Exodus 3:1-10

Moses and the Burning Bush

1 Meanwhile Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,^[a] the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,^[b] the mountain of God.

2 Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.

3 So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn't the bush burning up?

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" "Here I am," he answered.

5 "Do not come closer," He said. "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."^[c]

6 Then He continued, "I am the God of your father,^[d] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord said, "I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings.

8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

9 The Israelites' cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."

Exodus 3:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 2

In this chapter we are informed how that the Lord appeared to Moses in a bush on fire, but not consumed, Ex 3:1-6, declared unto him that he had seen and observed the afflictions of the children of Israel, and was determined to deliver them, Ex 3:7-9, that he gave him a call to be the deliverer of them, answered his objections to it, and instructed him what he should say, both to the elders of Israel and to Pharaoh, Ex 3:10-18, and assured him, that though at first Pharaoh would refuse to let them go, yet after many miracles wrought, he would be willing to dismiss them, when they should depart with great substance, Ex 3:19-22.

Footnotes

• [a]. Moses' father-in-law's first name was Jethro; Ex 2:18
• [b]. Desolation; another name for Mount Sinai; Dt 4:10,15; 18:16; Mal 4:4.
• [c]. Jos 5:15; Ac 7:33
• [d]. Sam, some LXX mss read fathers; Ac 7:32