Exodus / Chapter 3

Exodus 3

22 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

God appears to Moses in a burning bush at Horeb, reveals the divine name ehyeh asher ehyeh ('I AM WHO I AM'), and commissions him to bring Israel out of Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The bush (seneh) is a humble desert shrub, possibly punning on Sinai — God appears in what is ordinary, not grand. The divine name ehyeh asher ehyeh resists all domestication: it carries both present force ('I am') and future promise ('I will be'). The first-person ehyeh becomes third-person YHWH in v15 — what God declares of Himself becomes the name by which others invoke Him. This is also the first occurrence of qodesh ('holy') in Exodus, introduced not as moral purity but as the relational condition created by divine presence.

Translation Friction

The divine name ehyeh asher ehyeh we rendered 'I AM WHO I AM,' preserving the traditional English while noting in our translator notes that 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE' is equally valid. Both renderings are present in the Hebrew imperfect form. The phrase paqod paqadti ('I have carefully watched over') required expansion beyond the bare 'I have visited' because the English word 'visit' has lost its weight; the Hebrew denotes covenant inspection that compels action.

Connections

The double call 'Moses! Moses!' echoes Abraham's call in Genesis 22:11. The hineni response places Moses in the line of covenant servants (Genesis 22:1; 1 Samuel 3:4). The land promise with six peoples restates Genesis 15:18-21. God's descent to deliver (v8) echoes the descent at Babel (Genesis 11:7). **Tradition comparisons:** Targum Onkelos interprets this chapter with notable Aramaic renderings: Onkelos preserves the angel as the visible agent at the burning bush, maintaining the intermediary that the Hebrew text itself provides. (4 notable renderings in this chapter) See the [Targum Onkelos on Exodus](/targum/exodus).

Exodus 3:1

וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה הָיָ֥ה רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֛אן יִתְר֥וֹ חֹתְנ֖וֹ כֹּהֵ֣ן מִדְיָ֑ן וַיִּנְהַ֤ג אֶת־הַצֹּאן֙ אַחַ֣ר הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֛א אֶל־הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים חֹרֵֽבָה׃

Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock beyond the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

KJV Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'The mountain of God' (har ha'Elohim) names Horeb in retrospect — the narrator reveals its future significance. Moses does not seek revelation; he is shepherding sheep in an unremarkable wilderness. Divine encounter comes to a man doing ordinary work.
Exodus 3:2

וַ֠יֵּרָ֠א מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֵלָ֛יו בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֖שׁ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֑ה וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל׃

The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked, and the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

KJV And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

הַסְּנֶה hasseneh
"bush" — bush, thornbush, bramble

The seneh is a common desert shrub — not majestic timber but the humblest vegetation. God appears in what is small and ordinary, not in what is grand. The wordplay with Sinai (sinai/seneh) may be intentional.

Translator Notes

  1. The bush burns with fire but is not consumed — the fire does not depend on the bush as fuel. This signals a presence that sustains without destroying, a holiness that inhabits creation without annihilating it. The image becomes foundational for understanding how God dwells among finite creatures.

Targum Onkelos (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)literal

"And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush."

Onkelos preserves the angel as the visible agent at the burning bush, maintaining the intermediary that the Hebrew text itself provides.

Exodus 3:3

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אָסֻֽרָה־נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה אֶת־הַמַּרְאֶ֥ה הַגָּדֹ֖ל הַזֶּ֑ה מַדּ֖וּעַ לֹא־יִבְעַ֥ר הַסְּנֶֽה׃

Moses said, "I must turn aside and see this remarkable sight — why the bush does not burn up."

KJV And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Moses's decision to 'turn aside' (sur) is the hinge of the narrative. Had he not turned, the call might not have come. Revelation requires attentiveness — God speaks when Moses shows he is willing to look.
Exodus 3:4

וַיַּ֥רְא יְהֹוָ֖ה כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱלֹהִ֜ים מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֥ה מֹשֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃

When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush: "Moses! Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

KJV And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The double call 'Moses! Moses!' echoes the calling of Abraham ('Abraham! Abraham!' Genesis 22:11). The repeated name signals urgency and intimacy. Moses's response — hineni, 'Here I am' — matches Abraham's response at the Aqedah, placing Moses in the line of covenant servants who make themselves wholly available to God.

Targum Onkelos (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)literal

"And the LORD called to him from the midst of the bush."

Onkelos does not insert Memra here — God's direct speech from the bush is preserved, consistent with the pattern of allowing first-person divine address.

