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Exodus Chapter
Three
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS 3
In this chapter we are informed
how that the Lord appeared to Moses in a bush on fire
but not consumed
Exodus 3:1
declared unto him that he had seen and observed the afflictions of the children
of Israel
and was determined to deliver them
Exodus 3:7
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
Exodus 3:10
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
Exodus 3:19.
Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was
tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law
the priest of Midian. And he led
the flock to the back of the desert
and came to Horeb
the mountain of God.
YLT 1And Moses hath been feeding the flock of
Jethro his father-in-law
priest of Midian
and he leadeth the flock behind the
wilderness
and cometh in unto the mount of God
to Horeb;
Now Moses kept
the flock of Jethro his father in law
the priest of Midian
.... Who was
either the same with Reuel or Raguel
spoken of in the preceding chapter; or
as others think
a son of his
the father being now dead; seeing it was now
forty years since Moses came into Midian
Acts 7:30.
DemetriusF3Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 29. p. 439.
an
Heathen writer
expressly says that Jothor a son of Raguel
and Zipporah or
Sepphora
as he calls her
was his daughter
whom Moses married: now this was
the business Moses was chiefly concerned in during his stay in Midian; keeping
the sheep of his father-in-law
in which great personages have have employed
and who have afterwards been called to the kingly office
as David; and this
was an emblem of his feeding and ruling the people of Israel
and in it he was
an eminent type of Christ
the great shepherd and bishop of souls: no doubt
there were other things besides this in which Moses exercised himself in this
course of time
and improved himself in the knowledge of things
natural
civil
and religious
and which the more qualified him for the important work
he was designed for: it is thought that in this interval he wrote the book of
Genesis
and also the book of Job:
and he led the
flock to the backside of the desert; of Sinai or Arabia
on
the back part of which
it seems
were goodly pastures; and hither he led his
flock to feed
which was about three days' journey from Egypt
Exodus 5:3 or
rather into the desertF4אחר המדבר υπο την
ερεμον
Sept. "in desertum"
Syr. Samar
so Noldius
p.
11. No. 76.
for Horeb or Sinai was not behind the desert
but in it:
and came to the
mountain of God
even to Horeb; so called either because of the appearance
of God at this time
after related
or because of his giving the law and making
the covenant with the people of Israel there; and it should be observed that
that transaction was past when Moses wrote this book. Hither he led the sheep
they delighting in mountains
hence sometimes mountainous places are called οιοπολα
F5Homer.
Odyss. 11. prope finem.
because sheep delight to feed upon themF6 Εν ουρεσι μαλα νομευων
Theocrit. Idyll. 3. .
Exodus 3:2 2 And
the Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked
and
behold
the bush was burning with fire
but the bush was not consumed.
YLT 2and there appeareth unto him a messenger of
Jehovah in a flame of fire
out of the midst of the bush
and he seeth
and lo
the bush is burning with fire
and the bush is not consumed.
And the Angel
of the Lord appeared unto him
.... Not a created angel
but the Angel of
God's presence and covenant
the eternal Word and Son of God; since he is
afterwards expressly called Jehovah
and calls himself the God of Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
which a created angel would never do: the appearance was:
in a flame of
fire
out of the midst of a bush; not in a tall
lofty
spreading oak or cedar
but in a low thorny bramble bush
which it might have
been thought would have been consumed in an instant of time:
and he looked
and
behold
the bush burned with fire
and the bush was not consumed; this was not
imaginary
but a real thing; there wassuch a bush
and Jehovah appeared in it
in this manner
and though it was all on fire yet was not consumed
but
remained entire after it: reference is frequently had to it as a matter of
fact
Deuteronomy 33:16.
ArtapanusF7Apud Euseb. ib. c. 27. p. 434.
an Heathen writer
had
got some hint of it; his account is this
that while Moses was praying to God
and entreating the afflictions of his people might cease
he was propitious to
him
and on a sudden fire broke out of the earth and burned
when there was no
matter nor anything of a woody sort in the place: nor need this account Moses
gives be thought incredible
when so many things similar to it are affirmed by
Heathen writers
who speak of a whole forest in flames without fire
and of a
spear that burned for two hours
and yet nothing of it consumed; and of a
servant's coat all on fire
and yet after it was extinguished no trace or mark
of the flames were to be seen on it; and several other things of the like kind
are related by HuetiusF8Alnetan. Quaest. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 10. p.
