Exodus 3:1-15
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- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
- Shemot 3: Massoretic, Hebrew, Aramaic, JPS.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- Navigating the Bible: Text/Rabbinic commentary and Divrei Torah.
- Comparative World Scriptures from United Communities of Spirit:
- Chapter XVII of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96)
- Chapter LXII, Chapter LXIII, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
- Chapter LX, Dialogue With Trypho, Justin Martyr. (c 160)
- III.VI.2, IV.V.2, IV.VII.4, IV.X.1, IV.XII.4, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- Chapter IX, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
- Chapter III, On Prayer, Tertullian (c. 199)
- I.6, I.8, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- I.24, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- III.V, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 209)
- Chapter I, Scorpiace, Tertullian (c. 213)
- I.III.6, II.IV.1, II.VIII.3, First Principles (De Principiis), Origen. (c.225)
- VIII.II, The Refutation of all Heresies (Philosophumena), Hippolytus of Rome. (c. 225)
- VII.XXVIII, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
- Chapter XX, Hortatory Address to the Greeks, pseudo-Justin. (3rd cent?)
- Book I, Chapter 2, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius of Caesarea, (c. 320).
- Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
- From the Geneva Notes.
- "This shows that the Church is not consumed by the fires of affliction, because God is in the midst of it."
- From
Matthew Henry's
Commentary.
- "The years of the life of Moses are divided into three forties; the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second as a shepherd in Midian, the third as a king in Jeshurun."
- From
Wesley's Notes.
- "And the bush burned, and yet was not consumed - An emblem of the church now in bondage in Egypt, burning in the brick - kilns, yet not consumed; cast down, but not destroyed."
- From the
Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- "With [those in Eastern countries] the removal of the shoes is a confession of personal defilement and conscious unworthiness to stand in the presence of unspotted holiness."
- Contemporary References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- Commentary, Exodus 3:1-15, Amy Merrill Willis, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011
- "In this (and every!) prophetic commissioning scene, God's work is once again aligned and intertwined with human agency."
- "God's Curiosity, and Ours," Fr. Rick Morley, a garden path, 2011.
- "In ministry we are called, often enough, to look more closely. Listen more intently. And search out the nooks and crannies of the world around us, and hear the cry of people we might not normally hear."
- "Get Off the Couch and into the Game!" David Lose, Dear Working Preacher, 2011.
- "Don't be fooled by your dim recollections of Charlton Heston's Moses. This passage isn't about a timid exile's reverent first meeting with the God of his ancestors. Rather, this story is about a no-holds-barred encounter between a wily, even conniving outlaw and a God who's more than up to the challenge of transforming him into an instrument of salvation."
- "Holy Ground," Unvirtuous Abbey, The Hardest Question, 2011.
- "Have you ever received a fax from heaven? If so, how did it change your life?"
- "It's Your Call," John Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, Patheos, 2011.
- "The scene at the bush is bracketed by Moses' life circumstance."
-
Commentary, Exodus 3:1-15, Dennis Olson, Preaching This Week,
WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
- "This divine name is built on the Hebrew verb "to be" and is related to the divine name used frequently throughout the Old Testament, "Yahweh," or YHWH (the transliterated Hebrew consonants without the vowels)."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
-
The Old Testament Readings:
Exodus 3:1-15. Weekly Comments on the Revised Common
Lectionary,Theological Hall of the Uniting Church,
Melbourne, Australia.
- "The Jewish scholar Martin Buber has suggested ?Ehyeh (?I am?) who will certainly be? and we might add in this story ?with you?."
-
"Exodus 3:1-15,"
Pentecost 16,
Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological
Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church
in Australia.
- "It is one of the delights of the Old Testament that one can be difficult and challenge God and a passive deference is not necessarily an acceptable trait for a divine call. Indeed, God could be seen as taking incredible risks with humans who are very vulnerable and not very reliable at times."
-
"Ever on Holy Ground,"
Daniel Deffenbaugh, Seeds of Shalom, 2008.
- "I have always taken great comfort in Martin Buber's translation of God's holy name in this passage. The traditional rendering ? 'I am that I am' ? is, again, pretty nebulous to me. But Buber argues that a more appropriate translation here is, 'I will be whatever I will be.'"
-
Third Sunday in Lent, The Via Negativa: Old Testament Lessons in
Lent, Jane E. Strohl, Word & World Texts in Context, Luther Seminary,
1995. (Section on this text
begins on page 104.)
- "Again, as in the Deuteronomy text, we are presented with the same core story, a history in the making of a people oppressed and delivered."
- Parshah Shemot, text, commentary, stories, sermons & articles from Chassidic Masters and others, from Chabad Lubavitch.
-
"When Moses Burned Inside the Burning Bush," Arthur Ocean Waskow &
Phyllis Ocean Berman, The Shalom Center.
- "'God only knows where this dance is going to take us,' he muttered. He turned to look back at the summit of the mountain. 'It's up to You,' he shouted. 'I have no idea where we're heading. Freedom, what a chance, a dance, we're taking!'"
-
"The
Call of Moses," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com:
A Lectionary Resource for Catholics.
- "Many times when we try to change God's will through prayer, we become frustrated. No wonder! Like Moses we seek God's power, only to find we are not in charge."
-
"Back to the Burning Bush," William H. Willimon, The Christian Century,
2002.
- "It is odd that God needs someone, particularly someone as inept as Moses, to do the work."
- Parshas Shemos, Divrei Torah from The Project Genesis Torah Study. Index to numerous Orthodox articles and studies on Exodus 1:1 - 6:1.
- Parshat Schmot, articles and commentary by the Jewish Community of Atlanta, at The Torah From Dixie.
- "Lent
C3 - Exegetical Notes on Exodus 3:1-15," Douglas MacCallum
Lindsay Judisch, Concordia Theological Seminary (LCMS - Indiana).
- "The converse of this symbolism is the sinner's natural fearfulness of the presence of the All-Holy God. The resulting response, therefore, in verse 6 to the Lord's self-revelation is the desire of Moses to hide his face. A corresponding example in the New Testament would be the reaction of Simon Peter to the Lord's revelation of His deity in the miraculous drought of fish: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8)."
- Commentary, Exodus 3:1-15, Amy Merrill Willis, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011
- Articles & Background:
-
"The Meaning of Vocation," A.J. Conyers, (other resources at)
"Vocation," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2004.
- "'Vocation' is distorted by two disastrous misunderstandings: a secularized idea of 'career' and a monastic concept of the religious life."
- Articles, poetry and illustrations from Jewish Heritage
OnLine Monthly's "Topic of the Month," Fire. Includes:
- "Theophany
at the Burning Bush," Nahum Sarna
- "The idea of explicitly sacred (Heb. kadosh) space is encountered here for the first time."
- "Theophany
at the Burning Bush," Nahum Sarna
- "The
Holy and the Sacred," Paul S. Minear, Yale Divinity School. Theology
Today, 1990.
- "The sacred is found wherever religion is found; the holy wherever God is present. Accordingly, it is quite possible to consider many things as sacred but nothing as holy, or equally possible to treat many things as holy but nothing as sacred. Everything depends on the concept of God. Of the two terms, theistic religions view the holy as primary, the sacred as secondary."
- St.
Catherine Monastery: explore the monastery, artwork, etc.
- "Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, Saint Catherine Monastery has been one of the world’s great centers of religious pilgrimage for over fifteen centuries."
- Chapel of the Burning
Bush (includes picture of the Burning
Bush)
- "The monastery's spiritual heart is the Chapel of the Burning Bush, an unassuming structure of tremendous religious significance. According the oldest monastic tradition, this chapel sits atop the roots of the same Biblical bush "that burned with fire, and was not consumed" (Exodus 3:2) when God spoke to Moses for the first time. A few feet away from the Chapel is the reputed bush itself, a rare species of the rose family called Rubus Sanctus."
- "Burning Bush" from botanical.com.
-
"The Meaning of Vocation," A.J. Conyers, (other resources at)
"Vocation," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2004.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Beach-Verhey, Kathy, "Between Text and Sermon, Exodus 3:1-12," Interpretation, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Carroll, R.P.,
"Strange Fire: Abstract of Presence Absent in the Text Meditations on Exodus
3," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1994.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Coats, George W.,
"Moses in Midian," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - den Hertog, Cornelis,
"The Prophetic Dimension of the Divine Name: On Exodus 3:14a and Its
Context," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Egger, Thomas J., "Homiletical Helps on the LSB
Series C - Old Testament / A - Epistles," Concordia Journal,
2007. (Section on this text begins on page 385.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Eslinger, Lyle, "Freedom or
Knowledge? Perspective and Purpose in the Exodus Narrative," Journal
for the Study of the Old Testament, 1991.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Freedman, David Noel,
"The Name of the God of Moses," Journal of Biblical Literature,
1960.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Gianotti, Charles R.,
"The Meaning of the Divine Name YHWH," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hertog, Cornelia den, "The Prophetic
Dimension of the Divine Name: On Exodus 3:14a and Its Context," The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Holmgren, Fredrick C.,
"Between Text & Sermon, Exodus 2:11-3:15," Interpretation, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - "Homiletical Helps on LW Series C - Old Testament," Concordia Journal, 2004. (Section on this text begins on page 64.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Janzen, J. Gerald, "...And the Bush
Was Not Consumed," Encounter, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Janzen, J. Gerald,
"The Child Is the Father of the Man: Moses in the Bulrushes," The
