“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.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 6:3 Mean?
God reveals something new about His name: He appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai (God Almighty), but by His name JEHOVAH (Yahweh), He was not known to them. The patriarchs knew God by His power (Almighty). Moses will know God by His covenant name (Yahweh — I AM).
The statement is debated because the name Yahweh does appear in Genesis. Some scholars understand "known" not as cognitive awareness but as experiential revelation — the patriarchs heard the name but didn't experience its full significance. They knew God's power. Moses would know God's personal, covenant-keeping, I-AM-present nature.
The progression is theological, not just linguistic: God reveals Himself progressively. Each generation gets more. Abraham got Almighty. Moses gets I AM. The name deepens. The revelation expands. And each new name isn't a replacement but an addition — Yahweh doesn't cancel El Shaddai. It builds on it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'name' of God (dimension of His character) are you experiencing most right now — and what do you still need to discover?
- 2.How does progressive revelation (God revealing more over time) change how you read the Old Testament?
- 3.What does the difference between 'almighty' (El Shaddai) and 'I AM' (Yahweh) mean for your relationship with God?
- 4.Is there a dimension of God's character that your current season requires — a name you're only now beginning to understand?
Devotional
Abraham knew Me as God Almighty. You'll know Me as I AM.
God reveals Himself in layers. The patriarchs experienced Him as El Shaddai — the God who is powerful enough to do anything. Mighty. Sufficient. Overwhelming in capability. That's a real knowledge. But it's not complete.
Moses receives more: Yahweh. I AM. The personal name. The covenant identity. The name that means: I am present. I am here. I am what I am — unchanging, self-existent, permanently available. Not just powerful from a distance. Present. With you. In it.
The shift isn't from wrong to right. It's from partial to fuller. El Shaddai is true. Yahweh is truer. Abraham needed to know God was almighty — because he needed a son from a barren wife. Moses needs to know God is present — because he's about to walk into Pharaoh's court and needs I AM standing beside him.
God reveals what you need when you need it. The name you need for your current assignment is the name He gives for your current season. Abraham's season needed almighty. Moses' season needs I AM. Your season might need a name you haven't heard yet — a dimension of God's character that will be revealed at the exact moment it becomes necessary.
God's self-revelation is progressive. What you know about Him today is real but incomplete. What He'll show you tomorrow builds on what He showed you yesterday. Every new name is an addition, not a correction. He's always been Yahweh. He just hadn't told them yet.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I have also established my covenant with them,.... With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and with their posterity, so that…
There appears to have been an interval of some months between the preceding events and this renewal of the promise to…
By the name of God Almighty - אל שדי EL-Shaddal, God All-sufficient; God the dispenser or pourer-out of gifts. See…
Here, I. God silences Moses's complaints with the assurance of success in this negotiation, repeating the promise made…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture