Exodus 3

Exo 3:1 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.

The backside of the desert - to the west of the district. Among the Hebrews the East is before a man, the west behind him, the south and north on the right and left hand.

Desert - Or wilderness, not a barren waste, but a district supplying pasturage. The district near Sherm, on the west of the gulf of Akabah, where Jethro may have resided, is described as barren and parched; on the west and east are rocky tracts, but to the northwest lies the district of Sinai, where the pasturage is good and water abundant. The Bedouins drive their flocks there from the lowlands at the approach of summer. From this it may be inferred that the events here recorded took place at that season.

To Horeb - More exactly, toward Horeb. Moses came to the mountain of God Sinai, on his way toward Horeb, a name given to the northern part of the Sinaitic range. Moses calls Sinai “mountain of God” by anticipation, with reference to the manifestation of God.

Kept the flock - 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 (depiction) of Christ, the great shepherd and bishop of souls:

Now Moses - The years of Moses's life are remarkably divided into three forties; the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second a shepherd in Midian, the third a king in Jeshurun. He had now finished his second forty when he received his commission to bring Israel out of Egypt.

Exo 3:2 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.

The angel of the Lord - What Moses saw was the flame of fire in the bush; what he recognized therein was an intimation of the presence of God, who maketh a flame of fire His angel. Psa 104:4 He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire. The words which Moses heard were those of God Himself, as all ancient and most modern divines have held, manifested in the Person of the Son.

The angel of the Lord - Not a created angel certainly; for he is called Jehovah, Exo_3:4, etc., and has the most expressive attributes of the Godhead applied to him, Exo_3:14, etc. Yet he is an angel, malach, a messenger, in whom was the name of God, Exo_23:21; and in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Col_2:9; and who, in all these primitive times, was the Messenger of the covenant, Mal_3:1. And who was this but Jesus, the Leader, Redeemer, and Savior of mankind?

Of a bush - Literally, of the bush or “seneh,” a word which ought perhaps to be retained as the proper name of a thorny shrub common in that district, a species of acacia.

A flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush - Fire was, not only among the Hebrews but also among many other ancient nations, a very significant emblem of the Deity. God accompanied the Israelites in all their journeying through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night;

And the bush was not consumed –

1. An emblem of the state of Israel in its various distresses and persecutions: it was in the fire of adversity, but was not consumed.

2. An emblem also of the state of the Church of God in the wilderness, in persecutions often, in the midst of its enemies, in the region of the shadow of death - yet not consumed.

3. An emblem also of the state of every follower of Christ: cast down, but not forsaken; grievously tempted, but not destroyed; walking through the fire, but still unconsumed! Why are all these preserved in the midst of those things which have a natural tendency to destroy them! Because God Is In The Midst Of Them; it was this that preserved the bush from destruction; and it was this that preserved the Israelites; and it is this, and this alone, that preserves the Church, and holds the soul of every genuine believer in the spiritual life. He in whose heart Christ dwells not by faith, will soon be consumed by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

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."

Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Exo 3:4 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.

The Lord saw – Notice that Jehovah (YHWH) saw and the Lord (Elohim) called to Him

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:

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?

Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Put off thy shoes - The reverence due to holy places thus rests upon God’s own command. The custom itself is well known from the observances of the temple, it was almost universally adopted by the ancients, and is retained in the East.

Holy ground - This passage is almost conclusive against the assumption that the place was previously a sanctuary. Moses knew nothing of its holiness after some 40 years spent on the Peninsula. It became holy by the presence of God.

In our western countries reverence is expressed by pulling off the hat; but how much more significant is the eastern custom! “The natives of Bengal never go into their own houses with their shoes on, nor into the houses of others, but always leave their shoes at the door. It would be a great affront not to attend to this mark of respect when visiting; and to enter a temple without pulling off the shoes would be an unpardonable offense.” - Ward.

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: As this sole must let in dust, gravel, and sand about the foot in traveling, and render it very uneasy, hence the custom of frequently washing the feet in those countries where these sandals were worn. Pulling off the shoes was, therefore, an emblem of laying aside the pollutions contracted by walking in the way of sin. Let those who name the Lord Jesus Christ depart from iniquity.

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 on;

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.

Exo 3:6 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.

Our Saviour adduces this passage as a proof that the doctrine of the Resurrection was taught in the Old Testament Mat_22:31-32 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,

"I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?" God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, and He calls this book “the Book of Moses” Mar 12:26-27 And as regards the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses how God spoke to him in the Bush, saying, "I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?" He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Therefore you greatly err, two points to be borne in mind by readers of the Pentateuch.

And Moses hid his face - He was afraid to look - he was overawed by God’s presence, and dazzled with the splendor of the appearance. Wrapped it in his mantle or cloak, as Elijah did, 1Ki_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.

thy father - the three patriarchs are classed together as one, just as in Exo_18:4.

Exo 3:7 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;

Taskmasters - Oppressors. A different word from that in Exo_1:11.

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:

Exo 3:8 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.

come down to deliver-- 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. This is the very purpose for which I am now come down upon this mountain, and for which I manifest myself to thee. The period of Israel's journey and affliction in Egypt had been predicted Gen 15:13 And He said to Abram, You must surely know that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and shall serve them. And they shall afflict them four hundred years, and it was during the last year of the term which had still to run that the Lord appeared in the burning bush.

I am come down to deliver them - When God doth something very extraordinary, he is said to come down to do it, as Isa_64:1. This deliverance was typical of our redemption by Christ, and in that the eternal Word did indeed come down from heaven to deliver us.

a land flowing with milk and honey - a proverbial description of the extraordinary fertility and loveliness of the land of Canaan (Exo_3:17; Exo_13:5; Exo_16:14, etc.). Milk and honey are the simplest and choicest productions of a land abounding in grass and flowers, and were found in Palestine in great abundance even when it was in a desolate condition (Isa_7:15, Isa_7:22).

a land flowing with milk and honey – The phrase took on proverbial status and meant a land of plenty.

Exo 3:17 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.

Exo 13:5 And it shall be when Jehovah shall bring you into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

Exo 33:3 to a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up in the midst of you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you in the way.

Num 13:27 And they told him and said, We came to the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey. And this is the fruit of it.

Deu 26:9 And He has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land that flows with milk and honey.

Deu 26:15 Look down from Your holy dwelling, from Heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey.

Deu 31:20 For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, the land that flows with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and have become satisfied, and become fat, then turn to other gods and serve them, and provoke Me and break My covenant.

Jer 11:5 so that I may fulfil the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then I answered and said, Amen, O Jehovah.

Jer 32:22 And You have given them this land, which You swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Eze 20:6 in the day that I lifted up My hand to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

The Canaanites - This is the first passage in this book where the enumeration, so often repeated, of the nations then in possession of Palestine, is given. Moses was to learn at once the extent of the promise, and the greatness of the enterprise. In this passage, the more general designations come first - Canaanites probably includes all the races; the Hittites, who had great numbers of chariots, occupied the plains; the Amorites were chiefly mountaineers, and, in Egyptian inscriptions, gave their name to the whole country; the name Perizzites probably denotes the dwellers in scattered villages, the half-nomad population; the Hivites, a comparatively unwarlike but influential people, held 4 cities in Palestine proper, but their main body dwelt in the northwestern district, from Hermon to Hamath (see Jos_11:3; Jdg_3:3); the Jebusites at that time appear to have occupied Jerusalem and the adjoining district. Soon after their expulsion by Joshua, they seem to have recovered possession of part of Jerusalem, probably Mount Zion, and to have retained it until the time of David.

Exo 3:9 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.

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.

Exo 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

I will send thee - And the same hand that now fetched a shepherd out of a desert to be the planter of the Jewish church, afterwards fetched fishermen from their ships to be the planters of the Christian church, that the excellency of the power might be of God.

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.

Exo 3:11 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?

Who am I - These words indicate humility not fear. He thinks himself unworthy of the honor and unable for the work. Compare to Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all the men on the face of the earth.) This is a common idiom that stresses the vast difference between the one who is to act, and the greatness of the action.

Who am I - He was so sure that this was beyond his power, and all the means that he possessed, that he is astonished that even God himself should appoint him to this work! Such indeed was the bondage of the children of Israel, and the power of the people by whom they were enslaved, that had not their deliverance come through supernatural means, their escape had been utterly impossible.

who am I - 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:

Formerly Moses thought himself able to deliver Israel, and set himself to the work too hastily. Now, when the fittest person on earth for it, he knows his own weakness. This was the effect of more knowledge of God and of himself. Formerly, self-confidence mingled with strong faith and great zeal, now sinful distrust of God crept in under the garb of humility. But all objections are answered in, Certainly I will be with thee. That is enough.

Exo 3:12 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.

A token unto thee - Or the sign. The word means a declaration or promise of God, which rests absolutely on His word, and demands faith. The promise that God would have the people serve Him in that place was an assurance, if fully believed, that all intervening obstacles would be removed by His power.

And this shall be a token – Some commentators interpret this to mean that the burning bush is the sign, but most interpret the following promise to be the sign: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.

Ye shall serve God upon this mountain - There may be a prophetic allusion here to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. As Moses received his commands here, so likewise should the Israelites receive theirs in the same place. After all, the Divine Being seems to testify a partial predilection for this mountain, for reasons that are not expressed.

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: Those that are weak in themselves, yet may do wonders being strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. God's presence puts wisdom and strength into the weak and foolish, and is enough to answer all objections. The promise to Moses, asking for belief and trust in Him and He would be with Moses echoes the promise of Jesus to His disciples/

Exo 3:13 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?

