Exodus 3:18
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'
The elders of Israel
This phrase refers to the leaders or representatives of the Israelite community. In the Hebrew context, "elders" (זְקֵנִים, zekenim) were respected figures, often chosen for their wisdom and experience. Historically, these elders played a crucial role in decision-making and governance within the tribal structure of ancient Israel. Their involvement signifies the communal and authoritative support for Moses' mission, emphasizing the collective nature of the Israelites' plea to Pharaoh.

will listen to you
This assurance from God to Moses highlights the divine orchestration of events. The Hebrew verb שָׁמַע (shama) means to hear or listen, but it also implies obedience and understanding. This promise underscores God's sovereignty and the preparation of hearts to receive His message. It reassures Moses of the success of his mission, as the elders' acceptance is pivotal for the subsequent confrontation with Pharaoh.

Then you and the elders
The inclusion of both Moses and the elders in approaching Pharaoh indicates a united front. This collective approach not only lends credibility to Moses' message but also reflects the communal nature of Israelite society. It demonstrates the importance of leadership and unity in fulfilling God's purposes, as well as the necessity of collaboration in the face of oppression.

are to go to the king of Egypt
This directive involves a bold and courageous act, as approaching Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of the time, was a daunting task. The phrase underscores the gravity and danger of the mission. Historically, Egypt was a dominant empire, and Pharaoh was considered a god-king. This context highlights the audacity of the request and the faith required to confront such authority.

and say to him
This phrase introduces the message that Moses and the elders are to deliver. It signifies the role of Moses as a prophet and spokesperson for God. The act of speaking to Pharaoh is not just a diplomatic mission but a divine mandate. It reflects the prophetic tradition of delivering God's message to those in power, regardless of the potential consequences.

The LORD, the God of the Hebrews
This declaration identifies the God of Israel by His covenant name, YHWH (יהוה), and associates Him with the Hebrews, emphasizing the special relationship between God and His people. The use of "Hebrews" (עִבְרִים, Ivrim) connects the Israelites to their ancestral heritage and distinguishes them from the Egyptians. This identification serves as a reminder of God's promises and faithfulness to His chosen people.

has met with us
The phrase indicates a divine encounter or revelation. The Hebrew verb נִקְרָה (nikrah) suggests an unexpected or significant meeting. This encounter legitimizes the request to Pharaoh, as it is not merely a human initiative but a response to divine instruction. It underscores the theme of God's active involvement in the lives of His people and His guidance in their deliverance.

Let us take a three-day journey
This request for a temporary departure into the wilderness is strategic. The "three-day journey" is a diplomatic way to ask for religious freedom without directly challenging Pharaoh's authority. It reflects the cultural and religious practices of the time, where such pilgrimages were common. This request sets the stage for the unfolding narrative of liberation and the eventual exodus.

into the wilderness
The wilderness, or desert, in biblical terms, is often a place of testing, revelation, and transformation. It is where God meets His people and where they learn dependence on Him. This journey into the wilderness symbolizes a step of faith and obedience, leaving behind the known for the unknown, trusting in God's provision and guidance.

to sacrifice to the LORD our God
The act of sacrifice is central to Israelite worship and covenant relationship with God. It signifies devotion, atonement, and thanksgiving. This request highlights the Israelites' desire to worship God according to His commands, free from Egyptian idolatry and oppression. It underscores the theme of worship as a fundamental aspect of identity and freedom for God's people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The central figure chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He is instructed by God to approach Pharaoh with the elders.

2. Elders of Israel
Leaders among the Israelites who are to accompany Moses to Pharaoh, signifying unity and shared leadership.

3. Pharaoh
The king of Egypt, representing the oppressive force against the Israelites. He is the one to whom Moses and the elders must make their request.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of the Hebrews, who reveals Himself to Moses and commissions him to lead His people out of bondage.

5. Wilderness
The destination for the Israelites' journey, symbolizing a place of meeting with God and spiritual renewal.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Call
Moses is instructed to approach Pharaoh with a specific message. This teaches us the importance of obedience to God's directives, even when facing daunting challenges.

