Exodus 6:3

Complete Jewish Bible

I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [ Adonai ].

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
and I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya`akov, as El Shaddai; but by my name the LORD I was not known to them.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai, but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.

New Century Version
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name God Almighty, but they did not know me by my name, the Lord .

New English Translation
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘the Lord ' I was not known to them.

Amplified Bible
"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles].

New American Standard Bible
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And I appeared vnto Abraha, to Izhak, & to Iaakob by the Name of Almightie God: but by my Name Iehouah was I not knowen vnto the.

Legacy Standard Bible
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them.

Contemporary English Version
But when I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I came as God All-Powerful and did not use my name.

Darby Translation
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as the Almighty God; but by my name Jehovah I was not made known to them.

Easy-to-Read Version
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They called me God All-Powerful. They did not know my name, the Lord .

English Standard Version
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.

George Lamsa Translation
Who appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but my name the LORD I did not make known to them.

Good News Translation
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Almighty God, but I did not make myself known to them by my holy name, the Lord .

Christian Standard Bible®
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the Lord.’

Literal Translation
And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, and by My name JEHOVAH I have not been known to them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& I appeared vnto Abraham, Isaac & Iacob, an Allmightie God: but my name, LORDE, haue I not shewed vnto them:

American Standard Version
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them.

Bible in Basic English
I let myself be seen by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God, the Ruler of all; but they had no knowledge of my name Yahweh.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I appeared vnto Abraham, Isahac, and Iacob as an almightie God: but in my name Iehouah was I not knowen vnto them.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them.

King James Version (1611)
And I appeared vnto Abraham, vnto Isaac, and vnto Iacob, by the Name of God Almighty, but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowen to them.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I appeared to Abraam and Isaac and Jacob, being their God, but I did not manifest to them my name Lord.

English Revised Version
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH I was not known to them.

Berean Standard Bible
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal Myself to them by My name, 'the LORD.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Y am the Lord, that apperide to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob in Almyyti God; and Y schewide not to hem my greet name Adonai;

Young's Literal Translation
and I appear unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; as to My name Jehovah, I have not been known to them;

Update Bible Version
and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I wasn't known to them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

World English Bible
and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.

New King James Version
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord [fn] I was not known to them.

New Living Translation
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty'—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.

New Life Bible
I showed Myself as God All-powerful to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I did not make Myself known to them by My name, the Lord.

New Revised Standard
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘The Lord ' I did not make myself known to them.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I appeared, therefore, unto Abraham unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as GOD Almighty, - although, by my name Yahweh was I not made known to them;

Douay-Rheims Bible
That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty: and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.

Revised Standard Version
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.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

Contextual Overview

¹ Adonai said to Moshe, "Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!" Haftarah Sh'mot: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23 (A); Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1–2:3 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Sh'mot: Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:23–33; 41–46; Mark 12:18–27; 35–37; Luke 20:27–44; Acts 3:12–15; 5:27–32; 7:17–36; 22:12–16; 24:14–16; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:23–26 God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, "I am Adonai . I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [ Adonai ]. Also with them I established my covenant to give them the land of Kena‘an, the land where they wandered about and lived as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Isra'el, whom the Egyptians are keeping in slavery; and I have remembered my covenant. "Therefore, say to the people of Isra'el: ‘I am Adonai . I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am Adonai your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov — I will give it to you as your inheritance. I am Adonai .'" Moshe said this to the people of Isra'el. But they wouldn't listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel. Adonai said to Moshe, "Go in; and tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra'el leave his land." Moshe said to Adonai , "Look, the people of Isra'el haven't listened to me; so how will Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?" But Adonai spoke to Moshe and Aharon and gave them orders concerning both the people of Isra'el and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the people of Isra'el out of the land of Egypt. (ii) These were the heads of their families: the sons of Re'uven the firstborn of Isra'el were Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi. These were the families of Re'uven. The sons of Shim‘on were Y'mu'el, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tzochar and Sha'ul the son of a Kena‘ani woman. These were the families of Shim‘on. These are the names of the sons of Levi with their descendants: Gershon, K'hat and M'rari. Levi lived to be 137 years old. The sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim‘i, with their families. The sons of K'hat were ‘Amram, Yitz'har, Hevron and ‘Uzi'el. K'hat lived to be 133 years old. The sons of M'rari were Machli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi with their descendants. ‘Amram married Yokheved his father's sister, and she bore him Aharon and Moshe. ‘Amram lived to be 137 years old. The sons of Yitz'har were Korach, Nefeg and Zikhri. The sons of ‘Uzi'el were Misha'el, Eltzafan and Sitri. Aharon married Elisheva daughter of ‘Amminadav and sister of Nachshon, and she bore him Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar. The sons of Korach were Asir, Elkanah and Avi'asaf. These were the Korchi families. El‘azar the son of Aharon married one of the daughters of Puti'el, and she bore him Pinchas. These were the heads of the families of Levi, family by family. These are the Aharon and Moshe to whom Adonai said, "Bring the people of Isra'el out of the land of Egypt, division by division," and who told Pharaoh king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra'el leave Egypt. These are the same Moshe and Aharon. On the day when Adonai spoke to Moshe in the land of Egypt, (iii) he said, "I am Adonai . Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything I say to you." Moshe answered Adonai , "Look, I'm such a poor speaker that Pharaoh won't listen to me." ² Adonai said to Moshe, "Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!" Haftarah Sh'mot: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23 (A); Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1–2:3 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Sh'mot: Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:23–33; 41–46; Mark 12:18–27; 35–37; Luke 20:27–44; Acts 3:12–15; 5:27–32; 7:17–36; 22:12–16; 24:14–16; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:23–26 God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, "I am Adonai . ³ I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [ Adonai ]. ⁴ Also with them I established my covenant to give them the land of Kena‘an, the land where they wandered about and lived as foreigners. ⁵ Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Isra'el, whom the Egyptians are keeping in slavery; and I have remembered my covenant. ⁶ "Therefore, say to the people of Isra'el: ‘I am Adonai . I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ⁷ I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am Adonai your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. ⁸ I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov — I will give it to you as your inheritance. I am Adonai .'" ⁹ Moshe said this to the people of Isra'el. But they wouldn't listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God Almighty: El shadday, God Almighty; for shadday is evidently of affinity with the Arabic shadid, strong, mighty, and shiddat, strength, might; so the LXX in Job render it נבםפןךסבפשס, Vulgate, in Pentateuch, Omnipotens, and Syriac, in Job, chasino. Genesis 17:1, Genesis 28:3, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 48:3

