The Meaning of Exodus 3:16 Explained

Exodus 3:16

KJV: Go, 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:

YLT: '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;

Darby: Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God 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;

ASV: Go, 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 Reverse Interlinear

Go,  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: 

What does Exodus 3:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 3:13-22 - Moses Sent To Deliver Israel
How unlike this Moses was to the man who, forty years before, had acted with such impulsive haste, Acts 7:23. He had learned much since then, and most about himself. But there should be no shrinking when God says I am. Fill in this blank check with whatever you need for life or godliness, and God will do that and more also, with exceeding abundance.
Had we been called upon to demonstrate the life beyond death from the Old Testament, we should hardly have turned to this chapter. But our Lord read the profound significance of these august words, Matthew 22:31-32. Evidently the patriarchs must have been all living when God spoke, or He would never have described Himself as being still their God. Had they ceased to exist He must have said, not I am, but I was the God of the fathers. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 3

1  Moses keeps Jethro's flock
2  God appears to him in a burning bush
9  He sends him to deliver Israel
13  The name of God
15  His message to Israel, and Pharaoh, whose opposition is foretold
20  He is assured of Israel's deliverance

What do the individual words in Exodus 3:16 mean?

Go and gather together - the elders of Israel and say to them Yahweh God of your fathers has appeared to me the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob saying surely I have visited you and [seen] what is done to you in Egypt
לֵ֣ךְ וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֞ אֶת־ זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵהֶם֙ יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ נִרְאָ֣ה --אֵלַ֔י אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם יִצְחָ֥ק ---וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־ הֶעָשׂ֥וּי לָכֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם

לֵ֣ךְ  Go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֞  and  gather  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָסַף 
Sense: to gather, receive, remove, gather in.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זִקְנֵ֣י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וְאָמַרְתָּ֤  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲלֵהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יְהוָ֞ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֤י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם֙  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
נִרְאָ֣ה  has  appeared 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
--אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֱלֹהֵ֧י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַבְרָהָ֛ם  of  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
יִצְחָ֥ק  of  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
---וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב  and  of  Jacob 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פָּקֹ֤ד  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙  I  have  visited 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
הֶעָשׂ֥וּי  [seen]  what  is  done 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָכֶ֖ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
בְּמִצְרָֽיִם  in  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.