Exodus 6:2–3

Context

In Exodus 5, Moses goes before Pharaoh for the first time and demands that he let the people go. Pharaoh refuses and makes Israel's labor even heavier. After hearing the people's complaints, Moses appeals to God: "why is it that thou hast sent me?" (Exodus 5:22). Exodus 6:2–3 begins God's response to this appeal. God opens with the declaration "I am the LORD." He then says that he remembers the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he promises to deliver Israel out of Egypt (6:4–8).

"God Almighty" renders the Hebrew El Shaddai. In Genesis this title is used when promises are given to the patriarchs (Genesis 17:1; 35:11). "LORD" represents the personal name of God, written in Hebrew with the four consonants YHWH.

Interpretation

The passage is difficult because Genesis already contains scenes in which God identifies himself with the words "I am the LORD" (Genesis 15:7; 28:13). Interpreters have proposed several readings to address this tension.

• Experiential knowledge: Many evangelical and conservative commentators hold that the Hebrew verb "to know" means more than possessing information; it also means knowing through experience. On this reading, the patriarchs knew the name "LORD." However, the covenant fulfillment and saving character that the name expresses were first revealed in the events of the Exodus.
• Jewish commentary tradition: The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi is reported to have interpreted the passage to mean that the patriarchs received the promises but did not see them fulfilled. On this understanding, the name reveals God's faithfulness in keeping his promises.
• Historical-critical reading: Scholars who regard the Pentateuch as a compilation of multiple sources cite this passage as evidence for that view. They hold that the source to which the passage belongs, commonly called the Priestly source, understood the name LORD to have been first revealed in the time of Moses. Other sources in Genesis, by contrast, used the name from the beginning. These scholars sometimes also read chapter 6 as a separate tradition parallel to the call narrative in Exodus 3.
• Interrogative reading: Some scholars propose reading the latter part of verse 3 as a rhetorical question, such as "by my name the LORD did I not make myself known to them?" This view remains a minority position.

Debates and Issues

The debate over this passage arises less from differences among denominations than from differing views of the Pentateuch. Those who emphasize Mosaic authorship reconcile the passage with Genesis through the "experiential knowledge" interpretation. Historical criticism regards the passage as a trace of the formation of the Pentateuch from multiple traditions.

The passage also raises a translation issue. The pronunciation "Jehovah" is generally understood to have arisen from combining the consonants of YHWH with the vowels of Adonai, meaning "Lord." As a result, Korean Bible translations render the name differently. The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok) tradition uses "Jehovah," the Common Translation uses "Yahweh," and the New Korean Standard Version generally uses "Lord."

Related Passages

• Exodus 3:13–15 — God reveals his name to Moses at the burning bush
• Genesis 17:1 — God appears to Abraham as "the Almighty God"
• Genesis 15:7 — God identifies himself to Abraham as "the LORD"
• Genesis 4:26 — The record that "then began men to call upon the name of the LORD"
• Exodus 6:6–7 — The promise of salvation given together with the name of the LORD