What is his name - The meaning of this question is evidently: “By which name shall I tell them that the promise is confirmed?” Each name of the Deity represented some aspect or manifestation of His attributes. What Moses needed was not a new name, but direction to use that name which would bear in itself a pledge of accomplishment. What they needed to know was "What does that name mean or signify in circumstances such as we are in?"

what is his name? - When Moses had been thus emboldened by the assurance of divine assistance to undertake the mission, he inquired what he was to say, in case the people asked him for the name of the God of their fathers. The supposition that the people might ask the name of their fathers' God is not to be attributed to the fact, that as the Egyptians had separate names for their numerous deities, the Israelites also would want to know the name of their own God. For, apart from the circumstance that the name by which God had revealed Himself to the fathers cannot have vanished entirely from the memory of the people, and more especially of Moses, the mere knowledge of the name would not have been of much use to them. The question, “What is His name?” presupposed that the name expressed the nature and operations of God, and that God would manifest in deeds the nature expressed in His name. God therefore told him His name, or, to speak more correctly, He explained the name by which He had made Himself known to Abraham at the making of the covenant (Gen_15:7), in this way, “I am that I am,” and designated Himself by this name as the absolute God of the fathers, acting with unfettered liberty and self-dependence. This name precluded any comparison between the God of the Israelites and the deities of the Egyptians and other nations, and furnished Moses and his people with strong consolation in their affliction, and a powerful support to their confidence in the realization of His purposes of salvation as made known to the fathers. To establish them in this confidence, God added still further: “This is My name for ever, and My memorial unto all generations;” that is to say, God would even manifest Himself in the nature expressed by the name Jehovah, and by this He would have all generations both know and revere Him.

Exo 3:14 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.

Two names God would now be known by. A name that denotes what he is in himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name Jehovah, and signifies,

1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself.

2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and forever.

3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.

4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.

I am that I am - The words express absolute, and therefore unchanging and eternal Being. The name, which Moses was thus commissioned to use, was at once new and old; old in its connection with previous revelations; new in its full interpretation, and in its bearing upon the covenant of which Moses was the destined mediator.

Note how Jesus refers to Himself as I AM in John 8:58 Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I AM!

Exo 3:15 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.

This is my name for ever - The name here referred to is that which immediately precedes, יהוה אלהים Yehovah Elohim, which we translate the Lord God, the name by which God had been known from the creation of the world, (see Gen_2:4).

The Lord God - Jehovah יהוה yehovâh, God of your fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. It corresponds exactly to the preceding verse, the words “I am” and “Jehovah” (Yahweh) being equivalent. This name met all the requirements of Moses, involving a two-fold pledge of accomplishment; the pledges of ancient benefits and of a new manifestation.

This is my name for ever - The name here referred to is יהוה, [Strong’s H3068], Yehowah, which we translate “Lord”, the name by which God had been known from the creation of the world, and by which he is known to the present day. יהוה, Yehowah, from הוה, hawah, to be, subsist, signifies “He who is”, or “subsists”, i.e., eminently and in a manner superior to all other beings; and is essentially the same with אהיה, eheyeh, “I AM”, in the preceding verse.

Psa 72:17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.

Psa 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever; and all the earth is filled with His glory! Amen and Amen.

Psa 102:12 But You, O Jehovah, shall endure forever; and Your memory to all generations.

Psa 135:13 Your name, O Jehovah, endures forever, and Your memorial, O Jehovah, throughout all generations.

Psa 145:1-2 Praise, of David. I will lift You up, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You; and I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Isa 9:6 For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be on His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 63:12 who led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting name?

Hos 12:5 even Jehovah, the God of Hosts. Jehovah is His memorial.

Mic 4:5 For all peoples will walk, each one in the name of his god; and we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and ever.

Mal 3:6 For I am Jehovah, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.

H3068

יהוה

yehôvâh

From H1961; (the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: - Jehovah, the Lord.

H3068

ְיהָוֹה

yehōwāh: A noun meaning God. The word refers to the proper name of the God of Israel, particularly the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses Exo 6:2-3 And God spoke to Moses, and said to him, I am Jehovah. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty. But I was not known to them by the name JEHOVAH. The divine name has traditionally not been pronounced, primarily out of respect for its sacredness Exo 20:7 You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain. For Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Deu 28:58 If you will not observe to do all the words of this Law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, JEHOVAH YOUR GOD,

It is most often rendered as LORD

Gen 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Deu 6:18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

Jer 33:2 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;

Jon 1:9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

but also as GOD

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

2Sa 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

or JEHOVAH

Psa 83:18 so that men may know that Your name is JEHOVAH, that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Isa 26:4 Trust in Jehovah forever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.

The frequent appearance of this name in relation to God's redemptive work underscores its tremendous importance Lev 26:45 But for their sakes, I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, so that I might be their God. I am Jehovah. Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer. Also, it is sometimes compounded with another word to describe the character of the Lord in greater detail Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. Exo 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: Jdg 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (from The Complete Word Study Dictionary)

The Lord God of our fathers hath sent me unto you - Thus God made himself known, that he might revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was much decayed, and almost lost. And that he might raise their expectations of the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are particularly named, because with Abraham the covenant was first made, and with Isaac and Jacob oft expressly renewed, and these three were distinguished from their brethren, and chosen to be the trustees of the covenant. This God will have to be his name for ever, and it has been, is, and will be his name, by which his worshippers know him, and distinguish him from all false gods.