193
194. out of various authors: as to the mystical signification of this
bush
some make it to be a type of Christ
and of his manifestation in the
flesh; of the union of the two natures in him
and of their distinction of the
glory of the one
and of the meanness of the other; of his sustaining the wrath
of God
and remaining fearless and unhurt by it; and of his delivering and
preserving his people from it: the Jews commonly interpret it of the people of
Israel
in the furnace of affliction in Egypt
and yet not consumed; nay
the
more they were afflicted the more they grew; and it may be a symbol of the
church and people of God
in all ages
under affliction and distress: they are
like to a thorn bush both for their small quantity
being few
and for their
quality
in themselves weak and strengthless
mean and low; have about them the
thorns of corruptions and temptations
and who are often in the fire of
afflictions and persecutions
yet are not consumed; which is owing to the
person
presence
power
and grace of Christ being among them; See Gill on Acts 7:30.
Exodus 3:3 3 Then
Moses said
“I will now turn aside and see this great sight
why the bush does
not burn.”
YLT 3And Moses saith
`Let me turn aside
I pray
thee
and I see this great appearance; wherefore is the bush not burned?'
And Moses said
I will now turn aside
.... From the place where he was
and the flock he was feeding
and get nearer to the bush
which seems to have been on one side of him and not
directly before him:
and see this
great sight
why the bush is not burnt; inquire into
and find
out
if he could
the reason of this strange and amazing sight; how it could be
that a bush should be on fire and yet not burnt up
which might have been
expected would have been destroyed at once; for what is a thorn or bramble bush
to devouring flames of fire
as these appeared to be?
Exodus 3:4 4 So
when the Lord
saw that he turned aside to look
God called to him from the midst of the bush
and said
“Moses
Moses!” And he said
“Here I am.”
YLT 4and Jehovah seeth that he hath turned aside
to see
and God calleth unto him out of the midst of the bush
and saith
`Moses
Moses;' and he saith
`Here [am] I.'
And when the
Lord saw that he turned aside to see
.... Who is before called
the Angel of the Lord
here Jehovah
the omniscient and omnipresent Being
who
observing Moses turning aside and going onward to gratify his curiosity
by
examining more narrowly this strange phenomenon:
God called unto
him out of the midst of the bush; with an articulate
voice
being the eternal Word:
and said
Moses
Moses; for the Lord knows his people distinctly
and can call them by
name; and the repetition of his name not only shows familiarity and a strong
vehement affection for him
but haste to stop him
that he might proceed no
further; and this was done in order to stir him up to hearken to what would be
said to him:
and he said
here am I; ready to hear what shall be said
and to obey whatever is
commanded.
Exodus 3:5 5 Then
He said
“Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet
for the
place where you stand is holy ground.”
YLT 5And He saith
`Come not near hither: cast thy
shoes from off thy feet
for the place on which thou art standing is holy
ground.'
And he said
draw not nigh hither
.... Keep a proper distance:
put off thy
shoes from off thy feet; dust and dirt cleaving to shoes
and these being ordered to be
put off from the feet
the instrument of walking
show that those that draw
nigh to God
and are worshippers of him
ought to be of pure and holy lives and
conversations:
for the place
whereon thou standest is holy ground; not that there was any
inherent holiness in this spot of ground more than in any other
which ground
is not capable of; but a relative holiness on account of the presence of God
here at this time
and was not permanent
only while a pure and holy God was
there: hence
in after times
the temple being the place of the divine
residence
the priests there performed their services barefooted
nor might a
common person enter into the temple with his shoes onF11Misn.
Beracot
c. 9. sect. 5. ; and to this day the Jews go to their synagogues
barefooted on the day of atonementF12Buxtorf. Jud Synagog. c. 30. p.
571.
to which JuvenalF13"Observant ub. festa mero pede
Sabbata reges." Satyr. 6. seems to have respect; and from hence came the
Nudipedalia among the Heathens
and that known symbol of PythagorasF14Jamblichus
de Vita Pythagor. Symbol. 3.
"sacrifice and worship with naked
feet": in this manner the priests of Diana sacrificed to her among the
Cretians and other peopleF15Solin. Polyhistor. c. 16. Strabo
l. 12.
p. 370. ; and so the priests of Hercules did the sameF16Silius de
Bello Punic
l. 3. ; the Brahmans among the Indians never go into their temples
without plucking off their shoesF17Rogerius de Relig. Brachman. l.
2. c. 10. apud Braunium de vest. sacerdot. l. 1. c. 3. p. 66. ; so the
Ethiopian Christians
imitating Jews and Gentiles
never go into their places
of public worship but with naked feetF18Damianus a Goes apud Rivet.
in loc.
and the same superstition the Turks and Mahometans observeF19Pitts's
Account of the Relig. and Manners of the Mahometans
c. 6. p. 38. 81.
Georgieviz. de Turc. Moribus
c. 1. p. 11. Sionita de Urb. Oriental. &
Relig. c. 7. p. 18. c. 10. p. 34. .
Exodus 3:6 6 Moreover
He said
“I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham
the God of
Isaac
and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face
for he was afraid to look
upon God.
YLT 6He saith also
`I [am] the God of thy father
God of Abraham
God of Isaac
and God of Jacob;' and Moses hideth his face
for
he is afraid to look towards God.
Moreover he
said
I am the God of thy fathers
.... Of every one of his
fathers next mentioned:
the God of
Abraham
the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob; with whom the covenant
respecting the land of Canaan
and the promise of the blessed seed the Messiah
was made: this again shows that the Angel of the Lord that now appeared was God
himself
Jehovah the Son of God. Our Lord makes use of this text to prove the
resurrection of the dead against the Sadducees
God being not the God of the
dead
but of the living; Mark 12:26.
and Moses hid
his face; wrapped it in his mantle or cloak
as Elijah did
1 Kings 19:13
because of the glory of the divine Majesty now present
and conscious of his
own sinfulness and unworthiness:
for he was
afraid to look upon God; even upon this outward appearance and representation of him in a
flame of fire; otherwise the essence of God is not to be looked upon and seen
at all
God is invisible; but even this external token and symbol of him was
terrible to behold; the thought that God was there filled him with fear
considering the greatness and awfulness of his majesty
and what a poor
weak
and sinful creature he was.
Exodus 3:7 7 And
the Lord
said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt
and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters
for I know their
sorrows.
YLT 7And Jehovah saith
`I have certainly seen the
affliction of My people who [are] in Egypt
and their cry I have heard
because
of its exactors
for I have known its pains;
And the Lord
said
I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt
.... Or
"in seeing I have seen"
which not only denotes the certainty of it
as we express it; but the clear
distinct
and full sight he had of it
with
sympathy towards them
an affectionate concern for them
and a fixed
settled
determination in his mind to deliver them; he had long took notice of
and had
thoroughly observed their affliction
and was afflicted with them in it
and
was bent upon their deliverance out of it:
and have heard
their cry
by reason of their taskmasters; who were set over them
to see that they did their work
and to lay heavy burdens on them
and afflict
them by all manner of ways and methods they could devise; and who abused and
beat them for not doing what was not to be done
which made them cry out
because of their barbarous usage of them
and cry unto God for help and
deliverance:
for I know
their sorrows; the pains of body they were put unto
and the inward grief and
trouble of their minds on account of them.
Exodus 3:8 8 So
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians
and to bring
them up from that land to a good and large land
to a land flowing with milk
and honey
to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and
the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
YLT 8and I go down to deliver it out of the hand
of the Egyptians
and to cause it to go up out of the land
unto a land good
and broad
unto a land flowing with milk and honey -- unto the place of the
Canaanite
and the Hittite
and the Amorite
and the Perizzite
and the Hivite
and the Jebusite.