but by my name: If Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, did not know the name Jehovah, then Moses must have used it in Genesis by prolepsis, or anticipation. Mr. Locke and others read it interrogatively, for the negative particle, lo, not, has frequently this power in Hebrew: "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, and by my name Jehovah was I not also made known unto them?"

Jehovah: Exodus 3:14, Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:18, Genesis 22:14, Psalms 68:4, JAH, Psalms 83:18, Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 52:5, Isaiah 52:6, John 8:58, Revelation 1:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:3 - name Numbers 6:27 - put my Deuteronomy 9:27 - Remember Deuteronomy 28:58 - fear this glorious Deuteronomy 32:3 - Because Proverbs 18:10 - name Proverbs 30:4 - what is his name Jeremiah 33:2 - the Lord Revelation 1:8 - the Almighty

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
In time, when men began to multiply on earth, and daughters were born to them,

Genesis 6:13
God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth.

Genesis 6:14
Make yourself an ark of gofer-wood; you are to make the ark with rooms and cover it with pitch both outside and inside.

Genesis 6:15
Here is how you are to build it: the length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width seventy-five feet and its height forty-five feet.

Genesis 6:16
You are to make an opening for daylight in the ark eighteen inches below its roof. Put a door in its side; and build it with lower, second and third decks.

Genesis 6:18
But I will establish my covenant with you; you will come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons' wives with you.

Genesis 6:20
Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive.

Numbers 11:17
I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won't carry it yourself alone.

Nehemiah 9:30
Many years you extended them mercy and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands.

Psalms 78:39
So he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that blows past and does not return.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 Genesis 17:1:

but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them; which he had in the preceding verse called himself by. This is not to be understood absolutely; for it is certain that he had made himself known by this name, and this name was known unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

Genesis 15:6, and but comparatively, as some think; that is, he was not so much made known to them by the one name as the other; though it may be questioned whether the one was more used in speaking to them than the other; wherefore others think, as Saadiah Gaon, that the word only is to be supplied, as in Genesis 32:28 and the sense to be, that by his name Jehovah he was not only made known to them, but by his name Elshaddai, and others also; and others reconcile the difficulty thus, that though the name Jehovah itself was known to the patriarchs, by which they were assured that God is eternal, immutable, and faithful to his promises; yet he was not known as to the efficacy of this name, or with respect to the actual performance of his promise, as he now would be by delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt, and bringing them into the land of Canaan; though perhaps, by reading the words with an interrogation, the clause will appear more plain, "and by my name Jehovah was I not known to them?" t verily I was. Josephus u says, this name was not before made known to men, and that it was not lawful for a man to speak it; and this is the common notion of the Jews, that it is ineffable, and not lawful to be pronounced, and therefore they put Adonai and Elohim in the room of it, and the vowel points of these words to it, which is a false and superstitious notion: this name was known among the Heathens; it is the same with ιαω in the oracle of Apollo w; and Diodorus Siculus x says, that with the Jews Moses is said to give laws from a God called "IAO", and is the same which in Philo Byblius y is called Jevo; and both are no other than a corruption of Jah or Jehovah; and perhaps the τετρακτυς of the Pythagoreans z, by which they swore, is the same with the tetragrammaton, or this word of four letters, with the Jews.

