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Exodus 3:18

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 3:18 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days` journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days` journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.
Exodus 3:18 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 3

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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 forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16Go, 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:
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.
18And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days` journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.
19And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
20And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
21And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.
← Exodus 3:17Exodus 3:19 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And they shall hearken to thy voice, etc.] The elders of Israel, who would give credit to his commission, attend to what he said, and obey his orders, and follow the directions that he should give them, and not slight and reject him, as some had done before: and thou shall come, thou, and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt: the elders of Israel in a body, and Moses at the head of them; though we do not read of their approaching to Pharaoh, and addressing him in such a manner, only of Moses and Aaron applying to him: and you shall say unto him, the Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us; with one of them, who had reported to the rest what he had said; the children of Israel are…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Three days’ journey - i. e. a journey which would occupy three days in going and returning. This was a demand quite in accordance with Egyptian customs. The refusal of Pharaoh and the subsequent proceedings were revealed to Moses at once; but it is important to observe that the first request which Pharaoh rejected could have been granted without any damage to Egypt, or any risk of the Israelites passing the strongly-fortified frontier. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Hath met with us - Hath appeared to us, declaring his will, that we should do what follows. Exodus 3:19”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“3:18 Hebrews: See study note on 1:15. • a three-day journey . . . to offer sacrifices: If we think of the primary purpose of the Exodus as rescuing the Israelites from bondage, this seems like a disingenuous request. But God’s primary purpose was to create a people for himself, and he was taking them into the wilderness to teach them to worship him.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“and they: Exo 3:16, Exo 4:31; Jos 1:17; Ch2 30:12; Psa 110:3; Jer 26:5 and thou: Exo 5:1-3 The Lord: Exo 7:16, Exo 9:1, Exo 9:13, Exo 10:3 met: Exo 4:24, Exo 5:3, Exo 25:22, Exo 29:42, Exo 29:43, Exo 30:6, Exo 30:36; Gen 12:1, Gen 15:1, Gen 17:1, Gen 48:3; Num 17:4, Num 23:3, Num 23:4, Num 23:15, Num 23:16; Isa 64:5 three days': Exo 8:27, Exo 13:17, Exo 13:18 that we may: Exo 3:12, Exo 7:16, Exo 8:25-28, Exo 9:1, Exo 10:24-26, Exo 19:1; Jer 2:2, Jer 2:6 Exodus 3:19”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 3 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification