The Bible

 

Exodus 3

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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.

2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to 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.

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

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

5 And he said, Approach not hither: put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place on which thou standest is holy ground.

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.

7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters; for I know their sorrows;

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

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come to me: and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 And I have said, I will bring you 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.

18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and ye shall say to 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.

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

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.

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

22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that dwelleth 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.

   

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Exodus 3

By New Christian Bible Study Staff

Arcana Coelestia 6825. In the first chapter, in the internal sense, the subject treated of was the infestation by falsities and evils of those who are of the church; in the second chapter it was the beginnings and successive states of truth Divine with them; in this chapter in the internal sense the subject treated of is their liberation; and then for the first time they are instructed who the God is who has liberated them, that it is the Lord; and that He introduces them into heaven after they have been endowed with manifold truth and good.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6825

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6825. Exodus 3

1. And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.

2. And the angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a bramble bush; and he saw, and behold, the bramble bush was burning with fire, and the bramble bush was not at all being consumed.

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

4. And Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him from the middle of the bramble bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here I am.

5. And He said, Do not draw near here; take off your shoes from upon Your feet, for the place which you are standing on is holy ground.

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

7. And Jehovah said, I have indeed seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry from before their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.

8. And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians, and to cause them to come up out of that land to a land good and broad, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

9. And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me; and also I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10. And now, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh; and lead My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11. And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12. And He said, Because I will be with you; and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you lead the people out of Egypt you shall worship God beside this mountain.

13. And Moses said to God, Behold, I am coming to the children of Israel and saying to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they may say to me, What is His name? What am I to say to them?

14. And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.

15. And God said further still to Moses, Thus you are to say to the children of Israel Jehovah, 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, 1 and this is My memorial from one generation to another. 2

16. Go and gather the elders of Israel, and you are to say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - saying, I have certainly visited you and [seen] what has been done to you in Egypt.

17. And I say, I will cause you to come up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite, and the Amorite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

18. And they will hear your voice, and you and the elders of Israel are to go in to the king of Egypt, and you are to say to him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has come to meet us; and now let us go, we beg you, a way of three days 3 into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to Jehovah our God.

19. And I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, not even 4 by a strong hand.

20. And I will stretch out 5 My hand, and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst of it; and after that he will send you away.

21. And I will give this people favour 6 in the eyes of the Egyptians; and so it will be when you go, that you will not go empty-handed.

22. And let a woman ask of her female neighbour, and of the female guest in her house, vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothes; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. And you shall plunder the Egyptians.

CONTENTS

In the first chapter the subject in the internal sense was the molestation of those belonging to the Church by falsities and evils; and in the second chapter it was the first beginnings and the succeeding states of God's truth among them. The present chapter deals in the internal sense with their deliverance. First they are taught who God their Deliverer is, namely the Lord, and that He will bring them into heaven after they have been endowed with a large amount of truth and good.

Footnotes:

1. literally, into eternity

2. literally, into a generation, a generation

3. i.e. a three days' journey

4. literally, and not

5. literally, send

6. literally, grace

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.