And I am come
down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians
.... Which
must be understood consistent with the omnipresence of God
who is everywhere
and strictly speaking cannot be said to remove from place to place
or to
descend; but such a way of speaking is used
when he gives some eminent display
of his power or goodness
as here in a wonderful manner he appeared in a
burning bush
and manifested himself in a way of grace and kindness to his
people
signifying that he would shortly save them: so Christ in our nature
came down from heaven to earth
to save his spiritual Israel out of the hands
of all their enemies:
and to bring
them out of that land; the land of Egypt
where they were in bondage
and greatly
oppressed:
unto a good
land
and a large; the land of Canaan
which was not only a good land
but a large
one in comparison of Goshen
where the Israelites were pent up and straitened
for room through their great increase; and though it was but a small country in
itself
and when compared with some others
being but one hundred and sixty
miles from Dan to Beersheba
and but forty six from Joppa to Bethlehem
and but
sixty from Joppa to Jordan
yet
for so small a country
it had a great deal of
good land in it; for HecataeusF20 an Heathen writer
says it had in
it three hundred myriads of acres of the best and most fruitful land:
unto a land
flowing with milk and honey; which is not to be restrained merely to the
abundance of cattle fed he
Exodus 3:9 9 Now
therefore
behold
the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me
and I have
also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
YLT 9`And now
lo
the cry of the sons of Israel
hath come in unto Me
and I have also seen the oppression with which the
Egyptians are oppressing them
Now therefore
behold
the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me
.... See Exodus 2:23
and I have also
seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them; which is
repeated to observe the great notice he took of it; and the reason of his
descent and appearance in this wonderful manner
as well as of the urgent
necessity of Moses's going to deliver the people from their oppression.
Exodus 3:10 10 Come
now
therefore
and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people
the children of Israel
out of Egypt.”
YLT 10and now
come
and I send thee unto Pharaoh
and bring thou out My people
the sons of Israel
out of Egypt.'
Come now
therefore
..... Leave thy flock
thy family
and the land of Midian:
and I will send
thee unto Pharaoh: this Pharaoh
according to Eusebius
was Cenchres
the successor
of Achoris; but according to Bishop UsherF21Annal. Vet. Test. p. 19.
his name was Amenophis
who immediately succeeded Ramesses Miamun
under whom
Moses was born. Clemens of AlexandriaF23Stromat. l. 1. p. 320.
relates from Apion
and he
from Ptolemy Mendesius
that it was in the times of
Amosis that Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt; but TacitusF24Hist.
l. 5. c. 3. says
the name of this king was Bocchoris
who obliged them to go
out
being advised by an oracle to do so; and so says LysimachusF25Apud
Joseph. contr. Apion
l. 1. c. 34. :
that thou
mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt; and conduct
them through the wilderness to the land of Canaan
and so be their deliverer
guide
and governor under God
who now gave him a commission to act for him.
Exodus 3:11 11 But Moses said to God
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and that I should bring the children
of Israel out of Egypt?”
YLT 11And Moses saith unto God
`Who [am] I
that I
go unto Pharaoh
and that I bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt?'
And Moses said
unto God
who am I
that I should go unto Pharaoh
.... A private
person
an exile in a foreign country
a poor shepherd
unknown to Pharaoh
and
had no interest in him; and he a great king
and possessed of numerous forces
to defend his country
and prevent the Israelites' departure out of it: time
was when he was known to a Pharaoh
dwelt in his court
and made a figure
there
and had great interest and authority there
being the adopted son of the
king's daughter; but now it was otherwise with him:
and that I
should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt: who though a
people numerous
yet unarmed
and held in great bondage; and he might remember
how he had been repulsed and rejected by some of them forty years ago
which
might be discouraging to him.
Exodus 3:12 12 So
He said
“I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you
that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt
you shall
serve God on this mountain.”
YLT 12and He saith
`Because I am with thee
and
this [is] to thee the sign that I have sent thee: in thy bringing out the
people from Egypt -- ye do serve God on this mount.'