t Vid. Noldium, No. 788. u Antiqu. l. 2. c. 12. sect. 4. w Cornelius Labeo de oraculo Apoll. Clarii apud Macrob. Saturnal. l. 1. c. 18. x Bibliothoc. l. 1. p. 84. y Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. c. 9. p. 31. z Carmin. Aurea Pythagor. l. 47. & Hierocles in ib. p. 225, 277. Porphyr. de Vita Pythagor. p. 189.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There appears to have been an interval of some months between the preceding events and this renewal of the promise to Moses. The oppression in the meantime was not merely driving the people to desperation, but preparing them by severe labor, varied by hasty wanderings in search of stubble, for the exertions and privations of the wilderness. Hence, the formal and solemn character of the announcements in the whole chapter.

Exodus 6:2

I am the Lord ... - The meaning seems to be this: “I am Jehovah (Yahweh), and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but as to my name Jehovah, I was not made known to them.” In other words, the full import of that name was not disclosed to them. See Exodus 3:14.

Exodus 6:3

God Almighty - Rather, “El Shaddai,” (שׁדי אל 'êl shadday), it is better to keep this as a proper name.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 6:3. By the name of God Almighty — אל שדי EL-SHADDAl, God All-sufficient; God the dispenser or pourer-out of gifts. Genesis 17:1.

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 Abraham, see Genesis 2:4, where the words יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim occur, as they do frequently afterwards; and see Genesis 15:2, where Abraham expressly addresses him by the name Adonai JEHOVAH; and see Genesis 15:7, where God reveals himself to Abraham by this very name: And he said unto him, I am JEHOVAH, that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees. How then can it be said that by his name JEHOVAH he was not known unto them? Several answers have been given to this question; the following are the chief: -

1. The words should be read interrogatively, for the negative particle לא lo, not, has this power often in Hebrew. "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of God Almighty, and by my name Jehovah was I not also made known unto them?"

2. The name JEHOVAH was not revealed before the time mentioned here, for though it occurs so frequently in the book of Genesis, as that book was written long after the name had come into common use, as a principal characteristic of God, Moses employs it in his history because of this circumstance; so that whenever it appears previously to this, it is by the figure called prolepsis or anticipation.

3. As the name יהוה JEHOVAH signifies existence, it may be understood in the text in question thus: "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by my name God Almighty, or God All-sufficient, i.e., having all power to do all good; in this character I made a covenant with them, supported by great and glorious promises; but as those promises had respect unto their posterity, they could not be fulfilled to those fathers: but now, as JEHOVAH, I am about to give existence to all those promises relative to your support, deliverance from bondage, and your consequent settlement in the promised land."

4. The words may be considered as used comparatively: though God did appear to those patriarchs as JEHOVAH, and they acknowledged him by this name, yet it was but comparatively known unto them; they knew nothing of the power and goodness of God, in comparison of what the Israelites were now about to experience.

I believe the simple meaning is this, that though from the beginning the name JEHOVAH was known as one of the names of the Supreme Being, yet what it really implied they did not know. אל שדי El-Shaddai, God All-sufficient, they knew well by the continual provision he made for them, and the constant protection he afforded them: but the name יהוה JEHOVAH is particularly to be referred to the accomplishment of promises already made; to the giving them a being, and thus bringing them into existence, which could not have been done in the order of his providence sooner than here specified: this name therefore in its power and significancy was not known unto them; nor fully known unto their descendants till the deliverance from Egypt and the settlement in the promised land. It is surely possible for a man to bear the name of a certain office or dignity before he fulfils any of its functions. King, mayor, alderman, magistrate, constable, may be borne by the several persons to whom they legally belong, before any of the acts peculiar to those offices are performed. The KING, acknowledged as such on his coronation, is known to be such by his legislative acts; the civil magistrate, by his distribution of justice, and issuing warrants for the apprehending of culprits; and the constable, by executing those warrants. All these were known to have their respective names, but the exercise of their powers alone shows what is implied in being king, magistrate, and constable. The following is a case in point, which fell within my own knowledge.

A case of dispute between certain litigious neighbours being heard in court before a weekly sitting of the magistrates, a woman who came as an evidence in behalf of her bad neighbour, finding the magistrates inclining to give judgment against her mischievous companion, took her by the arm and said, "Come away! I told you you would get neither law nor justice in this place." A magistrate, who was as much an honour to his function as he was to human nature, immediately said, "Here, constable! take that woman and lodge her in Bridewell, that she may know there is some law and justice in this place."

Thus the worthy magistrate proved he had the power implied in the name by executing the duties of his office. And God who was known as JEHOVAH, the being who makes and gives effect to promises, was known to the descendants of the twelve tribes to be THAT JEHOVAH, by giving effect and being to the promises which he had made to their fathers.