Selected story
The Burning Bush
Read the cited context and compare 9 documented textual points.
Comparison 22 of 34
The Burning Bush
The two accounts at a glance
Bible
World English BibleGod calls Moses from a burning bush, commissions him against Pharaoh, and gives signs including the staff and altered hand.
Qur'an
Sahih InternationalMoses encounters fire, is called by God, receives staff and hand signs, and is sent with Aaron to Pharaoh.
These are concise account summaries with exact references. Open the complete texts at these passages →
9 documented comparison points
The comparison reads the complete call at Horeb and every Qur'anic retelling of the fire, sacred valley, divine speech, signs, objections, and appointment of Aaron. Labels use one standard: agreement means both texts state the point; additional detail means one adds a non-conflicting detail; omission means one is silent; ambiguity means an identity or meaning is not explicit; contradiction means both texts state mutually exclusive claims. Stylistic wording alone is not counted.
Whose flock Moses tends
Moses tends the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law and priest of Midian.
Moses travels with his family and sees a fire, but the call passages do not identify the flock, Jethro, or a priestly employer.
The sacred location
Moses comes to Horeb, the mountain of God, and approaches a burning bush.
He is called from the right side of the valley in a blessed spot or from the sacred valley of Tuwa.
The fire and the tree
The angel of Yahweh appears in a flame within a bush that burns but is not consumed, attracting Moses to investigate.
Moses sees a fire, hopes for a brand or guidance, and is called from a tree in Q 28. The repeated emphasis is divine speech, not a bush visibly burning without consumption.
Removing footwear
God tells Moses not to come closer and to remove sandals because the ground is holy.
God commands Moses to remove both shoes because he is in the sacred valley Tuwa; the command not to approach closer is not included.
How God identifies Himself
God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and reveals 'I AM WHO I AM' and Yahweh as His memorial name.
God declares, 'I am Allah: there is no god but I,' commands worship and prayer, and announces the coming Hour.
The mission to Pharaoh
Moses is sent to bring Israel out of Egypt and ask for a wilderness sacrifice, backed by promises about elders and Egyptian goods.
Moses and Aaron are sent to Pharaoh with gentle speech, calling him to purification, guidance, and release of Israel.
The signs given at the call
The staff becomes a serpent, Moses' hand becomes leprous and is healed, and Nile water may be poured out as blood.
The staff becomes a moving serpent and the hand emerges shining white without disease; no call-scene instruction to pour Nile water into blood is included.
Moses' objections
Moses raises multiple objections about identity, God's name, disbelief, speaking ability, and finally asks God to send someone else, provoking anger.
Moses asks for an expanded breast, eased task, loosened tongue, and Aaron's support, and elsewhere fears retaliation for the Egyptian he killed. God's anger at a final refusal is not narrated.
What happens on the return to Egypt
Moses receives Jethro's permission, travels with wife and sons, faces the circumcision crisis at the lodging place, meets Aaron, and addresses Israel's elders.
The call accounts move toward Pharaoh without the lodging-place circumcision, Zipporah's blood-bridegroom statement, or elders' assembly.
What do both texts share?
- Moses receives a divine call near a fire.
- He is commissioned to confront Pharaoh.
- The staff and hand serve as signs.