Chapter 3
In this chapter, the first verse says that Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. MSB says the man had two names, and glosses right over it as if it is nothing. I don't know...maybe it has something to do with these particular languages. Apparently I'm not the first to notice. Reuel in 2:18, Jethro in 3:1, Hobab in Numbers 10:29 - but that's not how I'd have read it, and Hobab also in Judges 4:11. So there must have been a lot going on. I read what Wikipedia said and it was ok, but like the explanation here better: https://abundantsprings.church/blog/who-is-moses-father-in-law-reuel-jethro-or-hobab. In short, Reuel and Jethro are the same man, as Jacob and Israel are the same man. Perhaps one of the names was the priestly name. Hobab is Moses' brother-in-law, not father-in-law due to an idiosyncrasy in the language
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 the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." [Exo 3:12 ESV]. So from this, we know that Mt. Sinai is in the land of Midian. Where do the old maps say Midian was located? Most maps show it as below - to the East of the Gulf of Aqaba. This would mean that Mt. Sinai is also on that side. But if you look up Mt Sinai, most every place puts it over on the West side, near the south end of the Sinai peninsula, It is indeed a good question to ask how Israel, after leaving Egypt, went all the way back to Midian before stopping at Mt. Sinai. I think we will also see in a few chapters just how many day's journey it was to Sinai. So some interesting geographical complications begin here in Chapter 3.
The burning bush story.
God wants Moses to go back to Egypt, Moses balks. He asks God's name God answers:
14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" [Exo 3:14 ESV]
2021 - This phrase becomes almost Holy in and of itself. The transliteration of "I AM WHO I AM" would be "Hayah, Hayah", the same word repeated twice. Jesus uses it of himself and almost gets stoned for doing it. He would have been stoned but he supernaturally escapes. Here is something I need to figure out: In the interlinear tab in BLB, it says this:
"Strong's Number H1961 matches the Hebrew הָיָה (hāyâ), which occurs 1,388 times in 1,295 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB". If you click on the "View results" it says this:
"Strong's Number H1961 matches the Hebrew הָיָה (hāyâ), which occurs 75 times in 72 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the KJV".
I do not understand why the number of times the word occurs would be different for different translations? Why so incredibly many more times if about the NASB than about the KJV? Whom can I ask?
2023 - There is a good "short" study here of this word H1961. It goes all the way back to Genesis 1:2. It occurs 75 times in the KJV, but for some reason, the translation count into English is not shown. Yep. Lots to study here.
19 But 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 that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. [Exo 3:19-20 ESV]
It should have come as no surprise to Moses that things with the Hebrews got worse before they got better. God had already told Moses it would be a process.