1 Now Moses H4872 kept H1961 H7462 the flock H6629 of Jethro H3503 his father in law, H2859 the priest H3548 of Midian: H4080 and he led H5090 the flock H6629 to the backside H310 of the desert, H4057 and came H935 to the mountain H2022 of God, H430 even to Horeb. H2722
And G1161 Jesus, G2424 walking G4043 by G3844 the sea G2281 of Galilee, G1056 saw G1492 two G1417 brethren, G80 Simon G4613 called G3004 Peter, G4074 and G2532 Andrew G406 his G846 brother, G80 casting G906 a net G293 into G1519 the sea: G2281 for G1063 they were G2258 fishers. G231 And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Follow G1205 G3694 me, G3450 and G2532 I will make G4160 you G5209 fishers G231 of men. G444
Then answered H6030 Amos, H5986 and said H559 to Amaziah, H558 I was no prophet, H5030 neither was I a prophet's H5030 son; H1121 but I was an herdman, H951 and a gatherer H1103 of sycomore fruit: H8256 And the LORD H3068 took H3947 me as I followed H310 the flock, H6629 and the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Go, H3212 prophesy H5012 unto my people H5971 Israel. H3478
He chose H977 David H1732 also his servant, H5650 and took H3947 him from the sheepfolds: H4356 H6629 From following H310 the ewes great with young H5763 he brought H935 him to feed H7462 Jacob H3290 his people, H5971 and Israel H3478 his inheritance. H5159 So he fed H7462 them according to the integrity H8537 of his heart; H3824 and guided H5148 them by the skilfulness H8394 of his hands. H3709
And Moses H4872 went up H5927 into the mount, H2022 and a cloud H6051 covered H3680 the mount. H2022 And the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 abode H7931 upon mount H2022 Sinai, H5514 and the cloud H6051 covered H3680 it six H8337 days: H3117 and the seventh H7637 day H3117 he called H7121 unto Moses H4872 out of the midst H8432 of the cloud. H6051 And the sight H4758 of the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 was like devouring H398 fire H784 on the top H7218 of the mount H2022 in the eyes H5869 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
When Jethro, H3503 the priest H3548 of Midian, H4080 Moses' H4872 father in law, H2859 heard H8085 of all that God H430 had done H6213 for Moses, H4872 and for Israel H3478 his people, H5971 and that the LORD H3068 had brought H3318 Israel H3478 out of Egypt; H4714 Then Jethro, H3503 Moses' H4872 father in law, H2859 took H3947 Zipporah, H6855 Moses' H4872 wife, H802 after H310 he had sent her back, H7964 And her two H8147 sons; H1121 of which the name H8034 of the one H259 was Gershom; H1647 for he said, H559 I have been an alien H1616 in a strange H5237 land: H776 And the name H8034 of the other H259 was Eliezer; H461 for the God H430 of my father, H1 said he, was mine help, H5828 and delivered H5337 me from the sword H2719 of Pharaoh: H6547 And Jethro, H3503 Moses' H4872 father in law, H2859 came H935 with his sons H1121 and his wife H802 unto Moses H4872 into the wilderness, H4057 where he encamped H2583 at the mount H2022 of God: H430 And he said H559 unto Moses, H4872 I thy father in law H2859 Jethro H3503 am come H935 unto thee, and thy wife, H802 and her two H8147 sons H1121 with her.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 3
Commentary on Exodus 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Ex 3:1-22. Divine Appearance and Commission to Moses.
1. Now Moses kept the flock—This employment he had entered on in furtherance of his matrimonial views (see on Ex 2:21), but it is probable he was continuing his service now on other terms like Jacob during the latter years of his stay with Laban (Ge 30:28).
he led the flock to the backside of the desert—that is, on the west of the desert [Gesenius], assuming Jethro's headquarters to have been at Dahab. The route by which Moses led his flock must have been west through the wide valley called by the Arabs, Wady-es-Zugherah [Robinson], which led into the interior of the wilderness.
Mountain of God—so named either according to Hebrew idiom from its great height, as "great mountains," Hebrew, "mountains of God" (Ps 36:6); "goodly cedars," Hebrew, "cedars of God" (Ps 80:10); or some think from its being the old abode of "the glory"; or finally from its being the theater of transactions most memorable in the history of the true religion to Horeb—rather, "Horeb-ward."
Horeb—that is, "dry," "desert," was the general name for the mountainous district in which Sinai is situated, and of which it is a part. (See on Ex 19:2). It was used to designate the region comprehending that immense range of lofty, desolate, and barren hills, at the base of which, however, there are not only many patches of verdure to be seen, but almost all the valleys, or wadys, as they are called, show a thin coating of vegetation, which, towards the south, becomes more luxuriant. The Arab shepherds seldom take their flocks to a greater distance than one day's journey from their camp. Moses must have gone at least two days' journey, and although he seems to have been only following his pastoral course, that region, from its numerous springs in the clefts of the rocks being the chief resort of the tribes during the summer heats, the Providence of God led him thither for an important purpose.
2, 3. the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire—It is common in Scripture to represent the elements and operations of nature, as winds, fires, earthquakes, pestilence, everything enlisted in executing the divine will, as the "angels" or messengers of God. But in such cases God Himself is considered as really, though invisibly, present. Here the preternatural fire may be primarily meant by the expression "angel of the Lord"; but it is clear that under this symbol, the Divine Being was present, whose name is given (Ex 3:4, 6), and elsewhere called the angel of the covenant, Jehovah-Jesus.
out of the midst of a bush—the wild acacia or thorn, with which that desert abounds, and which is generally dry and brittle, so much so, that at certain seasons, a spark might kindle a district far and wide into a blaze. A fire, therefore, being in the midst of such a desert bush was a "great sight." It is generally supposed to have been emblematic of the Israelites' condition in Egypt—oppressed by a grinding servitude and a bloody persecution, and yet, in spite of the cruel policy that was bent on annihilating them, they continued as numerous and thriving as ever. The reason was "God was in the midst of them." The symbol may also represent the present state of the Jews, as well as of the Church generally in the world.
4. when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see—The manifestations which God anciently made of Himself were always accompanied by clear, unmistakable signs that the communications were really from heaven. This certain evidence was given to Moses. He saw a fire, but no human agent to kindle it; he heard a voice, but no human lips from which it came; he saw no living Being, but One was in the bush, in the heat of the flames, who knew him and addressed him by name. Who could this be but the Divine Being?
5. put off thy shoes—The direction was in conformity with a usage which was well known to Moses, for the Egyptian priests observed it in their temples, and it is observed in all Eastern countries where the people take off their shoes or sandals, as we do our hats. But the Eastern idea is not precisely the same as the Western. With us, the removal of the hat is an expression of reverence for the place we enter, or rather of Him who is worshipped there. With them the removal of the shoes is a confession of personal defilement and conscious unworthiness to stand in the presence of unspotted holiness.
6-8. I am the God … come down to deliver—The reverential awe of Moses must have been relieved by the divine Speaker (see Mt 22:32), announcing Himself in His covenant character, and by the welcome intelligence communicated. Moreover, the time, as well as all the circumstances of this miraculous appearance, were such as to give him an illustrious display of God's faithfulness to His promises. The period of Israel's journey and affliction in Egypt had been predicted (Ge 15:13), and it was during the last year of the term which had still to run that the Lord appeared in the burning bush.
10-22. Come now therefore, and I will send thee—Considering the patriotic views that had formerly animated the breast of Moses, we might have anticipated that no mission could have been more welcome to his heart than to be employed in the national emancipation of Israel. But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met and removed—and the happy issue of his labors was minutely described.