God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even though the patriarchs knew God as "El Shaddai" (God Almighty), He emphasizes here that they didn't fully experience Him by the name "Yahweh" (The LORD) because they didn't live to see His promises fully accomplished. This revelation is about God stepping into a new, experiential phase of His relationship with His people, proving He is the God who faithfully acts on His word.
God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is feeling disheartened because Pharaoh's oppression of the Israelites has worsened, not improved, despite God's promises. He has just confronted God, questioning why, after appearing to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the situation for their descendants has become so dire. In response, God reassures Moses by revealing His personal name, Jehovah, emphasizing His faithfulness and power to fulfill the covenant with their ancestors.
You might think a name is just a name. But when God reveals His name, it's an invitation into a deeper understanding of who He is.
God speaks to Moses, identifying Himself with a name that carries immense weight: 'Jehovah.' This isn't just a label; it's a revelation.
The Essence of Being
Many scholars see 'Jehovah' as connected to the Hebrew word for 'to be.' It points to God's self-existence, His eternal nature. He simply is. He doesn't depend on anything or anyone.
A Promise-Keeping God
More than just existence, the name Jehovah signifies God's faithfulness and reliability, especially in fulfilling His promises. While the patriarchs knew Him as 'El Shaddai' (God Almighty), they didn't fully experience His power to bring His promises to pass in the same way the Israelites would soon. This new revelation of Jehovah means God is about to act on His word. He's not just powerful; He's actively demonstrating that power to save and deliver.
Think of it this way: knowing God is Almighty is important. But knowing God is Jehovah means knowing that the Almighty God is actively working to fulfill the specific promises He made to you.
The Israelites knew God as 'El Shaddai,' the Almighty. But something profound was about to change in their experience of Him.
Before this moment, God was known to the patriarchs primarily as 'El Shaddai,' or God Almighty. This name speaks to His immense power and sufficiency.
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However, Exodus 6:2 reveals that God is now introducing Himself as 'Jehovah.' This isn't necessarily because the patriarchs had never heard the name, but because they hadn't experienced its full significance in the way the Israelites were about to. The deliverance from Egypt would be a powerful, visible demonstration of God's covenant-keeping power, a power inherent in the name Jehovah.
A Deeper Revelation
Think of it like knowing someone is a skilled doctor versus seeing them perform life-saving surgery. 'El Shaddai' is knowing God has the power. 'Jehovah' is witnessing God using that power to bring His promises to fruition. For the Israelites, this would be a new, experiential understanding of God's faithfulness and His role as their Redeemer.
Understand the original words
El Shaddai · Hebrew Noun phrase
The divine title emphasizing God's omnipotence and sufficiency as the One who sustains, protects, and fulfills His promises to the patriarchs.
This verse marks a pivotal moment where God formally reveals His covenant name, 'Yahweh' (LORD), to Moses and the Israelites. While the patriarchs knew God as 'El Shaddai' (God Almighty), the revelation of 'Yahweh' signifies God's intention to be known through His powerful act of deliverance and faithfulness to His promises, a dimension of His character not fully experienced by previous generations.
c. 1800 BC
Covenant Promises to Patriarchs
God establishes His covenant promises with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising them descendants and a land. The name 'El Shaddai' (God Almighty) is associated with this period and revealed to the patriarchs.
c. 1800-1500 BC
Israelites Enslaved in Egypt
The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob grow into a large nation in Egypt, eventually becoming enslaved and subjected to harsh labor under a new dynasty.
c. 1500-1400 BC— this verse
Moses Receives God's Call
God appears to Moses in the burning bush, commissioning him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses expresses doubts, asking for a sign or a name to identify the God who sent him.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Following the plagues and God's powerful intervention, the Israelites are finally released from Egyptian bondage and depart the land.
This passage is directly linked as God reveals His name 'I AM THAT I AM' to Moses, which is the foundation of His declaration 'I am the LORD' in Exodus 6:2. It establishes the self-existent and eternal nature of God.
Genesis 17:1Here, God appears to Abraham as El Shaddai (God Almighty), but the commentary notes that God's name 'Yahweh' (the LORD) was not fully known or experienced by the patriarchs in the same way it would be revealed through the Exodus. This highlights the progression of God's self-revelation.
Isaiah 41:4This verse declares, 'Who has performed and done this, calling generations from the beginning—I, the LORD, the first and with the last, I am He.' This echoes the eternal nature of 'I am the LORD,' emphasizing His sovereignty and unchanging character across all of history, similar to how He asserts His identity to Moses.
Jeremiah 31:33God says, 'I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.' This promise of a renewed covenant, where God will be their God and they His people, is directly connected to His identity as the LORD who acts to redeem and establish this relationship, as He reiterates in Exodus 6.
Romans 4:21Speaking of Abraham, this verse states he was 'fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.' This reflects the understanding that 'the LORD' (Jehovah) is known by His faithfulness to promises, a key aspect of God's self-declaration in Exodus 6:2 that was perhaps only partially understood by the patriarchs.
pooleExodus 6:2: "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:"
No text from Poole on this verse.
gillExodus 6:2: "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:"
And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord. Or Jehovah, the self-existent Being, the Being of beings, the everlasting I am, the unchangeable Jehovah, true, firm, and constant to his promises, ever to be believed, and always to be depended on.
Even though the patriarchs knew God as "El Shaddai" (God Almighty), He emphasizes here that they didn't fully experience Him by the name "Yahweh" (The LORD) because they didn't live to see His promises fully accomplished. This revelation is about God stepping into a new, experiential phase of His relationship with His people, proving He is the God who faithfully acts on His word.
Moses is feeling disheartened because Pharaoh's oppression of the Israelites has worsened, not improved, despite God's promises. He has just confronted God, questioning why, after appearing to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the situation for their descendants has become so dire. In response, God reassures Moses by revealing His personal name, Jehovah, emphasizing His faithfulness and power to fulfill the covenant with their ancestors.
Moses is feeling disheartened because Pharaoh's oppression of the Israelites has worsened, not improved, despite God's promises. He has just confronted God, questioning why, after appearing to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the situation for their descendants has become so dire. In response, God reassures Moses by revealing His personal name, Jehovah, emphasizing His faithfulness and power to fulfill the covenant with their ancestors.
"God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them." — Even though the patriarchs knew God as "El Shaddai" (God Almighty), He emphasizes here that they didn't fully experience Him by the name "Yahweh" (The LORD) because they didn't live to see His promis…
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Last reviewed October 2026