New King James Version
Exodus 3:12
12So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New Living Translation (NLT)God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
Context of Exodus 3:12
10Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” 13Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Read all of Exodus 3Exodus 3:12 word by word
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כִּֽי־אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ וְזֶה־לְּךָ֣ הָא֔וֹת כִּ֥י אָנֹכִ֖י שְׁלַחְתִּ֑יךָ בְּהוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם תַּֽעַבְדוּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָהָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- a tokenאוֹת'ôth · sign: miraculousH226
- unto thee, thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
- I have sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- thee: When thou hast brought forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- ye shall serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- upon this mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
Cross-references for Exodus 3:12
- Exodus 4:12Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
- Genesis 15:1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- Genesis 31:3Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
- Deuteronomy 31:23Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”
- Joshua 1:5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
- Isaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
- Isaiah 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
- Matthew 28:20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Mark 16:20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
- Acts 11:21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
- Romans 8:31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Hebrews 13:5Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Exodus 4:1Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”
- Genesis 15:8And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?”
- Judges 6:17Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
- Judges 7:11and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp.
Commentaries on Exodus 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Certainly I will be with thee - This great event shall not be left to thy wisdom and to thy power; my counsel shall direct thee, and my power shall bring all these mighty things to pass. And this shall be a token - Literally, And This to thee for a sign, i.e., this miraculous manifestation of the burning bush shall be a proof that I have sent thee; or, My being with thee, to encourage thy heart, strengthen thy hands, and enable thee to work miracles…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12A token unto thee - Or the sign. The word means a declaration or promise of God, which rests absolutely on His word, and demands faith. The promise that God would have the people serve Him in that place was an assurance, if fully believed, that all intervening obstacles would be removed by His power.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 Formerly Moses thought himself able to deliver Israel, and set himself to the work too hastily. Now, when the fittest person on earth for it, he knows his own weakness. This was the effect of more knowledge of God and of himself. Formerly, self-confidence mingled with strong faith and great zeal, now sinful distrust of God crept in under the garb of humility; so defective are the strongest graces and the best duties of the most eminent…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12In the Bible, a sign often occurred after a person or a nation had already had to decide whether to act in faith or not (see Isaiah 7:14). A sign cannot create faith where there is none (see Matthew 12:39; 16:4). Rather, it encourages the one who has exercised the faith he or she already has.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 3:12
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries