God’s Word Translation
Exodus 6:3
3I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn’t make myself known to them by my name, the Lord.
Exodus 6:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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 King James Version (NKJV)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.
Context of Exodus 6:3
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will show him my power, and he will let my people go. I will show him my power, and he will throw them out of his country.” 2God spoke to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn’t make myself known to them by my name, the Lord. 4I even made a promise to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. 5Now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians hold in slavery, and I have remembered my promise.
Read all of Exodus 6Exodus 6:3 word by word
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I appearedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- unto Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
- unto Isaacיִצְחָקyitschâq · IsaacH3327
- and unto Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- Almightyשַׁדַּיshadday · AlmightyH7706
- but by my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- Jehovahיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- was I not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for Exodus 6:3
- Genesis 17:1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said to Abram, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence with integrity.
- Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you, make you fertile, and increase the number of your descendants so that you will become a community of people.
- Genesis 35:11God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fertile, and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from you.
- Genesis 48:3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in Canaan and blessed me.
- Exodus 3:14God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ”
- Genesis 12:7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
- Genesis 13:18So Abram moved his tents and went to live by the oak trees belonging to Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar for the Lord.
- Genesis 22:14Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide. It is still said today, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
- Psalms 68:4Sing to God; make music to praise his name. Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts. The Lord is his name. Celebrate in his presence.
- Psalms 83:18so that they must acknowledge you. Your name is the Lord. You alone are the Most High God of the whole earth.
- Isaiah 42:8I am the Lord; that is my name. I will not give my glory to anyone else or the praise I deserve to idols.
- Isaiah 44:6The Lord is Israel’s king and defender. He is the Lord of Armies. This is what the Lord says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.
- Isaiah 52:5So what do I find here? asks the Lord. My people are taken away for no reason. Their rulers are screaming, declares the Lord. And my name is cursed all day long.
- John 8:58Jesus told them, “I can guarantee this truth: Before Abraham was ever born, I am.”
- Revelation 1:4From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,
Commentaries on Exodus 6:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3By the name of God Almighty - שדי אל 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 Abraham, see Genesis 2:4, where the words אלהים יהוה Jehovah Elohim occur, as they do frequently afterwards…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3I am the LORD … God Almighty: Here, the Hebrew El-Shaddai is translated “God Almighty.” God was emphasizing that he was revealing himself in a new way. The patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) knew him especially as God Almighty. Now he was making his name Yahweh (LORD) known more fully to Moses and the Israelites. The point is not that the name Yahweh was completely unknown before. Rather, God was now showing more clearly what that name means through…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. I ... God Almighty--All enemies must fall, all difficulties must vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had abundant proofs of this. but by my name, &c.--rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My honor for the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God who lives to accomplish it? Rest assured, therefore, that I shall bring it to pass. This passage has…Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 6:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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