And he said
certainly I will be with thee
.... To encourage and strengthen him; to
protect
defend
and preserve him
and to succeed and prosper him; to give him
credit and respect with the people of Israel
and influence over Pharaoh to
prevail upon him at length to let Israel go:
and this shall
be a token unto thee that I have sent thee; not the promise now
made
nor the vision he had seen
but what follows:
when thou hast
brought forth the people out of Egypt
ye shall serve God upon this mountain: Mount Horeb
or Sinai
as they did at the time of the giving of the law on it
when an altar
was built upon a hill
and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
Exodus 24:4 and
this was a sign
"a posteriori"
confirming the divine mission of
Moses; and besides the promise of this
on which Moses might depend
being made
by the Lord
assured him of success
that he should bring the children of
Israel out of Egypt
since he and they would serve the Lord together at this
mountain
and from whence he might conclude he had a mission and commission
from God. Of a like kind is the sign or token given of the deliverance of
Jerusalem from the army of Sennacherib
Isaiah 37:30.
Exodus 3:13 13 Then
Moses said to God
“Indeed
when I come to the children of Israel and
say to them
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you
’ and they say to me
‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
YLT 13And Moses saith unto God
`Lo
I am coming
unto the sons of Israel
and have said to them
The God of your fathers hath
sent me unto you
and they have said to me
What [is] His name? what do I say
unto them?'
And Moses said
unto God
.... Having received full satisfaction to his objection
taken
from his own unfitness for such a service
and willing to have his way quite
clear unto him
and his commission appear firm and valid to his people
he
proceeds to observe another difficulty that might possibly arise:
when I come
unto the children of Israel: out of Midian into Egypt:
and shall say
unto them
the God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; with a
message to them to receive him as his ambassador and their deliverer:
and they shall
say unto me
what is his name? a question it was probable they would ask
not through ignorance
since in their distress they had called upon the name of
the Lord
and cried unto him for help and deliverance; but either to try Moses
and what knowledge he had of God: or there being many names by which he had
made himself known; and especially was wont to make use of a new name or title
when he made a new appearance
or any eminent discovery of himself
they might
be desirous of knowing what was the present name he took:
what shall I
say unto them? what name shall I make mention of?
Exodus 3:14 14 And
God said to Moses
“I AM WHO I AM.” And He said
“Thus you shall say to the
children of Israel
‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
YLT 14And God saith unto Moses
`I AM THAT WHICH I
AM;' He saith also
`Thus dost thou say to the sons of Israel
I AM hath sent
me unto you.'
And God said
unto Moses
I am that I am
.... This signifies the real being of God
his self-existence
and that he is the Being of beings; as also it denotes his
eternity and immutability
and his constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling his
promises
for it includes all time
past
present
and to come; and the sense
is
not only I am what I am at present
but I am what I have been
and I am
what I shall be
and shall be what I am. The Platonists and Pythagoreans seem
to have borrowed their το ον from hence
which expresses with them the eternal and invariable Being; and so the
Septuagint version here is ο ων: it is saidF26Phutarch.
de Iside & Osir.
that the temple of Minerva at Sais
a city of Egypt
had
this inscription on it
"I am all that exists
is
and shall be.'And on the
temple of Apollo at Delphos was written ει
the
contraction of ειμι
"I
am"F1Plato in Timaeo. . Our Lord seems to refer to this name
John 8:58
and
indeed is the person that now appeared; and the words may be rendered
"I
shall be what I shall be"F2אהיה אשר אהיה "ero qui ero"
Pagninus
Montanus
Fagius
Vatablus. the incarnate God
God manifest in the
flesh:
thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel
I AM hath sent me unto you; or as the
Targum of Jonathan has it
"I am he that is
and that shall be.'This is the
name Ehjeh
or Jehovah
Moses is empowered to make use of
and to declare
as
the name of the Great God by whom he was sent; and which might serve both to
encourage him
and strengthen the faith of the Israelites
that they should be
delivered by him.
Exodus 3:15 15 Moreover
God said to Moses
“Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your
fathers
the God of Abraham
the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob
has sent
me to you. This is My name forever
and this is My memorial to
all generations.’
YLT 15And God saith again unto Moses
`Thus dost
thou say unto the sons of Israel
Jehovah
God of your fathers
God of Abraham
God of Isaac
and God of Jacob
hath sent me unto you; this [is] My name -- to
the age
and this My memorial
to generation -- generation.
