New American Standard Bible 1995

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Exodus

5

:

3

Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then they said, to utter, say Verb H559 וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ vai·yo·me·ru,
"The God God, god Noun H430 אֱלֹהֵ֥י e·lo·hei
of the Hebrews perhaps desc. of Eber, also another name for an Isr. Adjective H5680 הָעִבְרִ֖ים ha·'iv·rim
has met to encounter, befall Verb H7122 נִקְרָ֣א nik·ra
with us. Please, I (we) pray, now Interjection H4994 נָּ֡א na
let us go to go, come, walk Verb H1980 נֵ֣לֲכָה ne·la·chah
a three a three, triad Noun H7969 שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת she·lo·shet
Analysis:

Three: Purposes of God in: Testing, revealing, proving, documenting, victory and if applied to God, holiness

The number "three" is one of the most significant numbers in the Scriptures. Its primary purpose is for the sake of revealing or documenting something as fact (testing to validate something). It is also connected to the outcome of the will of God. One of the most famous occurrences for the number three is found in the book of Jonah, where Jonah is in the belly of the fish "three days and three nights."  A major aspect of the book of Jonah is that the prophet was fleeing from the presence of HaShem. Instead of Jonah going to Nineveh as God had commanded, the prophet desired not to obey this commandment, even if it meant that his relationship with God would be destroyed. HaShem decided to test to see if Jonah preferred to end his relationship with God rather than go to Nineveh. By placing Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, it would be revealed whether it was true that Jonah wanted to end his relationship with God over this commandment to go to Nineveh. It is most significant that immediately after (in the next verse) the reader is informed that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.  What does Jonah do? The text states that Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from within the fish. Hence, the three days and three nights ultimately revealed, proved, or documented that what Jonah said he wanted was not true. One could also say that Jonah was tested for those three days and three nights and the test results showed that he did not want to end his relationship with God and in the end Jonah went to Nineveh.

In a similar manner, Peter rejects Yeshua's statement that he will deny Him. Therefore, Yeshua says to Peter that he will deny Him three times. These three denials prove, document, and reveal to the reader that Yeshua's statement was factual. It is not a coincidence that when Yeshua reinstated Peter after the resurrection, He asked him three times, "do you love Me?” In this context, Yeshua was testing the validity of Peter's statement. 

Yeshua also revealed that He, in a similar manner to Jonah being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, would be in the belly of the earth three days and three nights and then rise from the dead. In this passage, the number three not only documents the fact that He died, but also the resurrection. It is also very significant that Yeshua rose on the third day.

The number three also relates to victory, as in the completion of God's purposes and plans. In the book of Genesis, one reads about the offering of Isaac. This passage has great theological significance and is one of the first passages which is read in the morning synagogue service each day. This section begins with HaShem commanding Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. The climax of this portion of Scripture comes about on the third day. It was on the third day that HaShem provided the ram so that Isaac would live. In this passage, Isaac represents the promise (of God) which would have died (ended) had not HaShem acted. There is not a conflict between the two concepts for the number three of victory (the fulfillment of God’s will) and revelation or documentation. Often, it is the climax of what HaShem wants to do, which is simply being revealed or proved with the use of the number three.

Please note that when the number three is applied to God, then it can relate to holiness; whereas the number seven relates to holiness when this number is about man (see explanation for the number seven).

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

days' day Noun H3117 יָמִ֜ים ya·mim
journey way, road, distance, journey, manner Noun H1870 דֶּרֶךְ֩ de·rech
into the wilderness wilderness Noun H4057 בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר bam·mid·bar
that we may sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice Verb H2076 וְנִזְבְּחָה֙ ve·niz·be·chah
to the LORD the proper name of the God of Israel Noun H3068 לַֽיהוָ֣ה Yah·weh
our God, God, god Noun H430 אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ e·lo·hei·nu,
otherwise lest Conjunction H6435 פֶּ֨ן־ pen-
He will fall to meet, encounter, reach Verb H6293 יִפְגָּעֵ֔נוּ yif·ga·'e·nu,
upon us with pestilence pestilence Noun H1698 בַּדֶּ֖בֶר bad·de·ver
or or Conjunction H176 אֹ֥ו ov
with the sword." a sword Noun H2719 בֶחָֽרֶב׃ ve·cha·rev.

People

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Lord

Lord [N] [B] [S] There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.    Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in  Exodus 6:3 ;  Psalms 83:18 ;  Isaiah 12:2 ;  26:4 , both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.&nb... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."
King James Bible Then And they said, "The The God of the Hebrews has hath met with us. Please, us: let us go a go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness that we may desert, and sacrifice to unto the LORD our God, otherwise He will God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence pestilence, or with the sword."
Hebrew Greek English Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."