Leadership and Unity
The involvement of the elders signifies the importance of shared leadership and unity in fulfilling God's mission. In our communities, we should seek to work together in harmony.

Divine Authority
The request to Pharaoh is made in the name of "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews," underscoring the authority and power of God over earthly rulers. We can trust in God's sovereignty in our lives.

Purpose of Worship
The request to journey into the wilderness to sacrifice highlights the centrality of worship in the life of God's people. We should prioritize worship and spiritual renewal in our lives.

Faith in Action
Moses' faith is demonstrated through his willingness to confront Pharaoh. Our faith should lead us to take bold actions in alignment with God's will.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Moses' approach to Pharaoh, as instructed by God, demonstrate the importance of obedience in our own lives?

2. In what ways can we foster unity and shared leadership within our church or community, as seen in the involvement of the elders of Israel?

3. How does the authority of God, as presented in this passage, provide comfort and assurance in facing challenges today?

4. What role does worship play in your life, and how can you prioritize it as the Israelites were instructed to do?

5. Reflect on a time when your faith required you to take bold action. How can Moses' example inspire you to continue acting in faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 5:1-3
This passage describes Moses and Aaron's initial encounter with Pharaoh, where they deliver God's message, reinforcing the command given in Exodus 3:18.

Acts 7:30-34
Stephen recounts Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush, highlighting the divine commissioning and the significance of God's deliverance plan.

Hebrews 11:24-27
This passage speaks of Moses' faith, emphasizing his choice to align with God's people and purposes over the treasures of Egypt.
A Moderate RequestJ. G. Murphy, LL. D.Exodus 3:18
The Two MessagesJ. Orr Exodus 3:16-22
The Coming Liberation: God Indicates the Method of itD. Young Exodus 3:18-22
The Removal of Moses' FearJ. Urquhart Exodus 3:18-22
People
Amorites, Canaanites, Egyptians, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Jebusites, Jethro, Moses, Perizzites, Pharaoh
Places
Egypt, Horeb, Midian
Topics
Beseech, Chiefs, Desert, Ear, Egypt, Elders, Entered, Hast, Hearken, Hearkened, Hebrews, Heed, Journey, Listen, Met, Offer, Offering, Pay, Pharaoh, Please, Sacrifice, Sacrifices, Three-day, Voice, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 3:18

     1652   numbers, 3-5
     5619   measures, distance and area

Exodus 3:16-18

     5727   old age, attitudes

Library
June 7. "When Ye Go; Ye Shall not Go Empty" (Ex. Iii. 21).
"When ye go; ye shall not go empty" (Ex. iii. 21). When we are really emptied He would have us filled with Himself and the Holy Spirit. It is very precious to be conscious of nothing good in ourselves; but, oh, are we also conscious of His great goodness? We may be ready to admit our own disability, but are we as ready to admit His ability? There are many Christians who can say, "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves"; but the number I fear is very small who can say,
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Bush that Burned, and did not Burn Out
'And, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.' EXODUS iii. 1 It was a very sharp descent from Pharaoh's palace to the wilderness, and forty years of a shepherd's life were a strange contrast to the brilliant future that once seemed likely for Moses. But God tests His weapons before He uses them, and great men are generally prepared for great deeds by great sorrows. Solitude is 'the mother- country of the strong,' and the wilderness, with its savage crags, its awful silence,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Call of Moses
'Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel, out of Egypt. 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? 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. 13. And Moses said unto God, Behold,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fourth Day. Holiness and Revelation.
And when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, He called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And He said, Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground. And Moses hid his face, for He was afraid to look upon God.'--Ex. iii. 4-6. And why was it holy ground? Because God had come there and occupied it. Where God is, there is holiness; it is the presence of God makes holy. This is the
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

