Exodus 3:2-12

2 ¹The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a ²bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

3 So Moses said, "³I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."

4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, ⁴God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; ⁵remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

6 He said also, "⁶I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." ⁷Then Moses hid his face, for he was ⁸afraid to look at God.

7 The LORD said, "I have surely ⁹seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because * of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

8 "So I have come down ¹⁰to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a ¹¹good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of ¹²the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

9 "Now, behold, ¹³the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, ¹⁴so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."

11 But Moses said to God, "¹⁵Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"

12 And He said, "Certainly ¹⁶I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: ¹⁷when you have brought the people out of Egypt, ¹⁸you shall worship God at this mountain."

Exodus 3:2-12 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. Genesis 16:7-11; Genesis 21:17; Genesis 22:11, 15; Ex 3:4-11, 16; Judges 13:13-21; Acts 7:30
• 2. Deuteronomy 33:16; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 7:30
• 3. Acts 7:31
• 4. Exodus 4:5
• 5. Joshua 5:15; Acts 7:33
• 6. Genesis 28:13; Exodus 3:16; Exodus 4:5; Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37
• 7. Acts 7:32
• 8. Judges 13:22; Revelation 1:17
• 9. Exodus 2:25; Nehemiah 9:9; Psalms 106:44; Isaiah 63:9; Acts 7:34
• 10. Genesis 15:13-16; Genesis 46:4; Genesis 50:24, 25; Exodus 6:6-8; Exodus 12:51
• 11. Exodus 3:17; Exodus 13:5; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 1:25; Deuteronomy 8:7-9; Jeremiah 11:5; Ezekiel 20:6
• 12. Genesis 15:19-21; Joshua 24:11
• 13. Exodus 2:23
• 14. Genesis 15:13, 14; Exodus 12:40, 41; Micah 6:4; Acts 7:6, 7
• 15. Exodus 4:10; Exodus 6:12; 1 Samuel 18:18
• 16. Genesis 31:3; Exodus 4:12, 15; Exodus 33:14-16; Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:5; Isaiah 43:2
• 17. Exodus 19:1
• 18. Exodus 19:2, 3; Acts 7:7

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "the"
• [b] Lit "Let me turn"
• [c] Lit "great"
• [d] Lit "hand"
• [e] Or "serve"