Exo 3:16 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:

Elders of Israel - Though it is not likely the Hebrews were permitted to have any regular government at this time, no "judges" of the people of Israel. Yet there were the heads of tribes or families to whom Moses spoke. For example, in chapter 6, Exo 6:14-15 These were the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanitess. These were the families of Simeon.

I have surely visited you - An exact fulfillment of the prediction of Joseph, Gen 50:24 And Joseph said to his brothers, I die. And God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land into the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. God will surely visit you, and in the same words too.

Exo 3:17 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.

Exo 3:18 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.

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: This assurance was necessary to encourage him in an enterprise so dangerous and important.

Three days’ journey into the wilderness - Evidently intending Mount Sinai, which is reputed to be about three days’ journey, the shortest way, from the land of Goshen. In ancient times, distances were computed by the time required to pass over them.

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:

the Lord God of the Hebrews - 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, Gen 39:14 she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to sport with us. He came in to me, to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

And now let us go - This was a demand quite in accordance with Egyptian customs. The refusal of Pharaoh and the subsequent proceedings were revealed to Moses at once; but it is important to observe that the first request which Pharaoh rejected could have been granted without any damage to Egypt, or any risk of the Israelites passing the strongly-fortified frontier.

And now let us go - the request for Pharaoh's permission to go out is couched in such a form as to answer to the relation of Israel to Pharaoh. He had no right to detain them, but he had a right to consent to their departure, as his predecessor had formerly done to their settlement. Still less had he any good reason for refusing their request to go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to their God, since their return at the close of the festival was then taken for granted. But the purpose of God was, that Israel should not return. It was not the case that the delegates were “to deceive the king.” God knew the hard heart of Pharaoh, and therefore directed that no more should be asked at first than he must either grant, or display the hardness of his heart. Had he consented, God would then have made known to him His whole design, and demanded that His people should be allowed to depart altogether. But when Pharaoh scornfully refused the first and smaller request (Exo 5), Moses was instructed to demand the entire departure of Israel from the land (Exo_6:10), and to show the omnipotence of the God of the Hebrews before and upon Pharaoh by miracles and heavy judgments (Heb_7:8.). Accordingly, Moses persisted in demanding permission for the people to go and serve their God (Exo_7:16; Exo_8:1; Exo_9:1, Exo_9:13; Exo_10:3); and it was not till Pharaoh offered to allow them to sacrifice in the land that Moses replied, “We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God” (Exo_8:27); but, observe, with this proviso, “as He shall command us,” which left, under the circumstances, no hope that they would return. It was an act of mercy to Pharaoh, therefore, on the one hand, that the entire departure of the Israelites was not demanded at the very first audience of Moses and the representatives of the nation; for, had this been demanded, it would have been far more difficult for him to bend his heart in obedience to the divine will, than when the request presented was as trifling as it was reasonable. And if he had rendered obedience to the will of God in the smaller, God would have given him strength to be faithful in the greater. On the other hand, as God foresaw his resistance (Exo_3:19), this condescension, which demanded no more than the natural man could have performed, was also to answer the purpose of clearly displaying the justice of God. It was to prove alike to Egyptians and Israelites that Pharaoh was “without excuse,” and that his eventual destruction was the well-merited punishment of his obduracy.

Exo 3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

no, not by a mighty hand - The king of Egypt did let them go, and that by a mighty hand, the book itself amply declares. The word velo sometimes means unless, except, etc.; it is thus translated: Exo 3:19 I am sure that the kyng of Egypt wyl not let you go, Except wyth a mighty hand. (Becke’s Bible, 1549) Exo 3:19 But I know, that the King of Egypt will not let you go, but by strong hand. (Geneva bible). This import of the negative particle, which is noticed by Noldius, Heb. Part., p. 328, was perfectly understood by the Vulgate, where it is translated nisi, unless; and the Septuagint, which is of the same import. The meaning therefore is very plain: The king of Egypt, who now profits much by your servitude, will not let you go till he sees my hand stretched out, and he and his nation be smitten with ten plagues. Hence God immediately adds, Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst of it. And after that he will let you go.

Exo 3:20 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.

And I will stretch out my hand - he would 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 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.

Exo 3:21 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:

And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians - That is to say, the Egyptians should be so favorably disposed towards them, that when they solicited of their neighbors clothes and ornaments of gold and silver, their request should be granted. “So shall ye spoil the Egyptians.” What is here foretold as a promise, the Israelites are directed to do in Exo_11:2-3; and according to Exo_12:35-36, it was really carried out. Immediately before their departure from Egypt, the Israelites asked the Egyptians for gold and silver ornaments and God gave them favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them to them.

ye shall not go empty - but with great substance, as was foretold by Abraham they should, and which prophecy was now about to be fulfilled, Gen 15:14 And also I will judge that nation whom they shall serve. And afterward they shall come out with great substance.

