Exodus 3:6 - Exposition

The God of thy father . "Father" here is used collectively, meaning forefathers generally, a usage well known to Hebraists. (Compare Exodus 15:2 , and Exodus 18:4 .) The God of Abraham , etc; i.e . the God who revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and entered into covenant with them ( Genesis 15:1-21 ; Genesis 26:2-5 ; Genesis 35:1-12 ). The conclusion which our Blessed Lord drew from this verse ( Matthew 22:32 ) is not directly involved in it, but depends on his minor premiss, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Moses hid his face . A natural instinctive action. So Elijah, on the same site ( 1 Kings 19:13 ) and the holy angels before God's throne in heaven ( Isaiah 6:2 ). In the religious system of Rome, the augurs when discharging their office, and all persons when offering a sacrifice, veiled their heads. (See Liv. 1.18; Virg. Aen. 3.405; Juv. 6.390.)