Andra MosebokenKapitel 3

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Moses was tending 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.

There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush. Moses looked, and though the bush was burning with fire, it was not consumed.

So Moses said, "Let me turn aside and see this great sight—why the bush does not burn up."

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

Then he said, "Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

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

The LORD said, "I have surely seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I know their sufferings.

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

Now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians are oppressing them.

So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

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

God answered, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What shall I tell them?"

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

God also said to Moses, "Say this to the Israelites: '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, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Go, gather the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have surely taken notice of you and of what has been done to you in Egypt.

And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.'

They will listen to you. Then you and the elders of Israel are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God.'

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.[^1] [^1]: Or "not even by a mighty hand." The Hebrew is brief and has been understood both ways.

So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will perform in its midst. After that, he will let you go.

And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave, you will not go empty-handed.

Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians."

Uppslag

Sammanfattning2

Kapitel 3

Main Theme: God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush and calls him to lead Israel out of Egypt.

Content: While Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, God revealed Himself in a bush that burned without being consumed at Mount Horeb. God commanded Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground and introduced Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had seen the suffering of the Israelites and intended to lead them to a land flowing with milk and honey. When Moses asked for God's name, God answered: "I am who I am" – and sent him to Pharaoh with a promise of miraculous signs that would compel Egypt to release His people.

Key Words/Images:

The Burning Bush: God's presence manifested in fire that does not consume – a sign of His holiness and transcendence.
Holy Ground: The place where God meets humanity becomes holy and demands reverence (removing the sandals).
"I am who I am": God's self-revelation expressing His eternal being and faithfulness to the covenant.
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey: A picture of the promised land – God's concrete promise of deliverance and blessing.

Historisk kontext

Historical and Cultural Context for Exodus 3

People

Moses (מֹשֶׁה, Moshe) appears here in his role as shepherd to his father-in-law Jethro (Hebrew: יִתְרוֹ, Yitro), who was a priest in Midian. Moses had fled Egypt and now lived as a shepherd in Midian—a background that gave him familiarity with the wilderness landscape where God's mountain was located.

Jethro is described as "כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן" (kohen Midyan), "priest of Midian." The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (Gen 25:2) and had their own religious tradition. That Jethro was a priest suggests that the Midianites had organized worship.

Places

Horeb/God's Mountain (חֹרֵב, Chorev) is the place where Moses meets God in the burning bush. Horeb and Sinai are often used interchangeably in the Old Testament and refer to the same holy mountain region. The phrase "behind the wilderness" (אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר) indicates that Moses led the flock to remote grazing areas.

The Land That "Flows with Milk and Honey" (אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ) describes Canaan. This was a standard phrase in the ancient Near East for fertile land. "Honey" (דְּבָשׁ) can refer to both bee honey and date syrup, as both were common sweeteners in the region. The six nations mentioned (Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) represent the ethnic diversity of the area.

Events and Customs

Removing Sandals (שַׁל־נְעָלֶיךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶיךָ, "take your sandals off your feet") on holy ground was a widespread custom in the ancient Near East. The action marks the transition from profane to sacred space and expresses humility and reverence. That Moses covers his face out of fear of seeing God (v. 6) reflects awe for the holy.

The Council of Elders (זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, "the elders of Israel") whom Moses is instructed to gather (v. 16) was an established institution in Israelite society. The elders functioned as leaders and representatives for their tribes and clans, and their involvement was necessary for the people to accept Moses' message.

Key Terms

God's Name – אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh asher ehyeh), often translated "I am who I am" or "I will be what I will be," is revealed for the first time in this chapter (v. 14). The verb הָיָה (hayah) means "to be" or "to become," and the form אֶהְיֶה is in the imperfect tense (incomplete aspect), giving it a sense of both present and future. The name expresses God's self-existence, unchangeability, and faithful presence. It relates to the tetragrammaton יהוה (YHWH), traditionally pronounced "Yahweh." Verse 15 emphasizes that this name is to be used "forever" (לְעֹלָם).

The Burning Bush (הַסְּנֶה, hasseneh) was likely a thornbush of the type that grows in the Sinai region. The fact that the bush burned without being consumed (vv. 2–3) symbolizes God's presence as powerful yet not destructive. Here, fire is a sign of divine revelation (theophany).

"Hebrews" (הָעִבְרִיִּים, ha'ivrim) in verse 18 is the term the Israelites were to use when speaking to Pharaoh. The expression "the LORD, the God of the Hebrews" (יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִיִּים) was used strategically in communication with the Egyptians.

"Wonders" (נִפְלְאֹת, nifla'ot) in verse 20 refers to the mighty deeds God would perform in Egypt. This prepares the reader for the plagues that follow in subsequent chapters.

Personer7

Pharaoh (Pharaoh in Abram's time (Gen 12))1 God2 Reuel1 Isaac3 Jacob5 Abraham3 Moses7

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Nyckelord10

Burning Bush — A miracle where God spoke to Moses through a bush that burned without being consumed by the flames.
Moses — The prophet and leader whom God chose to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Egypt — The ancient kingdom in Northeast Africa where the Israelites were held as slaves under Pharaoh's rule.
Pharaoh — The ruler of ancient Egypt, who refused to let the Israelites leave until God sent ten plagues.
Israelites — God's chosen people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who suffered under slavery in Egypt.
Challenge — To question or oppose something, as when Moses challenged Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
Free — To set free from captivity, slavery, or oppression, as when God freed the Israelites from Egypt.
Sign — Miracles or supernatural events that show God's power, such as the ten plagues.
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