Exodus 3:16
What does Exodus 3:16 mean?
A plain-English look at Exodus 3:16 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Exodus 3:16 means
God gave Moses specific instructions for his first step: to gather the elders of Israel. Moses was to relay God’s message to them, confirming that God had indeed "visited" His people and had seen their suffering in Egypt. This initial communication with the elders was crucial for establishing credibility and preparing the way for the broader message to the enslaved nation. It showed God's orderly approach, beginning with the established leadership.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
KJV
King James Version · 1611Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Go and get together the chiefs of the children of Israel, and say to them, The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has been seen by me, and has said, Truly I have taken up your cause, because of what is done to you in Egypt;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Go, and thou hast gathered the elders of Israel, and hast said unto them: Jehovah, God of your fathers, hath appeareth unto me, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I have certainly inspected you, and that which is done to you in Egypt;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Go and gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you; and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah theGod of your fathers, theGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have indeed visited you, and [seen] that which is done unto you in Egypt;
Context
After revealing His name, God now provides Moses with explicit instructions for action. This verse outlines Moses's immediate task of gathering the elders, moving from divine revelation to practical steps in the liberation plan. It begins the detailed strategy for approaching the Israelites and then Pharaoh.
v.15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
v.16This passage
v.17and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 21:1
And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
- Exodus 18:12
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
- Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
- Genesis 50:24
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die; but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
- Exodus 4:29
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
- Luke 19:44
and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
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