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, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

EXODUS 3:18KJV
Know the Bible

Exodus 3:18 (KJV)

What does Exodus 3:18 mean?

Exodus 3:18 describes God preparing Moses for a meeting with Egypt’s king. God says the leaders of Israel will listen to Moses and join him in asking permission to travel into the wilderness to offer a sacrifice.

God is speaking to Moses at the burning bush. The request connects the journey with an encounter: “The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us.” The “three days’ journey” describes the distance they ask to travel, while the sacrifice names the purpose of their request.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 3:18

  • “hearken” — שָׁמַע (shamaʿ): This word means to hear or listen. Here it suggests that Israel’s leaders will pay attention to Moses, not merely hear the sound of his voice.
  • “met” — קָרָה (qarah): This word can carry the sense of meeting or encountering. The word presents God’s encounter with them as the reason given for approaching the king.
  • “sacrifice” — זָבַח (zavach): This word means to offer an animal in sacrifice. For the first hearers, the request would picture a concrete act of worship, not simply a trip away from Egypt.

Why Exodus 3:18 matters

  • Moses is not to approach the king alone. “Thou and the elders of Israel” shows that the request comes with the support of Israel’s leaders.
  • The request is addressed to Egypt’s ruler, whose response becomes important in the next verses. God tells Moses in verse 19 that the king will not let them go willingly.

Where else these words appear

“met” Hebrew H7136 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 24:12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
  • Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
  • Nehemiah 3:6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

“Hebrews” Hebrew H5680 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
  • Exodus 2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
  • 1 Samuel 4:6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

“sacrifice” Hebrew H2076 · used in 127 verses

  • Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
  • 1 Samuel 2:13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
  • 2 Chronicles 15:11 And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.