Exo 3:22 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.

Shall borrow - shall ask. The Egyptians had made the people serve “with rigor,” and the Israelites when about to leave the country for ever were to ask or claim the jewels as a just, though very inadequate, remuneration for services which had made “their lives bitter.” The Egyptians would doubtless have refused had not their feelings toward Moses (Exo_11:3) and the people been changed, under God’s influence, by calamities in which they recognized a divine interposition, which also they rightly attributed to the obstinacy of their own king (Exo_10:7). The Hebrew women were to make the demand, and were to make it of women, who would of course be especially moved to compliance by the loss of their children, the fear of a recurrence of calamity.

Every woman shall borrow - This is certainly not a very correct translation: the original word shaal signifies simply to ask, request, demand, require, inquire, etc.; but it does not signify to borrow in the proper sense of that word, though in a very few places of Scripture it is thus used. In this and the parallel place, Exo_12:35, the word signifies to ask or demand, and not to borrow. The earlier Geneva bible uses the word ask. Exo 3:22 For every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourns in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and ye shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians.

Jewels - Chiefly, trinkets. These ornaments were actually applied to the purpose for which they were probably demanded, being employed in making the vessels of the sanctuary (compare Exo_35:22).

Jewels of silver - The word keley signifies vessels, instruments, weapons, etc., and may be very well translated by our English term, articles or goods. The Israelites got both gold and silver, probably both in coin and in plate of different kinds; and such raiment as was necessary for the journey which they were about to undertake.

Sojourneth in her house - This indicates a degree of friendly and neighborly contact, in accordance with several indirect notices, and was a natural result of long and peaceable sojourn in the district.

Ye shall spoil the Egyptians - The verb natsal signifies, not only to spoil, snatch away, but also to get away, to escape, to deliver, to regain, or recover. Spoil signifies what is taken by rapine or violence; but this cannot be the meaning of the original word here, as the Israelites only asked, and the Egyptians with out fear, terror, or constraint, freely gave. It is worthy of remark that the original word is used, 1Sa_30:22, to signify the recovery of property that had been taken away by violence: “Then answered all the wicked men, and men of Belial, of those that went with David, Because they went not with us we will not give them aught of the Spoil that we have Recovered. In this sense we should understand the word here. The Israelites recovered a part of their property - their wages, of which they had been most unjustly deprived by the Egyptians.

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.

Exodus 2

Exo 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

There went a man - Amram, son of Kohath, son of Levi, Exo_6:16-20 And these were the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven years. The sons of Gershon: Libni, and Shimei, by their families. And the sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred and thirty-three years. And the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi according to their generations. And Amram took Jochebed, his father's sister, for his wife. And she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years. A daughter of Levi, Jochebed, sister to Kohath, and consequently both the wife and aunt of her husband Amram, Exo_6:20; Num 26:59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom one bore to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. Such marriages were at this time lawful, though they were afterwards forbidden, Lev 18:12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister. She is your father's near kinswoman. The marriage took place, and two children, Miriam and Aaron, were born some years before the infanticidal edict.

Exo 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

Bare a son - Not her firstborn; Aaron and Miriam were older than Moses. The object of the writer is simply to narrate the events which led to the Exodus, and he mentions nothing that had no direct bearing upon his purpose.

she hid him three months - The hiding of the child is spoken of as an act of faith in Heb_11:23 By faith Moses, having been born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child. And they were not afraid of the king's commandments. It was done in the belief that God would watch over the child.

Goodly child - The text simply that he was good, which signifies that he was not only a perfect, well-formed child, but that he was very beautiful; hence the Septuagint translate Exo 2:2 And she conceived, and bore a male child; and having seen that he was fair, they hid him three months, (Septuagint) which St. Stephen interprets, Acts 7:20 In this time Moses was born, and was beautiful to God, who was brought up three months in his father's house. This very circumstance was wisely ordained by the kind providence of God to be one means of his preservation. Scarcely any thing interests the heart more than the sight of a lovely babe in distress. His beauty would induce even his parents to double their exertions to save him, and was probably the sole motive which led the Egyptian princess to take such particular care of him, and to educate him as her own, which in all likelihood she would not have done had he been only an ordinary child. Beauty was regarded by the ancients as a mark of the divine favor.

Exo 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

An ark of papyrus - The ark was made of the papyrus which was commonly used by the Egyptians for light and swift boats. It is a strong bulrush, like the bamboo, about the thickness of a finger, three cornered, and attains the height of 10 to 15 feet. It is represented with great accuracy on the ancient monuments of Egypt.

Slime and pitch - The word used for slime is elsewhere used to mean pitch, bitumen, or asphalt. The pitch or bitumen, commonly used in Egypt, made the small vessel water-tight.

