Exodus 6:3

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, for compelled by my strong hand he will release them, and by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” 2God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘the Lord’ I was not known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as resident foreigners. 5I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

Exodus 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 and said, “I am the sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless.
• Genesis 28:3May the sovereign God bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! Then you will become a large nation.
• Genesis 35:11Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants!
• Genesis 48:3Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.
• Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
• Genesis 12:7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram 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 oaks of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
• Genesis 22:14And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” It is said to this day, “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.”
• Psalms 68:4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! For the Lord is his name! Rejoice before him!
• Psalms 83:18Then they will know that you alone are the Lord, the sovereign king over all the earth.
• Isaiah 42:8I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.
• Isaiah 44:6This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says, their protector, the Lord who commands armies: “I am the first and I am the last, there is no God but me.
• Isaiah 52:5And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord. “Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing, those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord, “and my name is constantly slandered all day long.
• John 8:58Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”
• Revelation 1:4From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from “he who is,” and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before 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

• God
• Moses
• Revelation

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• God
• Isaac
• Jacob
• Abraham, Abram
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Anguish
• Groaning
• Jehovah

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