And God said
moreover unto Moses
.... As a further explanation of the above name
and of the
design and use of it:
thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel: for their further instruction in the said
name
and for the confirmation of the mission of Moses
and the success of it:
the Lord God of
your fathers
the God of Abraham
the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob
hath
sent me unto you; he who is Jehovah
and the covenant God of the ancestors of the
people of Israel
and of them
so he is called
Ecclesiastes 3:6.
this is
my name for ever: meaning either "Ehjeh
I am"
in the preceding verse
or
which is the same
Jehovah in this
and so both of them
and including also
the name of the God of Abraham
&c. which he was always to be known by:
and this is my
memorial unto all generations; the name by which he should be made mention
of both by himself and others
and by which he would be called to remembrance
by his people
and what he had promised unto them
and done for them.
Exodus 3:16 16 Go
and gather the elders of Israel together
and say to them
‘The Lord God of your
fathers
the God of Abraham
of Isaac
and of Jacob
appeared to me
saying
“I
have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;
YLT 16`Go
and thou hast gathered the elders of
Israel
and hast said unto them: Jehovah
God of your fathers
hath appeareth
unto me
God of Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
saying
I have certainly inspected
you
and that which is done to you in Egypt;
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 3:17 17 and
I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of
the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the
Hivites and the Jebusites
to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
YLT 17and I say
I 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.
And I have said
.... Within
himself
resolved in his own mind
and had declared it to Moses:
I will bring
you up out of the affliction of Egypt: with which they were
afflicted in Egypt
and by the Egyptians; this he both purposed and promised to
bring them out of: unto the land of the Canaanites
&c. then in the
possession of the Canaanites
and others after named; See Gill on Exodus 3:8.
Exodus 3:18 18 Then
they will heed your voice; and you shall come
you and the elders of Israel
to
the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him
‘The Lord God of the
Hebrews has met with us; and now
please
let us go three days’ journey into
the wilderness
that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’
YLT 18`And they have hearkened to thy voice
and
thou hast entered
thou and the elders of Israel
unto the king of Egypt
and
ye have said unto him
Jehovah
God of the Hebrews
hath met with us; and now
let us go
we pray thee
a journey of three days into the wilderness
and we
sacrifice to Jehovah our God.
And they shall
hearken to thy voice
.... The elders of Israel
who would give credit to his
commission
attend to what he said
and obey his orders
and follow the
directions that he should give them
and not slight and reject him
as some had
done before:
and thou shall
come
thou
and the elders of Israel
unto the king of Egypt: the elders of
Israel in a body
and Moses at the head of them; though we do not read of their
approaching to Pharaoh
and addressing him in such a manner
only of Moses and
Aaron applying to him:
and you shall
say unto him
the Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us; with one of
them
who had reported to the rest what he had said; the children of Israel are
here called Hebrews
because that seems to be a name the Egyptians most
commonly called them
and by which they were best known to them
see Genesis 39:14.
and now let us
go
we beseech thee
three days' journey into the wilderness; the
wilderness of Sinai and Arabia
and to Mount Horeb in it; which from the
borders of Egypt was three days' journey going the direct road
but the
Israelites going somewhat about
and stopping by the way
did not get to it
until the third month of their going out of Egypt
Exodus 19:1
that we may
sacrifice to the Lord God; in the place where he had appeared to a
principal man among them
and where they would be in no danger of being
insulted and molested by the Egyptians. Some think the reason of this request
they were directed to make
to sacrifice out of the land of Egypt
was
because
what they sacrificed the Egyptians worshipped as gods
and therefore would be
enraged at such sacrifices; but for this there is no sufficient foundation; See
Gill on Genesis 46:34
rather the design was under this pretence to get quite away from them
they
being no subjects of the king of Egypt
nor had he a right to detain them; nor
were they obliged to acquaint him with the whole of their intentions
and
especially as they were directed of God himself to say this
and no more
and
which being so reasonable
made Pharaoh's refusal the more inexcusable.
Exodus 3:19 19 But
I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go
no
not even by a mighty
hand.
YLT 19`And I -- I have known that the king of Egypt
doth not permit you to go
unless by a strong hand
And I am sure
that the king of Egypt will not let you go
.... Or "but"F3אני "ego autem"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "sed ego"
V. L. "I am sure"
&c. though so
reasonable a request was made him
yet it would not be granted; this is
observed to them
that they might not be discouraged when he should refuse to
dismiss them
which the omniscient God knew beforehand
and acquaints them with
it
that
when it came to pass
they might be induced to believe that the
mission of Moses was of God
rather than the contrary:
no
not by a
mighty hand; the mighty power of God displayed once and again
even in nine
plagues inflicted on him
until the tenth and last came upon him; or
"unless by a mighty hand"F4ולא εαν μη Sept. "nisi"
V. L. Pagninus
Vatablus; so Noldius
p.
344. No. 1246.
even the almighty hand of God; prayers
entreaties
persuasions
and arguments
will signify nothing
unless the mighty power of
God is exerted upon him.
Exodus 3:20 20 So
I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do
in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
YLT 20and I have put forth My hand
and have
smitten Egypt with all My wonders
which I do in its midst -- and afterwards he
doth send you away.
And I will
stretch out my hand
.... Or "therefore"F5ו
"ideo"
"propterea"
Noldius
p. 279. he would stretch out
his mighty hand
exert his almighty power; and for this purpose was Pharaoh
raised up
and his heart hardened
that God might show his power in him
and on
him:
and smite Egypt
with all my wonders
which I will do in the midst thereof: with those
wondrous plagues
the amazing effects of his almighty power
which were wrought
by him in the midst of Egypt
by which their land
their rivers
their persons
and their cattle
were smitten:
and after that
he will let you go; this is said for their encouragement
that their faith and
patience might hold out
who otherwise seeing him so obstinate and inflexible
might be ready to despair of ever succeeding.
Exodus 3:21 21 And I will give this
people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be
when you go
that
you shall not go empty-handed.
YLT 21`And I have given the grace of this people in
the eyes of the Egyptians
and it hath come to pass
when ye go
ye go not
empty;
And I will give
this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians
.... That is
give the
Israelites favour in their sight
a little before their departure
who should
be ready to do anything for them
or bestow anything upon them; or however lend
them what they would desire
being glad to be at peace with them
or get rid of
them
for whose sakes they would perceive all those sore calamities came upon
them
they were distressed with:
and it shall
come to pass
that when ye go
ye shall not go empty; destitute of
what was necessary for them
but even with great substance
as was foretold by
Abraham they should
and which prophecy was now about to be fulfilled
Genesis 15:14.
Exodus 3:22 22 But
every woman shall ask of her neighbor
namely
of her who dwells near her
house
articles of silver
articles of gold
and clothing; and you shall put them
on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
YLT 22and [every] woman hath asked from her
neighbour
and from her who is sojourning in her house
vessels of silver
and
vessels of gold
and garments
and ye have put [them] on your sons and on your
daughters
and have spoiled the Egyptians.'
But every woman
shall borrow of her neighbour
and of her that sojourneth in her house
.... Or
"shall ask"F6שאלה αιτησει Sept. "postulabit"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Tigurine
version
Drusius; "petet"
Junius & Tremellius.
desire them to
give or lend
what follows; and by this it appears
that the Israelites by
reason of their great increase were spread about
and mixed with the Egyptians;
and hence it was that there was such a mixed multitude that went up with them
out of Egypt
who either were in connection with them in civil things
or were
proselyted by them:
jewels of
silver
and jewels of gold; that is
jewels set in silver and in gold;
or "vessels of silver
and vessels of gold"F7כלי "vasa"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Piscator
Tigurine version
Drusius.
plate of both sorts
cups
dishes
&c:
and raiment; rich and
goodly apparel
which they might borrow to appear in at their feast and
sacrifices in the wilderness
whither they asked leave to go to:
and ye shall
put them upon your sons
and upon your daughters; and so deck
and ornament them with them at the time of their departure:
and ye shall
spoil the Egyptians; and very justly
for the hard service they put them to; for
which all this was but their wages due unto them
and which they would stand in
need of in their travels to Canaan's land
and for the erection of the
tabernacle
and providing things appertaining to it in the wilderness.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》