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I appearedוָאֵרָאtoאֶלAbraham,אַבְרָהָםtoאֶלIsaac,יִצְחָקand toוְאֶלJacobיַעֲקֹבasבְּElאֵלShaddai,שַׁדָּיbut by my name,וּשְׁמִיYHWH,יְהוָהI did notלֹאmake myself knownנוֹדַעְתִּיto them.לָהֶם
Exodus 6:3
Study it in the app“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, but by my name, YHWH, I did not make myself known to them.”
God says he appeared to the patriarchs as El Shaddai, and now makes himself known as YHWHWho God Is
With the Hebrew beneath
Exodus 6:3, word by word
- I appearedאֵרָאera
appear
To let oneself be seen: YHWH let Abram see him.
Where else “era” appears- Abrahamאַבְרָהָםavraham
Abraham
Abraham, the name God gave to Abram; it sounds like "father of a multitude" (Genesis 17:5). The father of the people of Israel, to whom God promised the land and blessing for all the families of the earth.
Where else “avraham” appears- Isaacיִצְחָקyitschak
Isaac
Isaac, the son promised to Abraham and Sarah, father of Esau and Jacob. His name means "he laughs" (Genesis 17:17, 19; 21:6).
Where else “yitschak” appears- Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov
Jacob
Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.
Where else “yaakov” appears- Elאֵלel
El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
Where else “el” appears- Shaddaiשַׁדָּיshaday
Shaddai, Almighty
"Shaddai": an ancient name of God, above all in Genesis and Job. It is usually translated "Almighty"; the exact origin of the word is not certain.
Where else “shaday” appears- but by my nameשְׁמִshemi
name
The word by which a person, place or thing is called and recognized.
Where else “shemi” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- make myself knownנוֹדַעְתִּיnodati
make known
To make someone aware, teach.
Where else “nodati” appears
Translation note
In Genesis the name YHWH already appears in the accounts of the patriarchs (for example 15:7; 28:13), and the text does not explain how this relates to this verse. It can be understood that Israel is now going to “know” YHWH by seeing him fulfill what he promised: “you will know that I am YHWH… who brings you out” (6:7).
The context
2Elohim spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am YHWH.
3 · This verse (above)
4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their residence as aliens, in which they resided as aliens.