Exodus 3:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

NIV: God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ "This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.

NASB: God furthermore said to Moses, 'This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me.

CSB: God also said to Moses, "Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

NLT: God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

KJV: And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

NKJV: Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’

Two important statements have just been made (Exodus 3:14). The first was God's description of Himself, to be used as His name: e'heyeh aser' e'heyeh. This means "I am Who I am." The second used similar language to instruct Moses to tell the people of Israel that he had been sent by "I am." Both imply a being who must exist. Unlike all created things, God is not the product of anything else (John 1:1–3). He simply "is."

Here, Scripture continues with a third statement from God regarding His name. Moses is to specify that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him to the Israelites. The "I am" who now speaks to Moses is the same God who appeared to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3).

God refers to Himself using the word Lord, spelled YHWH in Hebrew letters. This is related to the root verb hayah, earlier translated as "I am" (Exodus 3:14). God is the "I am," the self-existent one, and the "Lord" of Abraham and his descendants. Many believe the term was initially pronounced as "YAH-way," often spelled in modern contexts as Yahweh. It is sometimes transliterated as Jehovah. The name Yahweh would be known as the unique name of Israel's God throughout Jewish history. Later, the name YHWH was considered so holy that readers would not pronounce it. Instead, they substituted another word for "Lord:" Adonai. This was intended to keep Jews from accidentally breaking the commandment regarding using the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7).

Exodus 3:9–15 reveals God's commission of Moses as His spokesman. His great task is to lead Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. God provides reassurance in response to Moses' doubts. God also identifies Himself using terminology which will be crucial in both Jewish and Christian understanding of His nature. As a name, God uses the phrase "I am," indicating His eternal, uncreated, necessary, absolute existence. This connects to the Hebrew term YHWH, most often seen as Lord, Yahweh, or sometimes translated as Jehovah. Jesus will use this same phrasing in the New Testament.

Moses is tending sheep for his father-in-law when he sees a miraculous sight: a bush which is on fire, but not burnt up. From this fire, God speaks to Moses, appointing him as the leader of the nation of Israel, whom God intends to free from Egyptian slavery. God identifies Himself in this passage using the famous terminology ''I am.'' Despite Moses' fears and doubts, God gives him a message to take to the elders of Israel, and eventually to Pharaoh himself.

Prior chapters in Exodus explained how the descendants of Abraham became a populous nation, but also one enslaved in Egypt. Exodus 3 describes the moment when God calls Moses to lead Israel out of slavery. This is accomplished through the miracle of the burning bush. This begins a dialogue between God and Moses. It includes messages for both Israel and Pharaoh which will continue into chapter 4.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.