Exodus 3:13
in Exodus 3Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
KJV
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
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This verse in Exodus 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
What is his name - The meaning of this question is evidently: “By which name shall I tell them that the promise is confirmed?” Each name of the Deity represented some aspect or manifestation of His attributes (compare the introduction to Genesis). What Moses needed was not a new name, but direction to use that name which would bear in itself a pledge of accomplishment.
This site's exposition
What should I tell them?
on Exodus 3:13-14
Moses asks for a name and receives "I AM WHO I AM", built on the Hebrew verb to be. Jesus takes the words at John 8:58, "before Abraham was born, I am", and his hearers took up stones.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? - What name shall I use, whereby thou mayest be distinguished from false gods, and thy people may be encouraged to expect deliverance from thee?
And Moses said unto God,....
(2.) Those who would know what to say must go to God, to the word of his grace and to the throne of his grace, for instructions, Ezek. ii. (3.) Whenever we have any thing to do with God, it is desirable to know, and our duty to consider, what is his name.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But he evinced great reluctance to it and stated a variety of objections [Ex 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10] all of which were successfully met and removed--and the happy issue of his labors was minutely described.
They shall say - What is his name? - Does not this suppose that the Israelites had an idolatrous notion even of the Supreme Being? They had probably drank deep into the Egyptian superstitions, and had gods many and lords many; and Moses conjectured that, hearing of a supernatural deliverance, they would inquire who that God was by whom it was to be effected. The reasons given here by the rabbins are too refined for the Israelites at this time. “When God,” say they, “judgeth his creatures, he is called אלהים Elohim; when he warreth against the wicked, he is called צבאות Tsebaoth; but when he showeth mercy unto the world, he is called יהוה Yehovah.” It is not likely that the Israelites had much knowledge of God or of his ways at the time to which the sacred text refers; it is certain they had no written word. The book of Genesis, if even written, (for some suppose it had been composed by Moses during his residence in Midian), had not yet been communicated to the people; and being so long without any revelation, and perhaps without even the form of Divine worship, their minds being degraded by the state of bondage in which they had been so long held, and seeing and hearing little in religion but the superstitions of those among whom they sojourned, they could have no distinct notion of the Divine Being. Moses himself might have been in doubt at first on this subject, and he seems to have been greatly on his guard against illusion; hence he asks a variety of questions, and endeavors, by all prudent means, to assure himself of the truth and certainty of the present appearance and commission. He well knew the power of the Egyptian magicians, and he could not tell from these first views whether there might not have been some delusion in this case. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
WHAT IS HIS NAME? WHAT SHALL I SAY UNTO THEM? This verse calls aloud for an explanation. It is incomprehensible that Moses should say, And they shall say unto me: What is His name? meaning that this will be a sign to them to believe in him.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
AND GOD SAID…I AM. Its meaning is, That I Am. 112 According to I.E. That I Am explains I Am.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אָנֹכִ֣י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| בָא֮ | va' | [am] about to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י | veamarti | and I will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם | ʾavoteikhem | ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| שְׁלָחַ֣נִי | shelachani | he has sent me | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם | ʾaleikhem | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְאָֽמְרוּ־ | veameru- | and they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לִ֣י | li | to <the> me | ||
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| שְּׁמ֔וֹ | shemo | [is] name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| מָ֥ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אֹמַ֖ר | ʾomar | will I say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲלֵהֶֽם׃ | ʾalehem | to them | H413 → | 5510 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
הִנֵּ֨הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אָנֹכִ֣יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
בָא֮[am] about to go
va'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאָמַרְתִּ֣יand I will say
veamartiH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֔םto <the> them
lahem
אֱלֹהֵ֥י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖םancestors your
ʾavoteikhemH1 →1212 times
שְׁלָחַ֣נִיhe has sent me
shelachaniH7971 →845 times
אֲלֵיכֶ֑םto you
ʾaleikhemH413 →5510 times
וְאָֽמְרוּ־and they will say
veameru-H559 →5305 times
לִ֣יto <the> me
li
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
שְּׁמ֔וֹ[is] name his
shemoH8034 →864 times
מָ֥הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אֹמַ֖רwill I say
ʾomarH559 →5305 times
אֲלֵהֶֽם׃to them
ʾalehemH413 →5510 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
it leads to
- Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Matthew 1:23
Through
Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
it leads to
- Luke 2:11
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
- Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
- Luke 2:11
Through
Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
it leads to
- John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
- Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
- John 8:58
Where this verse is studied
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About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.