Exodus 3:16

Exodus 3:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
• New International Version (NIV)“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Go and gather the elders of Israel together, 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 what is done to you in Egypt;

Context of Exodus 3:16

14God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ” 15Again God said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the people of Israel: The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation. “Go, assemble the leaders of Israel. Say to them, ‘The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me. He said, “I have paid close attention to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17I promise I will take you away from your misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18“The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’

Exodus 3:16 word by word

לֵ֣ךְ וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֞ אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵהֶם֙ יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ נִרְאָ֣ה אֵלַ֔י אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם יִצְחָ֥ק וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הֶעָשׂ֥וּי לָכֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and gatherאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• of Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• of Isaacיִצְחָקyitschâq · IsaacH3327
• and of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• appearedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• I have surelyפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: visitH6485
• that which is doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• to you in Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714

Cross-references for Exodus 3:16

• Exodus 4:29Then Moses and Aaron went ⌞to Egypt⌟ and assembled all the leaders of the people of Israel.
• Exodus 18:12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the leaders of Israel came to eat the meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.
• Exodus 24:11God didn’t harm these leaders of the Israelites. So they saw God, and then they ate and drank.
• Genesis 1:7So God made the horizon and separated the water above and below the horizon. And so it was.
• Matthew 26:3Then the chief priests and the leaders of the people gathered in the palace of the chief priest Caiaphas.
• Acts 11:30The disciples did this and sent their contribution with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders ⌞in Jerusalem⌟.
• Acts 20:17From Miletus Paul sent messengers to the city of Ephesus and called the spiritual leaders of the church to meet with him ⌞in Miletus⌟.
• 1 Peter 5:1I appeal to your spiritual leaders. I make this appeal as a spiritual leader who also witnessed Christ’s sufferings and will share in the glory that will be revealed.
• Exodus 2:25God saw the Israelites ⌞being oppressed⌟ and was concerned about them.
• Exodus 4:31and the people believed them. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about the people of Israel and that he had seen their misery, they knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground.
• Exodus 13:19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do this. Joseph had said, “God will definitely come to help you. When he does, take my bones with you.”
• Exodus 15:14People will hear of it and tremble. The people of Philistia will be in anguish.
• Genesis 21:1The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised.
• Genesis 50:24At last Joseph said to his brothers, “I’m about to die. God will definitely take care of you and take you out of this land to the land he swore with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
• Ruth 1:6Naomi and her daughters-in-law started on the way back from the country of Moab. (While they were still in Moab she heard that the Lord had come to help his people and give them food.
• Psalms 8:4what is a mortal that you remember him or the Son of Man that you take care of him?

Commentaries on Exodus 3:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Elders of Israel - Though it is not likely the Hebrews were permitted to have any regular government at this time, yet there can be no doubt of their having such a government in the time of Joseph, and for some considerable time after; the elders of each tribe forming a kind of court of magistrates, by which all actions were tried, and legal decisions made, in the Israelitish community. I have surely visited you - An exact fulfillment of the prediction of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Moses' success with the elders of Israel would be good. God, who, by his grace, inclines the heart, and opens the ear, could say beforehand, They shall hearken to thy voice; for he would make them willing in this day of power. As to Pharaoh, Moses is here told that petitions and persuasions, and humble complaints, would not prevail with him; nor a mighty hand stretched out in signs and wonders. But those will certainly be broken by the power…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17God ordered Moses to tell the people of Israel that the God speaking to them now was the same God their ancestors knew and worshiped. This God would lead them into a fruitful land captured from others. The message of Moses was not a magical formula. Instead, it was the word of God who, although outside of history, can still enter and direct it. flowing with milk and honey: See study note on 3:8.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2210-22. Come now therefore, and I will send thee--Considering the patriotic views that had formerly animated the breast of Moses, we might have anticipated that no mission could have been more welcome to his heart than to be employed in the national emancipation of Israel. But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met and removed--and the happy issue of his labors was…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 3:16

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Government
• Israel
• Moses
• Religion

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Egypt
• God
• Isaac
• Israel
• Jacob
• Abraham, Abram
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel

Commentaries on Exodus 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings