Exodus 3:16-18

16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.

17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’

18 “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.’

Exodus 3:16-18 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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 4:29; Exodus 17:5; Leviticus 4:15; Numbers 11:16; Numbers 16:25; Deuteronomy 5:23; Deuteronomy 19:12; Judges 8:14; Ruth 4:2; Proverbs 31:23; Ezekiel 8:11
• 2. S Genesis 24:12
• 3. Exodus 4:31; 2 Kings 19:16; 2 Chronicles 6:20; Psalms 33:18; Psalms 66:7
• 4. S Genesis 15:16; Genesis 46:4; Exodus 6:6; Joshua 24:11
• 5. S ver 8
• 6. Ex 4:1,8,31; Exodus 6:12,30
• 7. S Genesis 14:13
• 8. Numbers 23:4,16
• 9. S Genesis 30:36
• 10. Exodus 4:23; Exodus 5:1,3; Exodus 6:11; Exodus 7:16; Exodus 8:20,27; Exodus 9:13; Exodus 10:9,26