Exodus 3:16

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,

Exodus 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 3:16

Go and gather the elders of Israel together
Not all the ancient men among them, nor the "judges" of the people of Israel; for it does not appear there were such among them in Egypt, until they came into the land of Canaan, but the heads of tribes or families: and say unto them, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of
Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me;
in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush at Horeb: saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you
in Egypt;
inspected into their state and circumstances, took notice of their afflictions and oppressions, and determined to deliver them out of them, as follows.

Exodus 3:16 In-Context

14 And God answered unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel: I AM (YHWH) has sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the sons of Israel: The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you. This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all ages.

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 Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite 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 has found us; therefore, we shall now go three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.