Year of the Bible
Exodus 3
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 3:
Moses is living as a shepherd, having settled in Midian outside of Egypt. One day while going about his daily work, he sees something both ordinary and extraordinary: a bush is on fire yet does not burn up. Moses’ curiosity leads him to the bush, and we come to a greater understanding of God. We learn that places God presents Himself are holy, that God can control nature, that He has a plan for His people in Egypt, and that He intends to use Moses to make this plan happen. Moses, who has been an outlaw from Egypt, does not understand how he can take on this responsibility. God assures Moses that he will complete the task and bring the people back to this same mountain. God explains how Pharaoh’s resistance will be overcome by the wonders of God’s powerful hand. God also reveals his name to Moses: YHWH (usually written as the Lord). While scholars debate the exact meaning, it has to do with the essence of being. Much as the fire in the bush exists without beginning or end or consuming the bush, God exists without beginning or end or needing anything material to survive.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 3:
Moses and the Burning Bush
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 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 was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing 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 Then the Lord said, “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain.”
God Reveals His Name
13 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?” 14 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.’” 15 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 for ever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt; 17 and I promise 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.” ’ 18 And 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; and now, we beg you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who sojourns in her house, jewelry of silver and of gold, and clothing, and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters; thus you shall despoil the Egyptians”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
God still acts in marvelous ways to get our attention. Lord, help me to truly see the burning bushes I may be walking past every day.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Moisés apacentaba el rebaño de su
suegro Jetró, sacerdote de Madián; solía
conducirlo al interior del desierto, llegando
hasta el Horeb, el monte de Dios.
2 El ángel del Señor se le manifestó en forma
de llama de fuego en medio de una
zarza. Moisés miró: la zarza ardía pero
no se consumía. 3 Y se dijo Moisés: «Voy
a acercarme y comprobar esta visión prodigiosa:
por qué no se consume la zarza
». 4 Vio el Señor que Moisés se acercaba
a mirar y lo llamó de entre la zarza:
–¡Moisés, Moisés!
Y respondió él:
–Heme aquí.
5 Y dijo Dios:
–No te acerques aquí; quítate las
sandalias de los pies, porque el lugar
que pisas es tierra sagrada.
6 Y añadió:
–Yo soy el Dios de tu padre, el Dios
de Abrahán, el Dios de Isaac y el Dios
de Jacob.
Moisés se cubrió el rostro por temor
a contemplar a Dios. 7 Luego dijo el Señor:
–He observado la opresión de mi
pueblo en Egipto, he escuchado su clamor
por la dureza de sus opresores, y he
comprendido sus sufrimientos. 8 He bajado
para librarlos del poder de Egipto y
para hacerlos subir de ese país a una tierra
buena y espaciosa, a una tierra que
mana leche y miel, al país de los cananeos,
los hititas, los amorreos, los perezeos,
jeveos y jebuseos. 9 Así es, el clamor
de los hijos de Israel ha llegado
hasta mí y he visto además la opresión
a que los egipcios los someten. 10 Ahora,
pues, ve: yo te envío al Faraón para
que saques a mi pueblo, a los hijos de Israel,
de Egipto.
11 Moisés respondió a Dios:
–¿Quién soy yo para ir al Faraón y
para sacar a los hijos de Israel de Egipto?
12 Y le dijo Dios:
–Yo estaré contigo, y ésta será la señal
de que yo te envío: cuando saques al
pueblo de Egipto, daréis culto a Dios en
este mismo monte.
13 Moisés replicó:
–Cuando me acerque a los hijos de
Israel y les diga: «El Dios de vuestros
padres me envía a vosotros», y me pregunten
cuál es su nombre, ¿qué he de
decirles?
14 Y le dijo Dios a Moisés:
–Yo soy el que soy.
Y añadió:
–Así dirás a los hijos de Israel: «Yo
soy» me ha enviado a vosotros.
15 Y le dijo más:
–Así dirás a los hijos de Israel: «El
Señor, el Dios de vuestros padres, el
Dios de Abrahán, el Dios de Isaac, el
Dios de Jacob, me envía a vosotros».
Éste es mi nombre para siempre; así seré
invocado de generación en generación.
Ve, reúne a los ancianos de Israel
y diles: «Se me ha manifestado el Señor,
el Dios de vuestros padres, el Dios
de Abrahán, de Isaac y de Jacob y me
ha dicho: “Os he visitado y he visto lo
que os hacen en Egipto; 17 he resuelto
sacaros de la opresión egipcia y subiros
al país de los cananeos, de los amorreos,
de los perezeos, de los jeveos y de
los jebuseos, a una tierra que mana leche
y miel”. 18 Ellos te escucharán; luego,
tú y los ancianos de Israel iréis al rey de
Egipto y le diréis: “El Señor, Dios de los
hebreos, se nos ha manifestado; tenemos
que hacer un viaje de tres días por
el desierto para ofrecer sacrificios al Señor,
nuestro Dios”. 19 Yo sé que el rey de
Egipto no os permitirá marchar si no es
con mano poderosa; 20 pero yo extenderé
mi mano y heriré a Egipto con toda
clase de prodigios que obraré en medio
de ellos; después de esto, os dejará salir.
21 »Haré que este pueblo halle gracia
a los ojos de los egipcios de modo que
cuando salgáis no vayáis con las manos
vacías, 22 sino que cada mujer pedirá a su
vecina y a la que vive con ella objetos de
plata y oro, y vestidos que pondréis sobre
vuestros hijos y sobre vuestras hijas;
así despojaréis a los egipcios».
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).