Exodus 3:1-4: Moses and the burning bush

Exodus 3:1 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. [kjv]

και μωυσης ην ποιμαινων τα προβατα ιοθορ του γαμβρου αυτου του ιερεως μαδιαμ και ηγαγεν τα προβατα υπο την ερημον και ηλθεν εις το ορος χωρηβ [lxx]

3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto 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. [kjv]

ωφθη δε αυτω αγγελος κυριου εν φλογι πυρος εκ του βατου και ορα οτι ο βατος καιεται πυρι ο δε βατος ου κατεκαιετο [lxx]

Go back to the time after Moses left Egypt the first time and was in Midian. What does the bush represent? This bush is the acacia bush which is a thorny bush. What do thorns represent?

Fire, in the Levitical sense, represented judgment. Brass, such as the brass pole with the serpent, could withstand fire. How could a thorny bush burn but not yet be consumed? Is that not strange?

Exodus 3:1 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. [kjv]

Midian is in Arabia. This would put Mount Sinai and Mount Horab in Arabia and not in the Sinai Peninsula.

Exodus 3:1

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KJV: 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.

Hebrew: ומשה היה רעה את צאן יתרו חתנו כהן מדין וינהג את הצאן אחר המדבר ויבא אל הר האלהים חרבה׃

Greek: και μωυσης ην ποιμαινων τα προβατα ιοθορ του γαμβρου αυτου του ιερεως μαδιαμ και ηγαγεν τα προβατα υπο την ερημον και ηλθεν εις το ορος χωρηβ

Latin: Moses autem pascebat oves Iethro cognati sui sacerdotis Madian cumque minasset gregem ad interiora deserti venit ad montem Dei Horeb

Slavonic: Моисей же бяше пасый овцы Иофора тестя своего, священника Мадиамска: и гнаше овцы в пустыню, и прииде в гору Божию Хорив.

Exodus 3:2

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KJV: And the angel of the LORD appeared unto 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.

Hebrew: וירא מלאך יהוה אליו בלבת אש מתוך הסנה וירא והנה הסנה בער באש והסנה איננו אכל׃

Greek: ωφθη δε αυτω αγγελος κυριου εν φλογι πυρος εκ του βατου και ορα οτι ο βατος καιεται πυρι ο δε βατος ου κατεκαιετο

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

ειπεν δε μωυσης παρελθων οψομαι το οραμα το μεγα τουτο τι οτι ου κατακαιεται ο βατος [lxx]

3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. [kjv]

ως δε ειδεν κυριος οτι προσαγει ιδειν εκαλεσεν αυτον κυριος εκ του βατου λεγων μωυση μωυση ο δε ειπεν τι εστιν [lxx]

וירא יהוה כי סר לראות ויקרא אליו אלהים מתוך הסנה ויאמר משה משה ויאמר הנני׃ [he]

What was so interesting to Moses about the burning bush? What does fire represent?

Like Samuel, God has to call Moses by name twice. Wives should remember that God sometimes has problems getting man's attention too.

Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. [kjv]

וירא יהוה כי סר לראות ויקרא אליו אלהים מתוך הסנה ויאמר משה משה ויאמר הנני׃ [he]

The ancient Greek word "Μωϋσῆς" ≈ "Moses". Another form is "Μωϋσῆ" ≈ "Moses". Both are a transliteration of the Hebrew.

The Hebrew word "משה" (Mo-se) ≈ "Moses".

Exodus 3:3

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

Hebrew: ויאמר משה אסרה נא ואראה את המראה הגדל הזה מדוע לא יבער הסנה׃

Greek: ειπεν δε μωυσης παρελθων οψομαι το οραμα το μεγα τουτο τι οτι ου κατακαιεται ο βατος

Latin: dixit ergo Moses vadam et videbo visionem hanc magnam quare non conburatur rubus

Slavonic: Рече же Моисей: мимошед увижду видение великое сие, яко не сгарает купина.

Exodus 3:4

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

Hebrew: וירא יהוה כי סר לראות ויקרא אליו אלהים מתוך הסנה ויאמר משה משה ויאמר הנני׃

Greek: ως δε ειδεν κυριος οτι προσαγει ιδειν εκαλεσεν αυτον κυριος εκ του βατου λεγων μωυση μωυση ο δε ειπεν τι εστιν

1 Samuel 3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. [kjv]

και ηλθεν κυριος και κατεστη και εκαλεσεν αυτον ως απαξ και απαξ και ειπεν σαμουηλ λαλει οτι ακουει ο δουλος σου [lxx]

… שמואל שמואל … שמואל … [he]

Samuel was called by God as a child, four times until the message got through. And each time God had to say his name twice.

Wives should realize that this is not uncommon in men. To get their attention, you may need to say their name twice and you may need to do it multiple times.

In fact, God not only had to call Moses twice, but had to light a fire to get his attention.

More: 1 Samuel: Saul and the witch of Endor

Galatians 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. [kjv]

το δε αγαρ σινα ορος εστιν εν τη αραβια συστοιχει δε τη νυν ιερουσαλημ δουλευει μετα των τεκνων αυτης [gnt]

Some believe that Mount Horab was adjacent or near Mount Sinai. It appears very likely that Mount Sinai is not in what is called the Sinai Peninsula. It is, as Paul says, in Arabia. Exodus (Moses) tells is that it is in Midian which is in Arabia.

More: Galatians 4:21-25 Another allegory sequence of tabular dimensions

The mother of Constantine, Helena, toured the Roman Empire looking for historical sites of the Bible. Wherever these sites were declared, religious sites, churches, monasteries, etc., sprang up.

It was convenient that two important sites were found by Helena within the bounds of the Roman Empire at that time, despite Biblical indications that the site was elsewhere.

Noah's Ark in Turkey (Bible appears to indicate Iran, in Genesis).
Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula (in two places the Bible indicates Arabia)

More: The Roman Empire under Constantine

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. [kjv]

ει τινος το εργον κατακαησεται ζημιωθησεται αυτος δε σωθησεται ουτως δε ως δια πυρος [gnt]

One example here is Lot. His work and life in Sodom and Gomorrah were burned up, but he, himself, as righteous, was saved, as by fire.

1 Corinthians 3:15

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KJV: If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Greek: ει τινος το εργον κατακαησεται ζημιωθησεται αυτος δε σωθησεται ουτως δε ως δια πυρος