May the Tenth God's Use of Men
"I have surely seen the affliction of My people ... come now, therefore, I will send thee." --EXODUS iii. 1-14. Does that seem a weak ending to a powerful beginning? The Lord God looks upon terrible affliction and He sends a weak man to deal with it. Could He not have sent fire from heaven? Could He not have rent the heavens and sent His ministers of calamity and disasters? Why choose a man when the arch-angel Gabriel stands ready at obedience? This is the way of the Lord. He uses human means
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Moses
(Fifth Sunday in Lent.) EXODUS iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And now, my friends, we are come, on this Sunday, to the most beautiful, and the most important story of the whole Bible-- excepting of course, the story of our Lord Jesus Christ--the story of how a family grew to be a great nation. You remember that I told you that the history of the Jews, had been only, as yet, the history of a family. Now that family is grown to be a great tribe, a great herd of people, but not
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Jehovah. The "I Am. "
WHEN Moses in the desert beheld the burning bush God answered his question by the revelation of His name as the "I Am." "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" (Exod. iii:14). He who spake thus out of the bush to Moses was the same who in the fullness of time appeared upon the earth in the form of man. Our Lord Jesus Christ is no less person, than the I AM. If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Introduction to Ad Afros Epistola Synodica.
(Written About 369.) The synodical letter which follows was written after the accession of Damasus to the Roman see (366). Whether it was written before any Western synod had formally condemned Auxentius of Milan (see Letter 59. 1) may be doubted: the complaint (§10) is rather that he still retains possession of his see, which in fact he did until 374, the year after the death of Athanasius. At any rate, Damasus had had time to hold a large synod, the letter of which had reached Athanasius.
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Letter xxv. To Marcella.
An explanation of the ten names given to God in the Hebrew Scriptures. The ten names are El, Elohim, Sabaôth, Eliôn, Asher yeheyeh (Ex. iii. 14), Adonai, Jah, the tetragram JHVH, and Shaddai. Written at Rome 384 a.d.
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

The Training of a Statesman.
MOSES IN EGYPT AND THE WILDERNESS.--EX. 1:1; 7:5. Parallel Readings. Goodnow, F. J., Comparative Administrative Law. Hist. Bible I, 151-69. And he went out on the following day and saw two men of the Hebrews striving together; and he said to the one who was doing the wrong, Why do you smite your fellow-workman? But he replied, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid and said, Surely the thing is known. When, therefore,
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Christian Worship,
PART I In the early days of the Gospel, while the Christians were generally poor, and when they were obliged to meet in fear of the heathen, their worship was held in private houses and sometimes in burial-places under-ground. But after a time buildings were expressly set apart for worship. It has been mentioned that in the years of quiet, between the death of Valerian and the last persecution (A D. 261-303) these churches were built much more handsomely than before, and were furnished with gold
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

The Incarnation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

Philo of Alexandria, the Rabbis, and the Gospels - the Final Development of Hellenism in Its Relation to Rabbinism and the Gospel According to St. John.
It is strange how little we know of the personal history of the greatest of uninspired Jewish writers of old, though he occupied so prominent a position in his time. [173] Philo was born in Alexandria, about the year 20 before Christ. He was a descendant of Aaron, and belonged to one of the wealthiest and most influential families among the Jewish merchant-princes of Egypt. His brother was the political head of that community in Alexandria, and he himself on one occasion represented his co-religionists,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

