Horeb

Biblical Text

• The call of Moses: While tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, Moses "came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb," and there he received God's call from the flame of fire in the midst of a bush (Exodus 3:1–10).
• Water from the rock: When the people quarreled at Rephidim because there was no water, God told Moses to strike "the rock in Horeb." The place was named Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17:6–7).
• Covenant and Law: Deuteronomy usually calls the mountain where the Law was given Horeb: "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb" (Deuteronomy 5:2). Deuteronomy 1:2 records that there are "eleven days' journey" from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea. The ark of the covenant is said to have contained the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb (1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10).
• The golden calf: Psalm 106:19 recalls the golden calf incident with the words "They made a calf in Horeb."
• Elijah: After the contest on Mount Carmel, Elijah fled from Jezebel and traveled forty days and forty nights "unto Horeb the mount of God." He stayed in a cave, and after the wind, the earthquake, and the fire had passed, he heard "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:8–18).
• Malachi: The last book of the Old Testament urges the people to remember "the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb" (Malachi 4:4).

Background

The Hebrew name Horeb is commonly explained as related to a root meaning "to be dry" or "to be desolate." Most traditions and scholars identify Horeb with Mount Sinai. Some, however, distinguish the two, taking Horeb as the name of the whole mountain range and Sinai as one peak within it. Other scholars attribute the use of different names in different books to differences in terminology among distinct traditions.

The mountain has traditionally been identified with Jebel Musa ("Mountain of Moses") in the southern Sinai Peninsula. At its foot stands St. Catherine's Monastery, which is generally dated to the sixth century. Some scholars propose other sites, including locations in northwestern Arabia, so the location remains unsettled.

Significance Across Scripture

Horeb is the place where God revealed Himself and established the Sinai covenant. The fact that both Moses and Elijah spent forty days there and encountered God (Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8) is often read as a link between the two figures. For this reason, some interpreters connect the Transfiguration, in which the two appear together, with the Horeb tradition.

The name Horeb does not appear in the New Testament; the mountain is referred to as Sinai instead. Stephen placed the burning bush "in the wilderness of mount Sina" (Acts 7:30). Paul used Mount Sinai as a symbol of the old covenant (Galatians 4:24–25). Hebrews 12:18–24 contrasts the mountain before which the people trembled in fear with Mount Zion. Paul's statement about the rock in the wilderness, "and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4), is read in connection with the episode of the rock at Horeb.

Interpretations and Debates

• Relationship to Mount Sinai and location: As noted above, views differ on whether Horeb and Sinai are the same mountain and on where it is located.
• "A still small voice": The Hebrew can also be rendered "a quiet, thin voice" or "a sound of thin silence," and interpretations of its meaning vary. A widely known interpretation takes it to mean that God works through a quiet word rather than through great miracles. Some applications extend the verse into a general principle about the voice an individual hears inwardly; this, however, is a matter of interpretation rather than something the text directly states.

In the Korean Church

The burning bush scene in Exodus 3 and the Elijah narrative in 1 Kings 19 are frequently used as sermon texts. The Elijah narrative in particular is often read as a story of the restoration of a weary and discouraged believer. The expression "still small voice" is widely used in teaching on prayer and meditation.