Burning Bush narrative questions

[Teluog]

I'm reading through the NIV and just finished this narrative, and have some questions.

1) In the NIV, whenever YHWH is used in Hebrew, the English is capitals "LORD"; and Adonai uses smaller letters "Lord". Throughout this narrative, "LORD" is constantly used, except the two times in 4:10 and 4:13 where Moses expresses his hesitance of going to Pharaoh as God asked him to. So why is "Lord" used in these verses instead of "LORD"? Is Moses' hesitance a clue?

2) 4:14 says the LORD's anger burned against Moses. What exactly does "burned against Moses" mean? And why did God get angry? And why is this even mentioned at all? It seems like the narrative could do just fine without this detail. But since it's there nonetheless, it must be asked why was this an important detail to have in there?

[John Reece]

1) In the NIV, whenever YHWH is used in Hebrew, the English is capitals "LORD"; and Adonai uses smaller letters "Lord". Throughout this narrative, "LORD" is constantly used, except the two times in 4:10 and 4:13 where Moses expresses his hesitance of going to Pharaoh as God asked him to. So why is "Lord" used in these verses instead of "LORD"?

The difference in the context of the narrative of the burning bush it that YHWH is used in narration about YHWH; whereas ʾᵃdōnāy is used in direct address to YHWH.

2) 4:14 says the LORD's anger burned against Moses. What exactly does "burned against Moses" mean?

Hebrew ‏וַיִּחַר־אַף (wayyiḥar-ʾap) ― literally "then his nose became hot" ― means "then he become angry" : ‏וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהוָה בְּמֹשֶׁה (wayyiḥar-ʾap YHWH bᵉmōšeh) 'then the LORD became angry with Moses'.

[RBerman]

Exodus 4:14 says the LORD's anger burned against Moses. What exactly does "burned against Moses" mean? And why did God get angry? And why is this even mentioned at all? It seems like the narrative could do just fine without this detail. But since it's there nonetheless, it must be asked why was this an important detail to have in there?

It's not really a language issue, just a story issue. God is displeased that Moses keeps making excuses why he should not be the one to challenge Pharaoh.

Exodus 3 ff

[God said,] "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " ...

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" ...

Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.

So Moses tries, in five different ways, to say, "I don't want to do it, God." The amazing thing is that it's not until the fifth time that God "burns with anger."

[Teluog]

ur gonna need another eyepatch in a moment, pal