Albert Barnes Commentary Exodus 3

Jethro his father-in-law - Or “brother-in-law.” The word in the Hebrew is a word signifying a 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 - That is, “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 a barren waste, but a district supplying pasturage. The district near Sherm, on the west of the Gulf of Akabah, where Jethro may have resided, is described as barren and parched; on the west and east are rocky tracts, but to the northwest lies the district of Sinai, where the pasturage is good and water abundant. The Bedouins drive their flocks there from the lowlands at the approach of summer. From this it may be inferred that the events here recorded took place at that season.

To Horeb - More exactly, toward Horeb. Moses came to the mountain of God, that is, Sinai, on his way toward Horeb, a name given to the northern part of the Sinaitic range. Moses calls Sinai “mountain of God” by anticipation, with reference to the manifestation of God. There is no authority for assuming that the spot was previously held sacred ; but it has been lately shown that the whole Peninsula was regarded by the Egyptians as specially consecrated to the gods from a very early time.

The angel of the Lord - See the note at (Genesis 12:7). What Moses saw was the flame of fire in the bush; what he recognized in it was an intimation of the presence of God, who makes a flame of fire His angel. . The words which Moses heard were those of God Himself, as all ancient and most modern theologians have held, manifested in the Person of the Son.

Of a bush - Literally, of the bush or “seneh,” a word which should perhaps be retained as the proper name of a thorny shrub common in that district, a species of acacia.

The Lord saw - The interchange of the two divine names is to be observed; “Jehovah” (Yahweh) saw, “God” called.

Put off thy shoes - The reverence due to holy places thus rests upon God’s own command. The custom itself is well known from the observances of the temple; it was almost universally adopted by the ancients and is retained in the East.

Holy ground - This passage is almost conclusive against the assumption that the place was previously a sanctuary. Moses knew nothing of its holiness after some 40 years spent on the Peninsula. It became holy by the presence of God.

Our Saviour cites this passage as proof that the doctrine of the Resurrection was taught in the Old Testament (Matthew 22:32), and He calls this book "the Book of Moses" (Mark 12:26), two points to be kept in mind by readers of the Pentateuch.