Exodus 3:5

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַל־תִּקְרַ֣ב הֲלֹ֑ם שַׁל־נְעָלֶ֙יךָ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֣י הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ עוֹמֵ֣ד עָלָ֔יו אַדְמַת־קֹ֖דֶשׁ הֽוּא׃

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

KJV And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

קֹדֶשׁ qodesh
"holy" — holy, sacred, set apart, consecrated

The first occurrence of qodesh in Exodus. Holiness in the Hebrew Bible is not primarily a moral quality but a relational one: qodesh describes what belongs to God, what has been claimed by His presence and set apart from common use.

Translator Notes

  1. 'Holy ground' (admat qodesh) — the first use of qodesh ('holy') in Exodus. Holiness is not an inherent quality of the soil but a condition created by divine presence. The command to remove sandals marks a boundary: the one approaching God must acknowledge that he stands on ground that has been set apart by God's nearness.
Exodus 3:6

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיַּסְתֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ פָּנָ֔יו כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔א מֵהַבִּ֖יט אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

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

KJV Moreover he said, I am the God of thy 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The three-fold identification — God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob — anchors the burning bush revelation to the patriarchal covenant tradition. The God who appears is not unknown; He is the God who has already made promises and kept them. Moses hides his face because seeing God is dangerous (cf. Exodus 33:20).
Exodus 3:7

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃

The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings.

KJV And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Four verbs pile up: 'I have seen... heard... know.' God's awareness of suffering is comprehensive — visual, auditory, and relational. The word for 'sufferings' (makh'ovav) connotes pain at the deepest level. God does not observe suffering from a distance; He knows it intimately.
Exodus 3:8

וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל־מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃

I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey — to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

KJV And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'I have come down' (yaradti) — God descends to act. The same verb describes God's descent at Babel (Genesis 11:7) and will describe His descent at Sinai (Exodus 19:20). Divine intervention is portrayed spatially: God moves toward His people. The land promise is restated with the full list of six peoples, linking the exodus to the Abrahamic land grant.
Exodus 3:9

וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֛ה צַעֲקַ֥ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּ֣אָה אֵלָ֑י וְגַם־רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הַלַּ֔חַץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם לֹחֲצִ֥ים אֹתָֽם׃

Now the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

KJV Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The cry and the oppression are mentioned together: Israel's voice reaches heaven, and God sees the mechanism of their suffering. Both dimensions — the victims' experience and the oppressors' system — are held in divine awareness.
Exodus 3:10

וְעַתָּ֣ה לְכָ֔ה וְאֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֖ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְהוֹצֵ֛א אֶת־עַמִּ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt."

KJV Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God commissions Moses with a purpose that exceeds every human qualification: bring My people out of Egypt. The pronoun 'My people' (ammi) asserts covenant ownership — Israel belongs to God, not to Pharaoh.
Exodus 3:11

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

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

KJV And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Moses's first objection is about identity: 'Who am I?' The deliverer's self-doubt is not false modesty but honest recognition that the task is absurdly disproportionate to the messenger. Every subsequent prophet will echo this inadequacy.
Exodus 3:12

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כִּֽי־אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ וְזֶה־לְּךָ֣ הָא֔וֹת כִּ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י שְׁלַחְתִּ֑יךָ בְּהוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם תַּֽעַבְדוּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָהָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

He said, "I will surely be with you, and this will be the sign for you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

KJV And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God's answer bypasses the question entirely. Moses asks 'Who am I?' and God answers 'I will be with you.' The sign is backward-looking — you will know I sent you when you worship on this mountain — requiring faith before confirmation. Presence, not credentials, is the ground of mission.

Targum Onkelos (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)memra

"For my Memra will be in your help."

The promise of divine presence to Moses is mediated through the Memra, following the patriarchal pattern (Gen 28:15, 39:2). The Memra is the mode of God's accompaniment with his appointed leaders.

Exodus 3:13

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is His name?' — what shall I say to them?"

KJV And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Moses's second objection concerns God's identity: 'What is His name?' In the ancient world, knowing a god's name meant knowing their character, jurisdiction, and accessibility. Moses is asking: who are You, specifically, that I should stake everything on Your commission?
Exodus 3:14

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Say this to the sons of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

KJV And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה ehyeh asher ehyeh
"I AM WHO I AM" — I am who I am, I will be what I will be, I will be who I will be

God defines Himself in terms of sovereign being and faithful presence. The name resists every attempt to categorize, predict, or control the divine. It carries both present force ('I am') and future promise ('I will be').

Translator Notes

  1. Ehyeh asher ehyeh — 'I AM WHO I AM' or 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE.' The name resists domestication. God does not give a name that fits human categories; He gives a name that redefines all categories. The first-person form ehyeh ('I am/will be') becomes the third-person YHWH ('He is/will be') in v15 — the name by which others will invoke what God declares of Himself.

Targum Onkelos (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)divine-name

"I Am Who I Am."

