are there not eight cups? Also, three of the four selected verbs, "I will take them out," "I will save them," and "I will redeem them" refer to the same action. If one is only counting the four selected verbs, then maybe there should have only been two cups of wine. It seems that these four verbs are a mnemonic to remember the four cups of wine, but not that they are the source of the four cups.
I believe that a different four words of redemption or four verses can be identified in Shemot 6:5-8 through an analysis of the concluding sentences to the four sections of Vayikra chapters 25 and 26.
The first section is 25:1-38, and refers to laws (yovel, shemitta) relating to the land. The section concludes with 25:38, “I am G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan to be for you a G-d.” (Translations are based on Fox, 1995.)
The second section is from 25:39-55, and records laws concerning slavery. This section concludes with 25:55, “For it is to me that the Children of Israel are servants, my servants are they, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, I am G-d.”
The third section is 26:1-13 and records the rewards for upholding the laws. This section concludes with 26:13, “I am G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt from your being serfs to them; I broke the bars of your yoke, enabling you to walk upright.”
The fourth section is from 26:14-45, and records the punishments for disobeying the laws. This section concludes with 26:45, “I will remember to their (benefit) the covenant of the former-ones whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, before the eyes of the nations, to be for them a G-d. I am G-d.”
Each of the four concluding sentences in Vayikra 25,26 have the common theme that G-d took the people out of Egypt. Also, the phrase "I am G-d " appears in each verse and so too in Shemot 6:6-8 the phrase appears in each verse. With regard to Shemot 6:5, the verse only has the pronoun "I" but in 6:2 the phrase, "I am G-d" appears, and this verse is connected to 6:5 through the word "also" in the beginning of 6:5.
In addition, each of the concluding sentences of Vayikra 25,26 relate to the verbs in Shemot 6:5-8. The conclusion to the first section, 25:38, refers to the fact that G-d gave the land of Canaan to the people, and this corresponds with Shemot 6:8, which records that G-d promised to bring the people to the land of their forefathers (Canaan) to give them the land. The conclusion to the second section, 25:55, refers to the idea that the people are G-d’s slaves and this corresponds to Shemot 6:7, which records that G-d will take the people to be G-d's nation. The conclusion to the third section, 26:13, refers to the fact that G-d took the people out of slavery in the land of Egypt and this corresponds to the three verbs in Shemot 6:6, that G-d promised to free the people from the bondage in Egypt. The conclusion to the fourth section, 26:45, refers to the idea that G-d would remember the covenant and this corresponds to Shemot 6:5 that G-d said that He remembered the covenant.
Not only are the themes identical, but the order of the sections of chapters 25 and 26 has a chiastic structure with the verses Shemot 6:5-8. The conclusion to the first section, Vayikra 25:38, corresponds with the fourth verse, Shemot 6:8. The conclusion to the second section, Vayikra 25:55, corresponds with the third verse, Shemot 6:7. The conclusion to the third section, Vayikra 26:13, corresponds with the second verse, Shemot 6:6 and the conclusion to the fourth section, Vayikra 26:45, corresponds to first verse, Shemot 6:5.
The correspondence between Vayikra 25,26 and Shemot 6:5-8 shows in a literary manner that the passages from Shemot 6 and Vayikra 25,26, are all one unit.
In addition, as Vayikra 26 records the blessings and curses that seal the covenant, the correspondence between Vayikra 25,26 and Shemot 6:5-8 indicate that the purpose of the exodus is the establishment of the covenant between G-d and the Jewish people.
Furthermore, the correspondence suggests that the four verses from Shemot 6:5-8 can be called the four verses of redemption. In terms of words or phrases, the four words or verbs would be: One, I will remember them (6:5). Two, I will take out, save and redeem them (6:6). Three, I will take them for me and will be for them (6:7) and four, I will bring and give them the land of Canaan (6:8). This division of the four promises of redemption differs from the usual understanding by the four cups since in the usual understanding all four words are from Shemot 6:6,7, while with this approach, Shemot 6:6 is counted once, and Shemot 6:5 and 6:8 are also included.
Fox, Everett, 1995, The Five Books of Moses: A new translation, New York: Schocken Books
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