An ark of bulrushes - a small boat or basket made of the Egyptian reed called papyrus, so famous in all antiquity. This plant grows on the banks of the Nile, and in marshy grounds; the stalk rises to the height of six or seven cubits above the water, is triangular, and terminates in a crown of small filaments resembling hair, which the ancients used to compare to a thyrsus. This reed was of the greatest use to the inhabitants of Egypt, the pith contained in the stalk serving them for food, and the woody part to build vessels with; which vessels frequently appear on engraved stones and other monuments of Egyptian antiquity. For this purpose they made it up like rushes into bundles, and by tying them together gave their vessels the necessary figure and solidity

In the flags – or in the reeds, this is another species of the papyrus, called tuff, or sufi, which was less in size and height than the papyrus of which the ark was made.

Exo 2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

Exo 2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

To bathe at the river – It is possible that the residence of the daughter of Pharaoh and of the family of Moses, was at Zoan called Tanis, the ancient Avaris, on the Tanitic branch of the river, near the sea, where crocodiles are never found, and which was probably the western boundary of the district occupied by the Israelites. The field of Zoan was always associated by the Hebrews with the marvels which preceded the Exodus. Psa 78:43 how He had set His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

To bathe at the river – it was a common practice in ancient Egypt for women of rank to bathe in the river. The habits of the princess, as well as her character, must have been well known to the mother of Moses, and possibly decided her choice of the place.

came down to wash herself at the river--The occasion is thought to have been a religious solemnity which the royal family opened by bathing in the sacred stream. Peculiar sacredness was attached to those portions of the Nile which flowed near the temples. The water was there fenced off as a protection from the crocodiles; and doubtless the princess had an enclosure reserved for her own use, the road to which seems to have been well known to Jochebed.

she sent her maid--her immediate attendant. The term is different from that rendered "maidens."

Exo 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

She had compassion on him - The Egyptians regarded such tenderness as a condition of acceptance on the day of reckoning. In the presence of the Egyptian lord of truth each spirit had to answer, “I have not afflicted any man, I have not made any man weep, I have not withheld milk from the mouths of sucklings” (‘Funeral Ritual’). There was special ground for mentioning the feeling, since it led the princess to save and adopt the child in spite of her father’s commands.

Exo 2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

Exo 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

Exo 2:9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

Exo 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

and she called his name Moses - The Egyptian origin of this word is generally admitted. The name itself is not uncommon in ancient documents. The exact meaning is “son,” but the verbal root of the word signifies “produce,” “draw forth.” The whole sentence in Egyptian would exactly correspond to our King James Version. She called his name Moses, i. e. “son,” or “brought forth,” because she brought him forth out of the water.

and she called his name Moses - and she said, because I drew him out of the water; by which it appears, that this word is derived from the Hebrew word, "Mashah", which signifies to draw out, and is only used of drawing out of water, 2Sa_22:17 which Pharaoh's daughter gave him, he being an Hebrew child, and which language she may very well be thought to understand; since there were such a large number of Hebrews dwelt in Egypt.

And he became her son - From this time of his being brought home by his nurse his education commenced, and he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds, who in the knowledge of nature probably exceeded all the nations then on the face of the earth.

and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter - when grown up and weaned, and needed a nurse no longer: a Jewish chronologer says, this was two years after his birth; and another says, that he was three years old.

Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

Went out unto his brethren - At the end of 40 years Act 7:23 And when a period of forty years was fulfilled to him, it arose in his heart to look upon his brothers, the sons of Israel. The Egyptian princess had not concealed from him the fact of his belonging to the oppressed race, nor is it likely that she had debarred him from contact with his foster-mother and her family, whether or not she became aware of the true relationship.

An Egyptian - This man was probably one of the overseers of the workmen, natives under the chief superintendent Exo_1:11. They were armed with long heavy scourges, made of a tough pliant wood imported from Syria.

When Moses was grown - Being full forty years of age, it came into his heart to visit his brethren; and seeing one of them suffer wrong, by an Egyptian smiting him, probably one of the task-masters, he avenged him and smote - slew, the Egyptian, supposing that God who had given him commission, had given also his brethren to understand that they were to be delivered by his hand; Act_7:23-25 And when a period of forty years was fulfilled to him, it arose in his heart to look upon his brothers, the sons of Israel. And seeing one being wronged, he defended him. and avenged him who was oppressed and struck the Egyptian.

For he thought his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance by his hand. But they did not understand. Possibly the Egyptian killed the Hebrew, and therefore on the Noahic precept Moses was justified in killing him.

when Moses was grown-- There is a gap here in the sacred history which, however, is supplied by the inspired commentary of Paul, who has fully detailed the reasons as well as extent of the change that took place in his worldly condition; and whether, as some say, his royal mother had proposed to make him coregent and successor to the crown, or some other circumstances, led to a declaration of his mind, he determined to renounce the palace and identify himself with the suffering people of God Heb_11:24-26. Having become great, Moses by faith refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Having become great means he had grown to be a man according to other uses in scripture.

Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

And he looked this way, and that way - All around, to observe if there were any within sight who could see what he did; which did not arise from any consciousness of any evil he was about to commit, but for his own preservation, lest if seen he should be accused to Pharaoh, and suffer for it: The slaying of the Egyptian is not to be justified, or attributed to a divine inspiration, but it is to be judged with reference to the provocation, the impetuosity of Moses’ natural character, perhaps also to the habits developed by his training at the court of Pharaoh. The act involved a complete severance from the Egyptians, but, far from expediting, it delayed for many years the deliverance of the Israelites.

He slew the Egyptian - If the Egyptian killed the Hebrew, Moses only acted agreeably to the divine law Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood shall be shed by man; for He made man in the image of God. in thus slaying the Egyptian; nor did he violate the law of Egypt; for, “he who saw a man killed, or violently assaulted on the highway, and did not rescue him, if he could, was punished with death.” Moses, therefore, in this transaction, acted as a brave and good man; especially as at this time there was little probability of obtaining justice on an Egyptian murderer.

Exo 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

two men of the Hebrews strove together--His benevolent mediation in this strife, though made in the kindest and mildest manner, was resented, and the taunt of the aggressor showing that Moses' conduct on the preceding day had become generally known, he determined to consult his safety by immediate flight. These two incidents prove that neither were the Israelites yet ready to go out of Egypt, nor Moses prepared to be their leader Jam 1:20 For the wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of God. It was by the staff and not the sword--by the meekness, and not the wrath of Moses that God was to accomplish that great work of deliverance. Both he and the people of Israel were for forty years more to be cast into the furnace of affliction, yet it was therein that He had chosen them.

Exo 2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

And he said, who made thee a prince and a judge over us? - God had designed him for one, and so he appeared to be afterwards; but this man's meaning is, that he was not appointed by Pharaoh's order then, and so had nothing to do to interfere in their differences and quarrels; though Moses did not take upon him to act in an authoritative way, but to exhort and persuade them to peace and love, as they were brethren:

and said, surely this thing is known - he said this within himself, he concluded from this speech, that somebody had seen him commit the act he was not aware of.

Exo 2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

The land of Midian - The Midianites occupied an extensive district from the eastern coast of the Red Sea to the borders of Moab. It is supposed that the Midianites derived their origin from Midian, the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah, God guided Moses to Midian, because the Midianites were of the seed of Abraham, and retained the worship of the true God; so that he might have not only a safe, but a comfortable settlement among them; and through this country he was afterwards to lead Israel.

Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh - Heb 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. The apostle speaks not of this forsaking of Egypt, but of his and the Israelites’ final departure from it, and of the bold and courageous manner in which Moses treated Pharaoh and the Egyptians, disregarding his threatenings and the multitudes of them that pursued after the people whom, in the name and strength of God, he led in the face of their enemies out of Egypt.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses - Both for his killing the Egyptian, which by the laws of Egypt was death, whether bond or free; and for his taking part with the Hebrews against the Egyptians, and knowing him to be a wise and valiant man, might fear he would put himself at the head of the Hebrews, and cause a revolt of them;

and he sat down by a well - weary, thoughtful, and pensive. It may be observed, that it was usual with persons in such like circumstances, being strangers and not knowing well to whom to apply for assistance or direction, to place themselves at a well of water, to which there was frequent resort, both for the use of families and of flocks;

Exo 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

The Priest of Midian - Reuel Exo_2:18. His name, and the detailed notices in Exo. 18, prove that he was a priest of the one true God who was known to the patriarchs especially under the name El. The great bulk of his tribe, certainly those who lived farther north and more closely in contact with the Hamites of Canaan, were already plunged in idolatry. The conduct of the shepherds Exo_2:17 may indicate that his person and office were lightly regarded by the idolatrous tribes in his immediate neighborhood. The transaction here very nearly resembles that mentioned Genesis 29 concerning Jacob and Rachel.

drew water, and filled the troughs - which is no contradiction to their being daughters either of a priest or a prince, which were both high titles and characters; since it was usual in those early times, and in those countries, for the sons and daughters of considerable persons to be employed in such services.

Exo 2:17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

The shepherds drove them away- the shepherds drove away the flocks of Reuel’s daughters. The fact seems to be, that, as the daughters of Reuel filled the troughs and brought their flocks to drink, the shepherds drove those away, and, profiting by the young women’s labor, watered their own cattle. Moses resisted this insolence, and assisted them to water their flocks, in consequence of which they were enabled to return much sooner than they were wont to do, Exo_2:18.

Exo 2:18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

Reuel - The name Reguel, friend of God, indicates that this priest served the old Semitic God El. This Reguel, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses, was unquestionably the same person as Jethro. Reuel was his proper name, and Jether or Jethro, which means “excellency,” was his official designation.

how is it that you are come so soon today? - their business was done in so short a time; so quick a dispatch had Moses made, and they through his assistance; and especially it might be more strange, if it was usual, to be molested by the shepherds.

