Exodus 3:7-12

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

8 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.

9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

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

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

12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you^[a] will worship God on this mountain.”

Exodus 3:7-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 2

In this chapter we are informed how that the Lord appeared to Moses in a bush on fire, but not consumed, Ex 3:1-6, declared unto him that he had seen and observed the afflictions of the children of Israel, and was determined to deliver them, Ex 3:7-9, that he gave him a call to be the deliverer of them, answered his objections to it, and instructed him what he should say, both to the elders of Israel and to Pharaoh, Ex 3:10-18, and assured him, that though at first Pharaoh would refuse to let them go, yet after many miracles wrought, he would be willing to dismiss them, when they should depart with great substance, Ex 3:19-22.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 9:16
• 2. ver 16; S Genesis 16:11; 1 Samuel 1:11; Nehemiah 9:9; Psalms 106:44
• 3. S Exodus 2:25; Acts 7:34*
• 4. S Exodus 1:10
• 5. S Genesis 11:5; Acts 7:34*; Genesis 50:24
• 6. S Genesis 12:7; S Genesis 15:14
• 7. ver 17; Exodus 13:5; Exodus 33:3; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 1:25; Deuteronomy 6:3; Deuteronomy 8:7-9; Deuteronomy 11:9; Deuteronomy 26:9; Deuteronomy 27:3; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5; Jeremiah 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6
• 8. Joshua 11:3; Judges 3:3; 2 Samuel 24:7
• 9. S Genesis 15:18-21; Ezra 9:1
• 10. S Exodus 1:14; Exodus 2:23; S Numbers 10:9
• 11. Exodus 4:12; Joshua 24:5; 1 Samuel 12:8; Psalms 105:26; Acts 7:34*
• 12. Exodus 6:13,26; Exodus 12:41,51; Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Samuel 12:6; 1 Kings 8:16; Micah 6:4
• 13. Exodus 4:10; Exodus 6:12,30; Judges 6:15; 1 Samuel 9:21; 1 Samuel 15:17; 1 Samuel 18:18; 2 Samuel 7:18; 2 Chronicles 2:6; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 1:6
• 14. S Genesis 26:3; S Exodus 14:22; Genesis 31:3; Joshua 1:5; Romans 8:31
• 15. Numbers 26:10; Joshua 2:12; Judges 6:17; Psalms 86:17; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 8:18; Isaiah 20:3; Jeremiah 44:29
• 16. S ver 1; Acts 7:7

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew is plural.