On the Symbols of the Essence' and Coessential. '
We must look at the sense not the wording. The offence excited is at the sense; meaning of the Symbols; the question of their not being in Scripture. Those who hesitate only at coessential,' not to be considered Arians. Reasons why coessential' is better than like-in-essence,' yet the latter may be interpreted in a good sense. Explanation of the rejection of coessential' by the Council which condemned the Samosatene; use of the word by Dionysius of Alexandria; parallel variation in the use of Unoriginate;
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Question of the Division of Life into the Active and the Contemplative
I. May Life be fittingly divided into the Active and the Contemplative? S. Augustine, De Consensu Evangelistarum, I., iv. 8 " Tractatus, cxxiv. 5, in Joannem II. Is this division of Life into the Active and the Contemplative a sufficient one? S. Augustine, Of the Trinity, I., viii. 17 I May Life be fittingly divided into the Active and the Contemplative? S. Gregory the Great says[291]: "There are two kinds of lives in which Almighty God instructs us by His Sacred Word--namely, the active and
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Jesus Calls Four Fishermen to Follow Him.
(Sea of Galilee, Near Capernaum.) ^A Matt. IV. 18-22; ^B Mark I. 16-20; ^C Luke V. 1-11. ^a 18 And walking ^b 16 And passing along by the sea of Galilee [This lake is a pear-shaped body of water, about twelve and a half miles long and about seven miles across at its widest place. It is 682 feet below sea level; its waters are fresh, clear and abounding in fish, and it is surrounded by hills and mountains, which rise from 600 to 1,000 feet above it. Its greatest depth is about 165 feet], he [Jesus]
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Baptist's Inquiry and Jesus' Discourse Suggested Thereby.
(Galilee.) ^A Matt. XI. 2-30; ^C Luke VII. 18-35. ^c 18 And the disciples of John told him of all these things. ^a 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent by his disciples ^c 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them unto the Lord [John had been cast into prison about December, a.d. 27, and it was now after the Passover, possibly in May or June, a.d. 28. Herod Antipas had cast John into prison because John had reproved him for taking his brother's wife.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Of Preparation.
That a Christian ought necessarily to prepare himself before he presume to be a partaker of the holy communion, may evidently appear by five reasons:-- First, Because it is God's commandment; for if he commanded, under the pain of death, that none uncircumcised should eat the paschal lamb (Exod. xii. 48), nor any circumcised under four days preparation, how much greater preparation does he require of him that comes to receive the sacrament of his body and blood? which, as it succeeds, so doth it
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

A Sabbath in Capernaum
It was the Holy Sabbath - the first after He had called around Him His first permanent disciples; the first, also, after His return from the Feast at Jerusalem. Of both we can trace indications in the account of that morning, noon, and evening which the Evangelists furnish. The greater detail with which St. Mark, who wrote under the influence of St. Peter, tells these events, shows the freshness and vividness of impression on the mind of Peter of those early days of his new life. As indicating that
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Eternity of God
The next attribute is, God is eternal.' Psa 90:0. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.' The schoolmen distinguish between aevun et aeternum, to explain the notion of eternity. There is a threefold being. I. Such as had a beginning; and shall have an end; as all sensitive creatures, the beasts, fowls, fishes, which at death are destroyed and return to dust; their being ends with their life. 2. Such as had a beginning, but shall have no end, as angels and the souls of men, which are eternal
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Meditations for the Sick.
Whilst thy sickness remains, use often, for thy comfort, these few meditations, taken from the ends wherefore God sendeth afflictions to his children. Those are ten. 1. That by afflictions God may not only correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruptions, and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit; like a good father, who suffers his tender babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Christian's God
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1; 17:1; Exodus 34:6,7; 20:3-7; Deuteronomy 32:4; 33:27; Isaiah 40:28; 45:21; Psalm 90:2; 145:17; 139:1-12; John 1:1-5; 1:18; 4:23,24; 14:6-11; Matthew 28:19,20; Revelation 4:11; 22:13. WHO IS GOD? How Shall We Think of God?--"Upon the conception that is entertained of God will depend the nature and quality of the religion of any soul or race; and in accordance with the view that is held of God, His nature, His character and His relation to other beings, the spirit
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Mary, Future Mother of Jesus, visits Elisabeth, Future Mother of John the Baptist.
(in the Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 39-56. ^c 39 And Mary arose in these days [within a week or two after the angel appeared to her] and went into the hill country [the district of Judah lying south of Jerusalem, of which the city of Hebron was the center] with haste [she fled to those whom God had inspired, so that they could understand her condition and know her innocence--to those who were as Joseph needed to be inspired, that he might understand--Matt. i. 18-25], into a city
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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