Tree of Life Version
Exodus 3:1
1Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb.
Exodus 3:1 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Context of Exodus 3:1
Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb. 2Then the angel of Adonai appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. So he looked and saw the bush burning with fire, yet it was not consumed. 3Moses thought, “I will go now, and see this great sight. Why is the bush not burnt?”
Read all of Exodus 3Exodus 3:1 word by word
וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה הָיָ֥ה רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֛אן יִתְר֥וֹ חֹתְנ֖וֹ כֹּהֵ֣ן מִדְיָ֑ן וַיִּנְהַ֤ג אֶת־הַצֹּאן֙ אַחַ֣ר הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֛א אֶל־הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים חֹרֵֽבָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- keptרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- keptהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- the flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
- of Jethroיִתְרוֹyithrô · JethroH3503
- his father in lawחֹתֵןchâthan · relativeH2859
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
- and he ledנָהַגnâhag · to leadH5090
- to the backsideאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- of the desertמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to Horebחֹרֵבchôrêb · HorebH2722
Cross-references for Exodus 3:1
- Psalms 78:70He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds,
- Amos 1:1The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds from Tekoa. He perceived these words concerning Israel during the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
- Amos 7:14So Amos responded and said to Amaziah: “I am no prophet, nor am I a son of a prophet. Rather, I am a shepherd tending fig trees.
- Matthew 4:18Now as Yeshua was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter and Andrew his brother. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Luke 2:8Now there were shepherds in the same region, living out in the fields and guarding their flock at night.
- Exodus 2:16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came and drew water. They filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
- Exodus 18:1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses’ father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and for His people Israel, and how Adonai had brought Israel out of Egypt. (
- Numbers 10:29Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place about which Adonai said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will do good to you, because Adonai has spoken goodness to Israel.”
- Judges 4:11Now Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, from the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the oak in Zaanannim, which is near Kedesh.
- Exodus 3:5Then He said, “Come no closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Exodus 18:5So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God.
- Exodus 19:3Moses went up to God, and Adonai called to him from the mountain saying, “Say this to the house of Jacob, and tell Bnei-Yisrael,
- Exodus 24:15When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it.
- 1 Kings 19:8So he arose and ate and drank, and in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights went to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- Exodus 17:6Behold, I will stand before you, there upon the rock in Horeb. You are to strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people can drink.” Then Moses did just so in the eyes of the elders of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 1:6“Adonai our God spoke to us at Horeb saying: ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.
Commentaries on Exodus 3:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Jethro his father-in-law - Concerning Jethro, see Clarke's note on Exodus 2:18. Learned men are not agreed on the signification of the word חתן chothen, which we translate father-in-law, and which in Genesis 19:14, we translate son-in-law. It seems to be a general term for a relative by marriage, and the connection only in which it stands can determine its precise meaning. It is very possible that Reuel was now dead, it being forty years since Moses came…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Jethro his father-in-law - Or “brother-in-law.” The word in the Hebrew is a word signifying relative by marriage. When Moses arrived in Midian, Reuel was an elderly man Exodus 2:16; 40 years later (Exodus 2:23 note), Reuel‘s son, Jethro, had probably succeeded him. The backside - i. e. “to the west of the district.” Among the Hebrews the East is before a man, the west behind him, the south and north on the right and left hand. Desert - Or wilderness, not…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1God appears to Moses in a burning bush. (1-6) God sends Moses to deliver Israel. (7-10) The name Jehovah. (11-15) The deliverance of the Israelites promised. (16-22) Verses 1-6 The years of the life of Moses are divided into three forties; the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second as a shepherd in Midian, the third as a king in Jeshurun. How changeable is the life of man! The first appearance of God to Moses, found him tending…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Sinai is the name commonly used for the mountain where God revealed himself in the covenant (see, for example, 16:1; 19:1–2). Here and in 17:6 and 33:6, the Hebrew text uses the name Horeb. Both names probably refer to the same mountain.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-221. Now Moses kept the flock--This employment he had entered on in furtherance of his matrimonial views (see on Ex 2:21), but it is probable he was continuing his service now on other terms like Jacob during the latter years of his stay with Laban (Ge 30:28). he led the flock to the backside of the desert--that is, on the west of the desert [Gesenius], assuming Jethro's headquarters to have been at Dahab. The route by which Moses led his flock must have…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 3:1
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
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