Onkelos preserves the divine name revelation without interpretation, treating it as too sacred to paraphrase. This is remarkable given Onkelos' general willingness to interpret — the Name itself is beyond targum.

Exodus 3:15

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כֹּֽה־תֹאמַר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃

God also said to Moses, "Say this to the sons of Israel: 'The LORD, the 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 how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

KJV And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

יְהוָה YHWH
"the LORD" — YHWH, the LORD, He who is, He who causes to be

The third-person form of ehyeh: 'He is' or 'He will be.' This is the personal, covenant name of God — not a title but an identity. Rendered as 'the LORD' (all capitals) following standard convention.

Translator Notes

  1. The name YHWH is declared permanent — 'This is My name forever' (le'olam). The covenant name is not temporary or situational; it defines God's relationship with His people across all generations. The word zikri ('My memorial/remembrance') means this name is the handle by which humanity calls upon God.
Exodus 3:16

לֵ֣ךְ וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֞ אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵהֶם֙ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ נִרְאָ֣ה אֵלַ֔י אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם יִצְחָ֥ק וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הֶעָשׂ֥וּי לָכֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃

Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob — appeared to me, saying: I have carefully watched over you and seen what is being done to you in Egypt.

KJV Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי paqod paqadti
"I have carefully watched over" — visited, attended to, inspected, intervened, taken note of

The infinitive absolute construction intensifies the verb: 'I have surely visited.' This is covenant-visitation language — God comes to assess His people's condition and act on what He finds.

Translator Notes

  1. Moses is instructed to begin with the elders — covenant leadership structures precede national action. The phrase paqod paqadti ('I have carefully watched over') is a technical covenant-visitation term: God comes to inspect, intervene, and fulfill what He has promised.
Exodus 3:17

וָאֹמַ֗ר אַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶתְכֶם֮ מֵעֳנִ֣י מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃

I have declared that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites — a land flowing with milk and honey.'

KJV And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The land description 'flowing with milk and honey' (zavat chalav udevash) depicts agricultural abundance — a pastoral paradise contrasted with Egyptian slave labor. The phrase will become a fixed formula throughout the Pentateuch for the promised land.
Exodus 3:18

וְשָׁמְע֖וּ לְקֹלֶ֑ךָ וּבָאתָ֡ אַתָּה֩ וְזִקְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֗יִם וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י הָֽעִבְרִיִּים֙ נִקְרָ֣ה עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְעַתָּ֗ה נֵֽלְכָה־נָּ֞א דֶּ֣רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְנִזְבְּחָ֖ה לַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

They will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'

KJV And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The request for a three-day journey is a formal worship petition, not deception. The narrative presents it as a legitimate first demand; Pharaoh's refusal even of this modest request exposes the totality of his opposition.
Exodus 3:19

וַאֲנִ֣י יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֠י לֹֽא־יִתֵּ֥ן אֶתְכֶ֛ם מֶ֥לֶךְ מִצְרַ֖יִם לַהֲלֹ֑ךְ וְלֹ֖א בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.

KJV And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God reveals Pharaoh's intransigence in advance. The resistance is not a surprise but part of the divine plan. The phrase 'mighty hand' (yad chazaqah) will become one of Exodus's signature descriptions of divine power.
Exodus 3:20

וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֤י אֶת־יָדִי֙ וְהִכֵּיתִ֣י אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּכֹל֙ נִפְלְאֹתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן יְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶֽם׃

So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders that I will perform in it. After that he will let you go.

KJV And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. 'I will stretch out My hand' — God's hand replaces Pharaoh's hand. The contest is between two 'hands' — Pharaoh's hand of oppression and God's hand of deliverance. The wonders (nifle'otai) are not spectacle but covenant-judgment acts.
Exodus 3:21

וְנָתַתִּ֛י אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י תֵֽלֵכ֔וּן לֹ֥א תֵלְכ֖וּ רֵיקָֽם׃

And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.

KJV And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God will reverse the economics of slavery: the enslaved will leave with the wealth of their oppressors. The word chen ('favor') echoes the language of covenant grace — God gives Israel unmerited favor in the eyes of Egypt.
Exodus 3:22

וְשָׁאֲלָ֨ה אִשָּׁ֤ה מִשְּׁכֶנְתָּהּ֙ וּמִגָּרַ֣ת בֵּיתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹ֑ת וְשַׂמְתֶּ֗ם עַל־בְּנֵיכֶם֙ וְעַל־בְּנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְנִצַּלְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Each woman shall ask of her neighbor and of the woman staying in her house for articles of silver and articles of gold and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."

KJV But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The plundering of Egypt is not theft but the restitution of unpaid slave wages. Israel leaves with silver, gold, and clothing — the raw materials that will later construct the tabernacle. Egypt's wealth becomes God's dwelling.
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