Exo 2:19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

An Egyptian - They judged from his costume, or language, and upon their inquiry he might tell them so, being born in Egypt.

Exo 2:20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

That he may eat bread - That he may be entertained, and receive refreshment to proceed on his journey. Bread, among the Hebrews, was used to signify all kinds of food commonly used for the support of man’s life.

And he said unto his daughters, and where is he? - he seemed to be displeased, and chides them, and tacitly suggests that they were rude and ungrateful not to ask a stranger, and one that had been so kind to them, to come with them and refresh himself: By the account Reuel's daughters gave of Moses, of his courage and humanity, he was very desirous of seeing him:

Exo 2:21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

And Moses was content to dwell with the man - Moses tells us nothing of what he may have learned from his father-in-law, but he must been well pleased

Zipporah his daughter to be his wife - It appears that Moses obtained Zipporah something in the same way that Jacob obtained Rachel; namely, for the performance of certain services, probably keeping of sheep.

Exo 2:22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Gershom - Literally, a stranger. The first syllable “Ger” is common to Hebrew and Egyptian, and means “sojourner.” The second syllable “Shom” answers exactly to the Coptic “Shemmo,” which means “a foreign or strange land.”

I have been a stranger in a strange land - so Midian was to him, who was born in Egypt, and being an Hebrew, was entitled to the land of Canaan; this looks as if he had been at this time some years in Midian.

Exo 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

In process of time - Nearly forty years Act 7:30 And forty years being fulfilled to him, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. This verse marks the beginning of another section. We now enter at once upon the history of the Exodus.

Their cry came up unto God - This statement, taken in connection with the two following verses, proves that the Israelites retained their faith in the God of their Fathers. The divine name, “God,” 'ĕlohîym, is chosen because it was that which the Israelites must have used in their cry for help, that under which the covenant had been ratified with the Patriarchs.

and they cried, and their cry came up unto God - they not only sighed and groaned inwardly, but so great was their oppression, that they could not forbear crying out aloud; and such was the greatness and vehemency of their cry, that it reached up to heaven, and came into the ears of the Almighty, as vehement cries are said to do, whether sinful or religious; Gen_18:20. Hitherto perhaps they had fretted at the instruments of their trouble, but God was not in all their thoughts. But before God unbound them, he put it into their hearts to cry unto him.

Exo 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Remembered His covenant - This means that God was moved by their prayers to give effect to the covenant, of which an essential condition was the faith and contrition involved in the act of supplication. The whole history of Israel is foreshadowed in these words: God heard, remembered, looked upon, and knew them. It evidently indicates the beginning of a crisis marked by a personal intervention of God.

God remembered his covenant - God’s covenant is God’s engagement; he had promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give their posterity a land flowing with milk and honey, etc. They are now under the most oppressive bondage, and this was the most proper time for God to show them his mercy and power in fulfilling his promise. This is all that is meant by God’s remembering his covenant, for it was now that he began to give it its effect.

And God heard their groaning - The groans of the oppressed cry loud in the ears of the righteous God, to whom vengeance belongs; especially the groans of God's children, the burdens they groan under, and the blessings they groan after.

Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

And God had respect unto them - God knew them, he approved of them, and therefore it is said that their cry came up before God, and he heard their groaning. The word yada, to know, in the Hebrew Bible, as well as in the Greek Testament, is frequently used in the sense of approving; and because God knew - had respect for and approved of, them, therefore he was determined to deliver them.

The farther we proceed in the sacred writings, the more the history both of the grace and providence of God opens to our view. He ever cares for his creatures, and is mindful of his promise. The very means made use of to destroy his work are, in his hands, the instruments of its accomplishment. Pharaoh orders the male children of the Hebrews to be thrown into the river; Moses, who was thus exposed, is found by his own daughter, brought up as her own son, and from his Egyptian education becomes much better qualified for the great work to which God had called him; and his being obliged to leave Egypt was undoubtedly a powerful means to wean his heart from a land in which he had at his command all the advantages and luxuries of life. His sojourning also in a strange land, where he was obliged to earn his bread by a very painful employment, fitted him for the perilous journey he was obliged to take in the wilderness, and enabled him to bear the better the privations to which he was in consequence exposed.

The bondage of the Israelites was also wisely permitted, that they might with less reluctance leave a country where they had suffered the greatest oppression and indignities. Had they not suffered severely previously to their departure, there is much reason to believe that no inducements could have been sufficient to have prevailed on them to leave it. And yet their leaving it was of infinite consequence, in the order both of grace and providence, as it was indispensably necessary that they should be a people separated from all the rest of the world, that they might see the promises of God fulfilled under their own eyes, and thus have the fullest persuasion that their law was Divine, their prophets inspired by the Most High, and that the Messiah came according to the prophecies before delivered concerning him.