Exodus 6:3
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.

English Standard Version
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
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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.

New American Standard Bible
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

NASB 1995
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

NASB 1977
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them.

Amplified Bible
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles].

Christian Standard Bible
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I was not known to them by my name ‘the LORD.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them.

American Standard Version
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them.

Contemporary English Version
But when I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I came as God All-Powerful and did not use my name.

English Revised Version
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH I was not known to them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn't make myself known to them by my name, the LORD.

Good News Translation
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Almighty God, but I did not make myself known to them by my holy name, the LORD.

International Standard Version
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, and did I not reveal to them my name 'LORD'?

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name 'theLORD' I was not known to them.

New Heart English Bible
And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make myself known to them by my name 'the LORD.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

World English Bible
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and I appear to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; as for My Name YHWH, I have not been known to them;

Young's Literal Translation
and I appear unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; as to My name Jehovah, I have not been known to them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall be seen to Abraham, to Isaak, and to Jacob, by God Almighty; and my name Jehovah I was not known to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
who appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Almighty God. And I did not reveal to them my name: ADONAI.

New American Bible
As God the Almighty I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but by my name, LORD, I did not make myself known to them.

New Revised Standard Version
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘The LORD’ I did not make myself known to them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Who appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but my name the LORD I did not make known to them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who was revealed to Abraham and to Isaac and to Yaquuv, by Eil Shaddai God, and the Name of LORD JEHOVAH I had not shown them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name ???? I made Me not known to them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I appeared to Abraam and Isaac and Jacob, being their God, but I did not manifest to them my name Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Promises Deliverance
2God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. 3I 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. 4I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners.…

Cross References
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.

Genesis 28:3
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples.

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

Genesis 15:7
The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

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.

Genesis 26:24
and that night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

Genesis 46:3
“I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Genesis 22:14
And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

Genesis 32:9
Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’

John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Hebrews 11:13
All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Acts 7:32
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.


Treasury of Scripture

And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

God Almighty.

Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 28:3
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

Genesis 35:11
And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

but by my name.

Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Genesis 12:7,8
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him…

Genesis 13:18
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Jump to Previous
Abraham Actual Almighty Appear Appeared Correspond Hebrew Isaac Jacob Jewish Letters Original Publication Ruler Society Text Uses Verse
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Abraham Actual Almighty Appear Appeared Correspond Hebrew Isaac Jacob Jewish Letters Original Publication Ruler Society Text Uses Verse
Exodus 6
1. God renews his promise by his name JEHOVAH
9. Moses vainly attempts to encourage the Israelites
10. He and Aaron are again sent to Pharaoh
14. Genealogies of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, of whom came Moses and Aaron
26. The history resumed














I appeared
The Hebrew root for "appeared" is "ra'ah," which means to see or to be seen. This indicates a divine revelation or manifestation. In the context of Exodus, God is reminding Moses of His tangible presence and past interactions with the patriarchs. This appearance is not just a vision but a real encounter, emphasizing God's willingness to engage personally with His chosen people.

to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob
These patriarchs are foundational figures in the history of Israel. God's covenant with them is central to the narrative of the Hebrew Bible. By mentioning them, God is reaffirming His promises and the continuity of His covenantal relationship. Historically, these figures lived in a time when God's promises were unfolding, and their faith laid the groundwork for the nation of Israel.

as God Almighty
The Hebrew term here is "El Shaddai," which conveys God's power and sufficiency. "El" is a common Semitic term for God, while "Shaddai" suggests might and provision. This name reflects God's ability to fulfill His promises and provide for His people, even when circumstances seem impossible. It is a reminder of God's omnipotence and His nurturing care.

but by My name ‘the LORD’
The name "LORD" is translated from the tetragrammaton YHWH, often vocalized as Yahweh. This name is considered the most sacred, representing God's eternal, self-existent nature. It signifies a deeper revelation of God's character and His covenantal faithfulness. The use of this name marks a significant moment in the biblical narrative, where God reveals Himself more fully to His people.

I did not make Myself known to them
This phrase suggests a progressive revelation of God's nature and character. While the patriarchs knew God as "El Shaddai," the name YHWH was not fully understood or experienced by them. This indicates that God reveals Himself in stages, according to His divine plan and purpose. It also highlights the unfolding nature of God's relationship with humanity, where He gradually discloses more of Himself as history progresses.

(3) I appeared . . . by the name of God Almighty.--This name, "El Shaddai," is first found in the revelation made of Himself by God to Abraham (Genesis 17:1). It is used by Isaac (Genesis 28:3), and repeated in the revelation made to Jacob (Genesis 35:11 ). Its primary idea is, no doubt, that of "overpowering strength." (See the comment on Genesis 17:1.) The primary idea of "Jehovah" is, on the contrary, that of absolute, eternal, unconditional, independent existence. Both names were probably of a great antiquity, and widely spread among Semitic races; but, at different times and in different places, special stress was laid on the one or on the other. To the early patriarchs God revealed Himself as "El Shaddai," because He desired to impress upon them His ability to fulfil the promises which He had made to them; to Moses and Israel generally, at the date of the Exodus, He insisted on His name Jehovah, because they were in the closest contact with polytheism, and had themselves, in many cases, fallen into polytheism (Joshua 24:14), against which this Name was a standing protest, since "the Existent" must mean "the Self Existent," and so "the Only Existent." (See Deuteronomy 4:39 : "Jehovah, he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else") . . . Verse 3. - I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty. See Genesis 17:1 for the revelation of this name to Abraham, and Genesis 35:11 for its repetition to Jacob. We do not find the full name used by God in any appearance to Isaac; but Isaac himself uses it in Genesis 28:3. By my name Jehovah was I not known unto them. The explanation of this passage is by no means easy. God himself, according to Genesis 15:7, revealed himself to Abraham as Jehovah before declaring his name to be El-Shaddai (God Almighty); and again revealed himself to Jacob as Jehovah-Elohim (Genesis 28:13). Abraham named the place where he had been about to sacrifice Isaac, "Jehovah-jireh" (Genesis 22:14). That Moses regarded the name as known even earlier, appears from Genesis 4:1. It was probably as old as language. The apparent meaning of the present passage cannot therefore be its true meaning. No writer would so contradict himself. Perhaps the true sense is, "I was known to them as a Being of might and power, not as mere absolute (and so eternal and immutable) existence." This meaning of the word, though its etymological and original meaning, may have been unknown to the patriarchs, who were not etymologists. It was first distinctly declared to Moses at Sinai (Exodus 3:14, 15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I appeared
וָאֵרָ֗א (wā·’ê·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Abraham,
אַבְרָהָ֛ם (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Isaac,
יִצְחָ֥ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

and to
וְאֶֽל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

as God
בְּאֵ֣ל (bə·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

Almighty,
שַׁדָּ֑י (šad·dāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7706: The Almighty

but I did not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

reveal Myself
נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי (nō·w·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

to them
לָהֶֽם׃ (lā·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

by My name,
וּשְׁמִ֣י (ū·šə·mî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8034: A name

‘the LORD.’
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Exodus 6:3 And I appeared to Abraham to Isaac (Exo. Ex)
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