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Exodus 3

Ex. 3:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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Now Moses
Mosheh (Hebrew #4872)
drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
KJV usage: Moses.
Pronounce: mo-sheh'
Origin: from 4871
kept
ra`ah (Hebrew #7462)
to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)
KJV usage: X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.
Pronounce: raw-aw'
Origin: a primitive root
hayah (Hebrew #1961)
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
KJV usage: beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.
Pronounce: haw-yaw
Origin: a primitive root (compare 1933)
the flock
tso'n (Hebrew #6629)
from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
KJV usage: (small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).
Pronounce: tsone
Origin: or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}
of Jethro
Yithrow (Hebrew #3503)
his excellence; Jethro, Moses' father-in-law
KJV usage: Jethro. Compare 3500.
Pronounce: yith-ro'
Origin: from 3499 with pron. suffix
his father in law
chathan (Hebrew #2859)
to give (a daughter) away in marriage; hence (generally) to contract affinity by marriage
KJV usage: join in affinity, father in law, make marriages, mother in law, son in law.
Pronounce: khaw-than'
Origin: a primitive root
, the priest
kohen (Hebrew #3548)
literally, one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
KJV usage: chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal officer.
Pronounce: ko-hane'
Origin: active participle of 3547
of Midian
Midyan (Hebrew #4080)
Midjan, a son of Abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants
KJV usage: Midian, Midianite.
Pronounce: mid-yawn'
Origin: the same as 4079
: and he led
nahag (Hebrew #5090)
to drive forth (a person, an animal or chariot), i.e. lead, carry away; reflexively, to proceed (i.e. impel or guide oneself); also (from the panting induced by effort), to sigh
KJV usage: acquaint, bring (away), carry away, drive (away), lead (away, forth), (be) guide, lead (away, forth).
Pronounce: naw-hag'
Origin: a primitive root
the flock
tso'n (Hebrew #6629)
from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
KJV usage: (small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).
Pronounce: tsone
Origin: or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}
to the backside
'achar (Hebrew #310)
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
KJV usage: after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.
Pronounce: akh-ar'
Origin: from 309
of the desert
midbar (Hebrew #4057)
a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)
KJV usage: desert, south, speech, wilderness.
Pronounce: mid-bawr'
Origin: from 1696 in the sense of driving
, and came
bow' (Hebrew #935)
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
KJV usage: abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.
Pronounce: bo
Origin: a primitive root
to the mountain
har (Hebrew #2022)
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
KJV usage: hill (country), mount(-ain), X promotion.
Pronounce: har
Origin: a shortened form of 2042
of God
'elohiym (Hebrew #430)
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
KJV usage: angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
Pronounce: el-o-heem'
Origin: plural of 433
l, even to Horeb
Choreb (Hebrew #2722)
desolate; Choreb, a (generic) name for the Sinaitic mountains
KJV usage: Horeb.
Pronounce: kho-rabe'
Origin: from 2717
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l
Ex. 18:5• 5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God. (Ex. 18:5)
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1 Kings 19:8• 8And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:8)

More on:

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Desert,
Father,
Flock,
God,
Horeb,
Jethro,
Midian; Midianites,
Moses,
Mountain Mount,
Priest; Priesthood

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1:  Moses keeps Jethro's flock.
2-8:  God appears to him in a burning bush.
9-12:  He sends him to deliver Israel.
13-14:  The name of God.
15-19:  His message to Israel, and Pharaoh, whose opposition is foretold.
20-22:  He is assured of Israel's deliverance.
A.M. 2513.
B.C. 1491.
kept.
Psa. 78:70‑72• 70And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
 71From following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
 72And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands. (Psa. 78:70‑72)
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Amos 1:1• 1The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (Amos 1:1)
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Amos 7:14‑15• 14And Amos answered and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit.
 15And Jehovah took me as I followed the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. (Amos 7:14‑15)
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Matt. 4:18‑19• 18And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers;
 19and he says to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matt. 4:18‑19)
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Luke 2:8• 8And there were shepherds in that country abiding without, and keeping watch by night over their flock. (Luke 2:8)
his father.
Ex. 2:16,21• 16And the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs, to water their father's flock.
 21And Moses consented to remain with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. (Ex. 2:16,21)
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Ex. 18:1‑6• 1And Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done to Moses, and to Israel his people; that Jehovah had brought Israel out of Egypt.
 2And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
 3and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom--for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,
 4--and the name of the other, Eliezer--For the God of my father has been my help, and has delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
 5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God.
 6And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. (Ex. 18:1‑6)
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Num. 10:29• 29And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are journeying to the place of which Jehovah said, I will give it unto you: come with us, and we will do thee good; for Jehovah has spoken good concerning Israel. (Num. 10:29)
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Judg. 4:11• 11(Now Heber the Kenite had severed 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 of Zaannaim, which is by Kedesh.) (Judg. 4:11)
the mountain.
Ex. 3:5• 5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. (Ex. 3:5)
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Ex. 18:5• 5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God. (Ex. 18:5)
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Ex. 19:3,11• 3And Moses went up to God, and Jehovah called to him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
 11and let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day Jehovah will come down before the eyes of all the people on mount Sinai. (Ex. 19:3,11)
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Ex. 24:15‑17• 15And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
 16And the glory of Jehovah abode on mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
 17And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain, before the eyes of the children of Israel. (Ex. 24:15‑17)
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1 Kings 19:8• 8And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. (1 Kings 19:8)
Horeb.
Ex. 17:6• 6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock on Horeb; and thou shalt strike the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel. (Ex. 17:6)
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Deut. 1:6• 6Jehovah our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have stayed long enough in this mountain. (Deut. 1:6)
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Deut. 4:10• 10the day that thou stoodest before Jehovah thy God in Horeb, when Jehovah said to me, Gather me the people together, that I may cause them to hear my words, that they may learn them, and fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and teach them to their children. (Deut. 4:10)
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Psa. 106:19• 19They made a calf in Horeb, and did homage to a molten image; (Psa. 106:19)
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Mal. 4:4• 4Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and ordinances. (Mal. 4:4)
• Moses was no less than forty years in the wilderness, learning the lessons he needed for his future work, and being qualified to act for God as the deliverer of His people. What a contrast, to his former life at the court of Pharaoh. There he was surrounded with all the luxury and refinement of his age; here he is a simple shepherd, keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law. Forty is the number of probation. (“The Commission of Moses: Exodus 3-4” by E. Dennett)
• God always sends His servants into the wilderness before employing them for the accomplishment of His purposes. Nowhere else can we be brought so fully into the presence of God. It is there, alone with Him, that we discover the utter vanity of human resources, and our entire dependence upon Himself. (“The Commission of Moses: Exodus 3-4” by E. Dennett)

J. N. Darby Translation

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And Moses tended the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God—to Horeb.

W. Kelly Translation

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And Moses tended the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.