Bible Strands
Exodus 6:3
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Moses at the mountain, immediately after identifying Himself as the LORD in Exodus 6:2 and before reiterating the covenant promise in Exodus 6:4.
The words — וָ/אֵרָ֗א (va./'e.Ra') translates as "and I appeared," marking the divine manifestation to the patriarchs. בְּ/אֵ֣ל (be./'El) renders as "in God," specifying the capacity under which He revealed Himself.
The thread — The appearance to the patriarchs as God Almighty echoes Genesis 17:1, while the distinction between the name El Shaddai and the name YHWH (the LORD) connects to the broader scriptural emphasis on His supreme authority in Psalms 83:18 and Psalms 68:4.
Why it lands — The text records that the patriarchs knew God as the All-Sufficient One but did not yet know His covenant name, the LORD. A reader must note that divine revelation progresses in Scripture, requiring attention to how God discloses His character and promises across different eras.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Psalms 83:18 May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
- Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
- Psalms 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds—His name is the LORD—and rejoice before Him.
- Exodus 3:14 God 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.’”
- Genesis 35:11 And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.
- Genesis 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
- Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
- Genesis 12:7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
- Isaiah 52:5 And now what have I here? declares the LORD. For My people have been taken without cause; those who rule them taunt, declares the LORD, and My name is blasphemed continually all day long.