Living Pulpit, 2003.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Johnson, William A., "The Philosopher
at the Burning Bush," Religion and Intellectual Life, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Kearney, Richard, "God Who May Be: A
Phenomenological Study," Modern Theology, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Levine, Etan, "Midrash on the Burning
Bush," Reconstructionist, 1971.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - McCarthy, Dennis J., S.J.,
"Exodus 3:14: History, Philology and Theology," The Catholic Biblical
Quarterly, 1978.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Mendenhall, Maury,
"Runaways," Journal for Preachers, 2001. Sermon.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Mowinckel, Sigmund,
"The Name of the God of Moses," Hebrew Union College Annual,
1961.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Phillips, Anthony and Lucy,
"The Origin of 'I am' in Exodus 3.14," Journal for the Study of the
Old Testament, 1998.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Robinson, Bernard P.,
"Moses at the Burning Bush," Journal for the Study of the Old
Testament, 1997.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Schild, E.,
"On Exodus 3:14 - 'I Am That I Am,'" Vetus Testamentum, 1954.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Smith, John Ferris, "Miriam and the
Burning Bush: To a High School Teacher," Religion and Intellectual
Life, 1987.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Strohl, Jane E., "The Via Negativa:
Old Testament Lessons in Lent," Word & World, 1995. (Section on
this text begins on page 104.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Thompson, Thomas L.,
"How Yahweh Became God: Exodus 3 and 6 and the Heart of the Pentateuch,"
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1995.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Tiessen, Terry, "God, Time and
Knowledge: What Does God Know and When Does God Know It?" Didaskalia,
2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Wardlaw, Theodore J., "Forming: A
Peculiar Language," Journal for Preachers, 1994. (Sermon)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Whitten, Hubert N., "Burning Bush,"
Brethren Life and Thought, 2002. (Poetry)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Willimon, William H., "Back to the
Burning Bush," The Christian Century, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Wyatt, N.,
"The Significance of the Burning Bush," Vetus Testamentum, 1986.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Beach-Verhey, Kathy, "Between Text and Sermon, Exodus 3:1-12," Interpretation, 2005.
- Reviews:
- Sermons:
- The Godness Of God -- Sermon for Lent 3 based on Exodus 3:1-15 by John R. Brokhoff from SermonSuite.
- The Names By Which He Is Known David Kalas, SermonStudio.
- "Clarity about Your Calling," the Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams, Day 1, 2006.
- "Turning Aside," the Rev. Barbara Lundblad, Associate Professor of Homiletics at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2000.
- "Something of God," the Rev. Dr. Francis H. Wade, Day 1, 1997.
- "The Name of God: I Am," Pastor Edward F. Marquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Proper 17, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2011.
- "Children's Literature: A Resource for Ministry," August 21 & 28 (scroll down for Aug 28), 2011, Union Presbyterian Seminary. Connections: Exodus 3:1-15 and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson.
- "Moses and the Burning Bush," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
- When Anna Died -- Children’s liturgy and story for Lent 3 based on Luke 13:1-9 from SermonSuite.
- "The Burning Bush," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
- "Burning Bush," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
- "The Call of Moses," online computer java-based coloring pages from Grace Baptist Church of Feeding Hill.
- Drama:
- "I Want You, Moses," Kevin Penner, dramatix.
- "Moses and the Burning Bush," Joey Bauer, dramatix.
- "Moses vs. the Burning Bush," Theodore N. Wright, dramatix.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art, Exodus 3:2, Exodus 3:6, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
- Clip Art Images: Exodus 3:1-15, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
- Clip Art: Moses and the Burning Bush, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
- Moses, Leader of God's People PowerPoint Slide Masters. Henry Martin, sermons4kids.com.
- Burning Bush, Clip Art, Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Exodus 3:1-15, Scripture Pics - graphics relating to RCL texts, Matt Baker, Germantown UMC, Ohio.
- Hymns and Music:
- "O God, You Love the Needy," Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, ties in this week's lectionary texts with the issue of famine in Africa. LLANGLOFFAN 7.6.7.6.D (Lead On, O King Eternal; Rejoice, Rejoice Believers).
- "God, the Mountains Tell Your Glory," an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2010, celebrates biblical stories set on mountains, including Moses' call. Tune: AUSTRIAN HYMN 8.7.8.7 D ("Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken") and ABBOT'S LEIGH 8.7.8.7 D ("God Is Here!").
- "Our God, You Called to Moses," Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. TUNE: LLANGLOFFAN 7.6.7.6.D ("Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers").
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- At Oremus Hymnal:
- Hymn Selections, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
- At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Exodus
