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)
The verse highlights a crucial distinction: God appeared to the patriarchs as "God Almighty," emphasizing His power and ability to fulfill promises. However, He reveals Himself as "the LORD" (Jehovah) specifically in connection with the deliverance from Egypt, signifying His active, covenant-keeping power that brings those promises into being for His people.
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)
God is speaking to Moses to reassure him and the Israelites that deliverance is coming, despite Pharaoh's hardened heart and their despair. He reminds Moses of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, affirming His power and faithfulness to fulfill His promises. This verse explains that while the Patriarchs knew God as "God Almighty," capable of all things, they hadn't experienced the full meaning of His name "LORD" (Jehovah) in His act of redemption.
God reveals Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as 'God Almighty.' What does this powerful name emphasize about God, and how did the patriarchs experience it?
The name 'El Shaddai,' often translated as 'God Almighty' or 'God All-Sufficient,' highlights God's boundless power and His ability to provide and fulfill His promises.
Power and Sufficiency
Experiencing El Shaddai
The patriarchs experienced God's power and sufficiency in their lives. They saw His provision in their journeys, His protection against enemies, and His faithfulness in upholding His covenant promises, even when circumstances seemed impossible.
God states He 'did not make Himself known' by His name 'the LORD' (Yahweh) to the patriarchs. How can this be, when the name appears earlier in Genesis?
While the name 'Yahweh' (translated as 'the LORD') existed and was even used by the patriarchs, God's and the of this name were not yet realized by them.
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The Name and Its Meaning
Not Fully Known, But Still Known
It's not that the patriarchs were entirely ignorant of the name Yahweh. They used it and God used it. However, the depth of its meaning – God's active, covenant-fulfilling power displayed in historical acts of redemption – was reserved for a later revelation, particularly through the liberation of Israel from Egypt. This was the unique significance of the name Yahweh that they had not yet witnessed.
If the patriarchs knew God's name, why does God say He wasn't known by 'the LORD' to them? This highlights a key principle about how God reveals Himself.
God's self-revelation is not a one-time event but a progressive unfolding throughout history. What is known at one stage becomes deeper and more fully understood later.
Beyond Mere Knowledge
Application for Us
This pattern teaches us that our understanding of God deepens over time. We may learn foundational truths early on, but through life's experiences – through trials, joys, and moments of deep reliance – God reveals more of Himself to us. His faithfulness in the past doesn't negate the new discoveries He still has in store.
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.
While the patriarchs knew God as the powerful 'God Almighty' (El Shaddai), who could provide and protect, they didn't experience God as 'Jehovah' in the fullness of His redemptive power until the Exodus. This event marked a new and deeper revelation of God's faithfulness and ability to fulfill His promises.
c. 1800 BC
God's Covenant with Abraham
God establishes a foundational covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants and land. Abraham knows God as El Shaddai (God Almighty).
c. 1750 BC
God Appears to Isaac
God reaffirms the covenant with Isaac, likely as El Shaddai, though Isaac himself uses the name Jehovah.
c. 1700 BC
God Appears to Jacob
God appears to Jacob, reaffirming the covenant and likely known as El Shaddai. Jacob encounters God and names the place Bethel.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He reveals Himself as Jehovah, the God who actively fulfills His promises and redeems His people.
This verse shows that Abraham, despite not knowing God as 'Jehovah' in the same way Moses would, still believed in Him and it was credited to him as righteousness. This highlights that knowledge of God can deepen and change.
Genesis 17:1Here, God appears to Abraham as 'God Almighty' (El Shaddai), the same name mentioned in Exodus 6:3. This passage emphasizes God's power and sufficiency, which the patriarchs clearly experienced.
Exodus 3:13-15This passage directly follows the burning bush experience and shows God revealing His name 'I AM WHO I AM' (which relates to Jehovah) to Moses. It marks a pivotal moment where God explicitly makes Himself known by this name in a new way.
Romans 1:19-20Paul explains that God's eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through creation, meaning God has always been knowable. This parallels Exodus 6:3 by suggesting that while God was known in a certain way to the patriarchs, a deeper, more personal revelation was yet to come.
Philippians 3:10Paul expresses a desire to know Christ more deeply, 'the power of his resurrection.' This mirrors the idea in Exodus 6:3 that God's name, Jehovah, implies a powerful reality that the patriarchs experienced but would be more fully revealed through the redemptive acts to come.
clarkeExodus 6:3: "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
By the name of God Almighty - אל שדי EL-Shaddal, God All-sufficient; God the dispenser or pourer-out of gifts. See Clarke on Genesis 17:1 (note). But by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them - This passage has been a sort of crux criticorum, and has been variously explained. It is certain that the name Jehovah was in use long before the days of A…
gillExodus 6:3: "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty,.... Able to fulfil all his purposes, promises, and covenant, with whom nothing is impossible; or Elshaddai, God all-sufficient, who has a sufficiency of happiness in himself, and everything to supply the wants of his creatures in things temporal and spiritual, see…
The verse highlights a crucial distinction: God appeared to the patriarchs as "God Almighty," emphasizing His power and ability to fulfill promises. However, He reveals Himself as "the LORD" (Jehovah) specifically in connection with the deliverance from Egypt, signifying His active, covenant-keeping power that brings those promises into being for His people.
God is speaking to Moses to reassure him and the Israelites that deliverance is coming, despite Pharaoh's hardened heart and their despair. He reminds Moses of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, affirming His power and faithfulness to fulfill His promises. This verse explains that while the Patriarchs knew God as "God Almighty," capable of all things, they hadn't experienced the full meaning of His name "LORD" (Jehovah) in His act of redemption.
God is speaking to Moses to reassure him and the Israelites that deliverance is coming, despite Pharaoh's hardened heart and their despair. He reminds Moses of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, affirming His power and faithfulness to fulfill His promises. This verse explains that while the Patriarchs knew God as "God Almighty," capable of all things, they hadn't experienced the full meaning of His name "LORD" (Jehovah) in His act of redemption.
"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." — The verse highlights a crucial distinction: God appeared to the patriarchs as "God Almighty," emphasizing His power and ability to fulfill promises. However, He reveals Himself as "the LORD" (Jehovah…
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Last reviewed October 2026