Exodus3

Moses, tending his flock at Mount Horeb, encounters God in a burning bush that is not consumed. God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, declaring His awareness of Israel's affliction in Egypt. He commissions Moses to lead His people to a promised land, assuring him of divine presence and power despite Moses' initial reluctance.

Moses at the Burning Bush on Horeb

1
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb. ​
2
the LORD’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. ​
3
Moses said, “I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”
4
When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.” ​
5
He said, “Don’t come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” ​
6
Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God. ​

God Hears and Commissions Moses

7
The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
8
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ​
9
Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10
Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” ​

Moses’ First Objection: Who Am I?

11
Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” ​
12
He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” ​

The Revelation of the Divine Name: I AM

13
Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” ​
14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” ​
15
God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. ​

Instructions for the Elders and Prediction of Deliverance

16
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;
17
and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
18
They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD, our God.’ ​
19
I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20
I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go.
21
I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.
22
But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.” ​

Study Notes for Exodus 3

Verse 1

Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, identifying the location as the sacred mountain where the covenant would later be established. Moses' forty years as a shepherd prepared him for the solitude and leadership required for his calling.

Verse 2

The 'angel of the LORD' (Heb. malakh YHWH) is often understood here as a physical manifestation of God himself (a theophany). The fire symbolizes God’s holiness and power, while the unconsumed bush symbolizes Israel's oppressed but surviving status.

Verse 4

God only calls out once Moses 'turned aside to see,' demonstrating that divine revelation often requires human attention and intentional response to be fully received.

Verse 5

Removing sandals was a customary sign of respect in the ancient Near East when entering a sacred place or the presence of a superior. This command emphasizes the absolute holiness of the ground touched by God’s immediate presence.

Verse 6

By identifying Himself with the ancestral patriarchs, God establishes continuity with the covenant promises, assuring Moses that the covenant is still active despite Israel's current slavery.

Verse 8

The promise of a 'land flowing with milk and honey' is a common biblical metaphor emphasizing the fertility and abundance of the promised land, contrasting sharply with the harsh conditions of Egypt.

Verse 10

This verse contains the explicit divine commission, shifting Moses from a solitary shepherd to the designated deliverer who will confront the world’s greatest superpower, Pharaoh.

Verse 11

Moses’ first objection is based on his own perceived inadequacy, a humility often displayed by those chosen for prophetic roles. God consistently chooses the seemingly unqualified to accomplish His greatest purposes.

Verse 12

The promise 'Certainly I will be with thee' shifts the focus from Moses' ability to God's presence and power. The token—serving God on Horeb—will be fulfilled when the covenant is established (Exod 19).

Verse 13

Moses' question anticipates the need for a definitive proof of authority for the enslaved Israelites, who would need assurance that this God was superior to the Egyptian deities.

Verse 14

The name 'I AM THAT I AM' (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) reveals God's essential nature: self-existence, eternal presence, and sovereign action. It is the basis for the covenant name YHWH (the LORD), meaning He is the active, ever-present God.

Verse 15

This verse confirms that the newly revealed, self-existent God (I AM) is the same covenant God of the patriarchs. This name is established as the 'memorial' (or remembrance) by which Israel is to identify and worship Him forever.

Verse 18

The request for a 'three days’ journey' provided a plausible, temporary reason for departure, though God knew Pharaoh would ultimately refuse, necessitating the demonstration of divine power through the plagues.

Verse 22

The instruction to 'spoil the Egyptians' by taking their valuables ensured that Israel was compensated for generations of forced labor, fulfilling the prophecy made to Abraham (Gen 15:14) that his descendants would leave with great possessions.

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