SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:2
Y se le apareció el Angel del SEÑOR en una llama de fuego en medio de un zarzal; y él miró, y vio que el zarzal ardía en fuego, y el zarzal no se consumía.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Exodus 3:2
Verse 2. The angel of the Lord] Not a created angel certainly; for he is called hwhy Jehovah, ver. 4, &c., and has the most expressive attributes of the Godhead applied to him, ver. 14, &c. Yet he is an angel, ûalm malach, a messenger, in whom was the name of God, chap. xxiii. 21; and in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, Col. ii. 9; and who, in all these primitive times, was the Messenger of the covenant, Mal. iii. 1. And who was this but JESUS, the Leader, Redeemer, and saviour of mankind? See the note on "Genesis xvi. 7". A flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush] Fire was, not only among the Hebrews but also among many other ancient nations, a very significant emblem of the Deity. God accompanied the Israelites in all their journeyings through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night; and probably a fire or flame in the holy of holies, between the cherubim, was the general symbol of his presence; and traditions of these things, which must have been current in the east, have probably given birth, not only to the pretty general opinion that God appears in the likeness of fire, but to the whole of the Zoroastrian system of fire-worship. It has been reported of Zoroaster, or Zeradusht, that having retired to a mountain for the study of wisdom, and the benefit of solitude, the whole mountain was one day enveloped with flame, out of the midst of which he came without receiving any injury; on which he offered sacrifices to God, who, he was persuaded, had then appeared to him. M. Anquetil du Perron gives much curious information on this subject in his Zend Avesta. The modern Parsees call fire the off-spring of Ormusd, and worship it with a vast variety of ceremonies.
Among the fragments attributed to AEschylus, and collected by Stanley in his invaluable edition of this poet, p. 647, col. 1, we find the following beautiful verses: cwrize qnhtwn ton qeon, kai mh dokei omoion autw sapkinon kaqestanai.
ouk oisqa dÆ auton? pote men wv pur fainetai aplaston ormh? pote dÆ udwr, pote de gnofov.
"Distinguish God from mortal men; and do not suppose that any thing fleshly is like unto him. Thou knowest him not: sometimes indeed he appears as a formless and impetuous FIRE, sometimes as water, sometimes as thick darkness." The poet proceeds: tremei dÆ orh, kai gaia, kai peleriov buqov qalasshv, kwrewn uyov mega, Æotan epibleyh gorgon omma despotou.
"The mountains, the earth, the deep and extensive sea, and the summits of the highest mountains tremble whenever the terrible eye of the Supreme Lord looks down upon them." These are very remarkable fragments, and seem all to be collected from traditions relative to the different manifestations of God to the Israelites in Egypt, and in the wilderness. Moses wished to see God, but he could behold nothing but an indescribable glory: nothing like mortals, nothing like a human body, appeared at any time to his eye, or to those of the Israelites. "Ye saw no manner of similitude," said Moses, "on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the FIRE," Deut. iv. 15. But sometimes the Divine power and justice were manifested by the indescribable, formless, impetuous, consuming flame; at other times he appeared by the water which he brought out of the flinty rock; and in the thick darkness on Horeb, when the fiery law proceeded from his right hand, then the earth quaked and the mountain trembled: and when his terrible eye looked out upon the Egyptians through the pillar of cloud and fire, their chariot wheels were struck off, and confusion and dismay were spread through all the hosts of Pharaoh; chap. xiv. 24, 25.
And the bush was not consumed.] 1. An emblem of the state of Israel in its various distresses and persecutions: it was in the fire of adversity, but was not consumed. 2. An emblem also of the state of the Church of God in the wilderness, in persecutions often, in the midst of its enemies, in the region of the shadow of death-yet not consumed. 3. An emblem also of the state of every follower of Christ: cast down, but not forsaken; grievously tempted, but not destroyed; walking through the fire, but still unconsumed! Why are all these preserved in the midst of those things which have a natural tendency to destroy them! Because GOD IS IN THE MIDST OF THEM; it was this that preserved the bush from destruction; and it was this that preserved the Israelites; and it is this, and this alone, that preserves the Church, and holds the soul of every genuine believer in the spiritual life. He in whose heart Christ dwells not by faith, will soon be consumed by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - 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 shepherd in Midian, the third as a king in Jeshurun. How changeable is the life of man! The first appearance of God to Moses, found his tending sheep. This seems a poor employment for a man of his parts an education, yet he rests satisfied with it; and thus learns meekness an contentment, for which he is more noted in sacred writ, than for all his learning. Satan loves to find us idle; God is pleased when he find us employed. Being alone, is a good friend to our communion with God To his great surprise, Moses saw a bush burning without fire to kindl it. The bush burned, and yet did not burn away; an emblem of the churc in bondage in Egypt. And it fitly reminds us of the church in ever age, under its severest persecutions kept by the presence of God from being destroyed. Fire is an emblem, in Scripture, of the Divin holiness and justice, also of the afflictions and trials with which God proves and purifies his people, and even of that baptism of the Holy Ghost, by which sinful affections are consumed, and the soul change into the Divine nature and image. God gave Moses a gracious call, to which he returned a ready answer. Those that would have communion with God, must attend upon him in the ordinances wherein he is pleased to manifest himself and his glory, though it be in a bush. Putting off the shoe was a token of respect and submission. We ought to draw nigh to God with a solemn pause and preparation, carefully avoiding every thin that looks light and rude, and unbecoming his service. God does no say, I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but I am. The patriarchs still live, so many years after their bodies have been in the grave. No length of time can separate the souls of the just from their Maker. By this, God instructed Moses as to another world, an strengthened his belief of a future state. Thus it is interpreted by our Lord Jesus, who, from hence, proves that the dead are raised, L 20:37. Moses hid his face, as if both ashamed and afraid to look upo God. The more we see of God, and his grace, and covenant love, the mor cause we shall see to worship him with reverence and godly fear.
Original Hebrew
וירא 7200 מלאך 4397 יהוה 3068 אליו 413 בלבת 3827 אשׁ 784 מתוך 8432 הסנה 5572 וירא 7200 והנה 2009 הסנה 5572 בער 1197 באשׁ 784 והסנה 5572 איננו 369 אכל׃ 398
