Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal
Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 3:11-15

God, having spoken to Moses, allows him also a liberty of speech, which he here improves; and, I. He objects his own insufficiency for the service he was called to (Exod. 3:11): Who am I? He thinks himself unworthy of the honour, and not par negotio?equal to the task. He thinks he wants courage, and therefore cannot go to Pharaoh, to make a demand which might cost the demandant his head: he thinks he wants skill, and therefore cannot bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt; they are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 3:14

And God said unto Moses, I am that I am ,.... This signifies the real being of God, his self-existence, and that he is the Being of beings; as also it denotes his eternity and immutability, and his constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, for it includes all time, past, present, and to come; and the sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am. The Platonists and Pythagoreans seem to have borrowed... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 3:14

I am that I am - אהיה אשר אהיה Eheyeh asher Eheyeh . These words have been variously understood. The Vulgate translates Ego Sum Qui Sum , I am who am. The Septuagint, Εγω ειμι ὁ Ων , I am he who exists. The Syriac, the Persic, and the Chaldee preserve the original words without any gloss. The Arabic paraphrases them, The Eternal, who passes not away; which is the same interpretation given by Abul Farajius, who also preserves the original words, and gives the above as their... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 3:14

Verse 14 14.I am that I am. The verb in the Hebrew is in the future tense, “I will be what I will be;” but it is of the same force as the present, except that it designates the perpetual duration of time. This is very plain, that God attributes to himself alone divine glory, because he is self-existent and therefore eternal; and thus gives being and existence to every creature. Nor does he predicate of himself anything common, or shared by others; but he claims for himself eternity as peculiar... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:1-22

THE MISSION OF MOSES . After forty years of monotonous pastoral life, affording abundant opportunity for meditation, and for spiritual communion with God, and when he had attained to the great age of eighty years, and the hot blood of youth had given place to the calm serenity of advanced life, God at last revealed Himself to Moses "called him" ( Exodus 3:4 ), and gave him a definite mission. The present chapter is' intimately connected with the next. Together, they contain an... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:11-17

Hindrances to service and how God removes them. 1 . THE HINDRANCE FOUND IN THE SENSE OF OUR OWN WEAKNESS ( Exodus 3:11 , Exodus 3:12 ). 1 . Moses knew the pomp and pride of the Egyptian court. He remembered how Israel had rejected him when he was more than he was now. Once he had believed himself able for the task, but he was wiser now: "Who am I ?" etc. He might serve God in the lowly place he held, but not there. Moses in this the type of multitudes. God's... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:13-15

God's revelation of himself under the name Jehovah, and the meaning of it. At first sight the name by which God shall be called may seem unimportant, as it is unimportant whether a man be called Tully or Cicero. But, originally, each name that is given to God is significant; and according as one name or another is commonly used, one idea or another of the Divine nature will be prevalent. Hitherto God had been known mainly to the Semites as El , Eliun , Elohim , "Exalted, Lofty," or... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:13-15

The proper Name of God. "This is my name for ever," etc.—( Exodus 3:15 .) This incident of the burning bush teems with subjects susceptible of homiletic treatment. We name a few of the more important, which we ourselves do not linger to treat. 1 . THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF THE CHURCH , Exodus 3:2 . 2. THE DOCTRINE OF THE ANGEL - GOD . Note in Exodus 3:2-4 that "The Angel of Jehovah," "Jehovah," and "God," are one and the same. 3 . THE RESTRICTION ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:13-17

The second difficulty: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-what is his name? Moses feels that when he goes among his brethren, one of their first questions will be as to the name of this God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Consider— I. HOW IT WAS THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A QUESTION WAS SUGGESTED TO HIS MIND . All the deities of the other nations had names, and doubtless the gods of Egypt were well known by name to the Israelites. Part of the glory of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 3:14

I AM THAT I AM . No better translation can be given of the Hebrew words. " I will be that I will be (Geddes) is more literal, but less idiomatic, since the Hebrew was the simplest possible form of the verb substantive. " I am because I am" (Boothroyd) is wrong, since the word asher is certainly the relative. The Septuagint, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν , explains rather than translates, but is otherwise unobjectionable. The Vulgate, sum qui sum , has absolute exactness. The idea... read more

Group of Brands