Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 3

Moses kept the flock. —The natural occupation of one who had thrown in his lot with the Midianites.

Jethro, his father-in-law. —Rather, his relation by marriage. The word is one of very wide use, corresponding with the Latin affinis. It is even applied to a husband, as in Exodus 4:25.

The supposition that it means “father-in-law” has led to the identification of Jethro with Reuel, which is very unlikely. He was more probably Reuel’s son and Moses’s brother-in-law. His father having died, he had succeeded to his father’s position and was at once priest and sheikh of the tribe.

To the backside of the desert. —Hebrew, behind the desert — that is, to the fertile tract which lay behind the sandy plain stretching from the Sinaitic range to the shore of the Elanitic gulf.

The mountain of God — that is, Sinai. See Exodus 18:5; Exodus 19:2–23, and other passages.

Even Horeb. —Rather, towards Horeb, or in the direction of Horeb. Horeb seems to have been the name of the entire mountain region; Sinai, that of the group or mass known now as Jebel Musa.

The angel of the Lord. —Hebrew, an angel of Jehovah. In Exodus 3:4, the angel is called both “Jehovah” and “Elohim,” from which it is concluded, with reason, that it was the Second Person of the Trinity who appeared to Moses.

Out of the midst of a bush. —Literally, out of the midst of the acacia. As the seneh, or acacia, is very common in the Sinaitic region, we can scarcely suppose that a special tree, growing alone, is intended. Probably the article is one of reference, and the meaning is, “the bush of which you have all heard.” (Compare to John 3:24.)

I will now turn aside. —A minute touch, indicating that Moses is the writer. He remembers that the bush did not grow on the track he was pursuing, but was situated off it, and that he had to “turn aside,” in order to make his inspection.

This great sight. —The phenomenon was strange and unusual—worthy of note, whatever might be the cause.

When the Lord saw ... God called. —Hebrew, When Jehovah saw, Elohim called. The German theory of two authors of Exodus, one Jehovistic and the other Elohistic, is completely refuted by this passage; for it is impossible to ascribe one clause of a sentence to one author, and the next to another. If originally the same term had been used in both places, a reviser would not have altered one without altering both.

Moses, Moses. —Compare Genesis 26:11; 1 Samuel 3:10; and Acts 9:4. The repetition marks extreme urgency.

Put off thy shoes. —Rather, your sandals. It is doubtful whether shoes were known at this early date. They would certainly not have been worn in Midian.

Egyptians before the time of Moses, and people in the East generally, in ancient (as in modern) times, removed their sandals (or their shoes) from their feet on entering any place to which respect was due, as a temple, a palace, and even the private house of a great man.

It is worthy of notice that God Himself orders this mark of respect to be shown to the place which His Presence has hallowed. On the reverence due to holy places, see the Note on Genesis 28:16-17.