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Exodus 3

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Moses at the Burning Bush on Horeb 1–6

1
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. ​
2
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. ​
3
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4
And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. ​
5
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. ​
6
Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. ​

God Hears and Commissions Moses 7–10

7
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ​
9
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. ​

Moses’ First Objection: Who Am I? 11–12

11
And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? ​
12
And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. ​

The Name of God ("I AM") 13–15

13
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? ​
14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. ​
15
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. ​

Instructions for the Elders and Prediction of Deliverance 16–22

16
Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto 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 unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
18
And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. ​
19
And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20
And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21
And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
22
But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Exodus 3

Verse 1

the mountain of God, even to Horeb — 'Kept' is ra'ah, to tend a flock, the verb of Ps 78:70–72, where David, taken 'from the sheepfolds', 'fed' Israel. Horeb (Choreb, 'desolate') is 'the mount of God' again in 1 Kgs 19:8; Stephen calls it 'mount Sina' (Acts 7:30). Jethro is 'the priest of Midian' (Ex 18:1).

Verse 2

the angel of the LORD — Mal'ak is a messenger. In v.4 the speaker from the bush is 'the LORD' and 'God', and Christ says 'in the bush God spake unto him' (Mark 12:26). The 'bush' (seneh) is a bramble; Stephen repeats the scene (Acts 7:30), and Deut 33:16 names God as 'him that dwelt in the bush'.

Verse 4

Moses, Moses — The doubled name is the form of other divine calls: 'Abraham, Abraham' (Gen 22:11), 'Jacob, Jacob' (Gen 46:2), 'Saul, Saul' (Acts 9:4). 'Here am I' is the answer of Abraham (Gen 22:11) and Samuel (1 Sam 3:4). The call comes when 'he turned aside to see', and the voice is that of 'the LORD' who 'saw'.

Verse 5

put off thy shoes — Na'al is a sandal. The captain of the LORD's host gives Joshua the same order: 'Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy' (Josh 5:15). The ground is 'holy' (qodesh), set apart, because of who is present. Stephen quotes the command (Acts 7:33).

Verse 6

the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob — Christ draws the resurrection from this title: 'God is not the God of the dead, but of the living' (Matt 22:32; cf. Mark 12:26–27). The patriarchs' covenant is the ground of the whole mission. Moses 'hid his face' (cathar), 'afraid to look upon God' (nabat, to gaze intently).

Verse 8

I am come down to deliver them — Yarad, to descend, said of the LORD; 'deliver' is natsal, to snatch away, the verb used of the Egyptians in v.22. The land is 'large' (rachab, roomy), and of the six nations named, all but the Hivites are among the peoples of the promise to Abram (Gen 15:19–21).

Verse 10

I will send thee — Shalach, to send, the verb that runs through vv.10–15 ('I have sent thee', 'hath sent me'). Moses had once been refused with 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge?'; Stephen says the same man God sent 'to be a ruler and a deliverer' (Acts 7:35). Ps 105:26: 'He sent Moses his servant'.

Verse 11

Who am I — The same question is asked by David before Saul (1 Sam 18:18) and Moses repeats his insufficiency in Ex 6:12 ('uncircumcised lips'). Paul states the answer: 'our sufficiency is of God' (2 Cor 3:5). Moses names two tasks: to go to Pharaoh, and to bring Israel out.

Verse 12

Certainly I will be with thee — The Hebrew is 'ehyeh, 'I will be', the verb of the name in v.14. The 'token' ('oth, a sign) lies ahead: 'ye shall serve God upon this mountain'. 'Serve' is 'abad, the word for Israel's service to Egypt (Ex 1:13). The same promise passes to Joshua (Josh 1:5).

Verse 13

What is his name? — Shem, a name, which in Scripture declares who someone is. Moses has a title to bring, 'The God of your fathers', and anticipates being asked for the name behind it. Jacob had asked the same of the one who wrestled with him (Gen 32:29). The answer is given in vv.14–15.

Verse 14

I AM THAT I AM — 'Ehyeh asher 'ehyeh, both verbs from hayah, to be; the short form 'I AM' is the name Moses is to give. The divine name printed 'the LORD' in v.15 comes from the same root. Christ takes it: 'Before Abraham was, I am' (John 8:58); cf. 'which is, and which was, and which is to come' (Rev 1:8).

Verse 15

this is my name for ever — Here 'the LORD' is the divine name (Yehovah), linked to the God of the three patriarchs. 'Memorial' is zeker, what is remembered and called upon; Hosea 12:5 repeats it: 'the LORD is his memorial'. 'For ever' and 'all generations' fix the name for Israel's whole future.

Verse 18

three days' journey — Moses and the elders are to say 'The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us', the title they use in Ex 7:16; 9:1. The request is the one made in Ex 5:3 and is for sacrifice (zabach) in the wilderness, at the mountain named in v.12. Pharaoh's refusal is foretold in v.19.

Verse 22

ye shall spoil the Egyptians — 'Spoil' is natsal, the verb translated 'deliver' in v.8: the LORD delivers, and Israel strips Egypt. 'Borrow' (sha'al) is to ask. It fulfils 'afterward shall they come out with great substance' (Gen 15:14), and is carried out in Ex 12:36.