Parallelism in Exodus 6:3

An analysis of the language in Exodus 6:3 in light of the context of the Exodus account and a
careful reading of Genesis raises the question whether a more accurate translation of the verse is
as follows vs. the more traditional translations:
Now I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as EL SHADDAI.
And by my name didnt I make myself known to them?
First, I will examine this verse in light of the overall Exodus account and specific readings from
Genesis that bear directly on the message conveyed by this verse. Secondly, I will present an
analysis of the Hebrew in the verse, which in light of the context of the Exodus account and
readings from Genesis presented, supports the above rendering of the verse.
The JPS translation of this verse reads, and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto
Jacob, as G-d Almighty, but by My name "HaShem"* I made Me not known to them. The KJV
translation reads, 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. Most translations agree
in so far as interpreting the second half of the verse to say that God did not make himself know
to the patriarchs by his memorial name or that they did not know God by his memorial name.
However, such a translation seems to be in conflict with Gods direct interactions and
relationship with the patriarchs, as described in Genesis.
In the 3rd chapter of Exodus, God introduces himself to Moshe charging him with delivering the
Children of Yisrael out of Egypt. In verse 14, Moshe astutely asks God about His name. Moshe
apparently recognized that the ability to identify the God of the Hebrews to them by His name
would be a critical piece of evidence required to convince them that their God sent Moshe to
deliver them. Gods initial response to Moshe is
. However, In Exodus 3:15,
God goes on to say, has sent me unto to you; this is my name forever and my memorial
throughout all generations.1
Up to this point in Exodus, there is no indication that that Moshe had any knowledge of Gods
name. By contrast, it is reasonable to conclude that Moshe must have been familiar with the
names of the gods in the Egyptian pantheon, having been raised by Pharaohs daughter from an
infant.2 It is also written in the Cristian Bible, Moshe was learned in all of the wisdom of
Egyptians.3 It appears that Moshe needed to be brought up to speed in a way that was
unnecessary for the Hebrew slaves, as we shall see from Genesis, chapter 12 through Exodus
chapter 3.
In Exodus 3:15, God directs Moshe to tell the Hebrews that the God of their fathers
Abraham, Yitzkhak, and Yaaqob had sent him to them. This is understandable because is
the name by which the patriarchs knew God vs.
. Abraham called on the name
as early as Genesis 12:8 and again in Genesis 13:6. In Genesis 14:22, Abraham specifically
1

This analysis does not address why The Creator gave Moses two responses. However, the Hebrew verbs used in
both names convey the essential nature of the Creator, i.e.:
2
Exodus 2:1-10
3
Acts 7:21
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Parallelism in Exodus 6:3

identifies God as
. In Genesis 15:2 Abraham addressed God as .4 In
Genesis 15:7, God identified himself to Abraham as who brought him out of Ur of the
Chaldeans. It wasnt until Genesis 17:1 that God identified Himself as EL SHADDAI. In
Genesis 26:22, Yitzkhak stated that made room for them when he found relief from his
strivings with the Philistines over a well. In verse 24, it states that appeared to Yitzkhak to
confirm with him the covenant He made with Abraham. In verse 25, in response, Yitzkhak built
an altar and called upon the name . In verse 28, even the Philistines speak the name .
In Genesis 28:13, God declared to Yaaqob, I am the God of Abraham thy father, and the
God of Yitzkhak. As evidenced by these scriptures, all of the patriarchs knew God as , but
it is not documented that they knew God as
. Therefore, Gods express
direction to Moshe in Exodus 3:15 to tell the Hebrews that the God of their forefathers
Abraham, Yitzkhak, and Yaaqob sent him unto them is consistent with the Hebrew Scriptures
(HS) up to this point. God further declared that is His name forever and His Memorial
(reputation, nature) throughout all generations, as we see from Genesis 4:1.
As the HS has shown, God identified himself by his name to Abraham, to Yitzkhak, and to
Yaaqob. Hence contextual support is lacking for the usual rendering of Exodus 6:3 in most
translations. It seems evident that this verse uses a form of parallelism; i.e., it makes an
affirmative statement in the first line, which is rephrased as a rhetorical question in the
second line. Within the context of the Exodus account and the greater context of the HS
beginning at Genesis 4:1, I believe the verse at Exodus 6:3 is more accurately translated:
Now I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as EL SHADDAI.
And by my name dedi didnt I make myself known to them?
An analysis of the Hebrew as used in this verse is presented in the table below.

as EL SHADDAI

unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob

Adonai Elohim based on the Masoretic vowel pointing

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I appeared
Verbal Root =
Tense = Past
Form = Wayyiqtol
Person = 1st Common Singular
Binyan/Stem = Niphal

Parallelism in Exodus 6:3

to them?

didnt I make myself known
Interrogative ( implied by context)
Negative article
Verb Root =
Tense = Past
Form = Qatal
Person = 1st Common Singular
Binyan/Stem= Niphal

And my name YHWH

Some might challenge such a translation on the basis that if the second line of the verse is a
rhetorical question it should be preceded by the interrogative . The absence of an
interrogative does not necessarily preclude a verse from being translated/read as a question.
There are several verses in the HS also absent the interrogative that are rendered as questions
in virtually all English translations.5 Some examples are included in the table below. Note the
absence of any interrogative .
KJV
And he said, Art thou
my very son Esau?
And he said, I am.
will the son of Jesse
give every one of you
fields and vineyards,
And the king said, Is
the young man
Absalom safe?

JPS
And he said: 'Art thou my
very son Esau?' And he
said: 'I am.'
will the son of Jesse give
every one of you fields
and vineyards
And the king said: 'Is it
well with the young man
Absalom?'

Hebrew Masoretic Text

Reference
Gen 27:24

1Sa 22:7

2Sa 18:29

In each of the examples in the table above, the context leaves little doubt that we are dealing with
a question. Even in the absence of an interrogative when these verses are read aloud,
inflection including the rising of the voice at the end of the phrase provides confirmation of a
question.
Furthermore, Exodus 6:4 continues, I have also established My covenant with them, to give
them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. This is the
very covenant that God established with Abraham by his name in Genesis 15:7, and
reaffirmed with Yitzkhak and Yaaqob by his name in Genesis 26 and 28, respectively.
Many ordinary readers of the HS, scholars, and theologians recognize the apparent conflict
between the popular translations of Exodus 6:3 and the aforementioned passages in Genesis. I
5

H. G. Mitchell, ' The omission of the interrogative particle,' in Old Test. and Sem. Studies in memory of W. R.
Harper, Chicago, 1907, i, 113 ff.
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Parallelism in Exodus 6:3

have read many theses and essays that attempt to address this apparent conflict, which typically
focus on the various possible meanings of the Hebrew verb , as used in this verse. In my
opinion, most of them rely heavily on copious amounts of theological gymnastics in order to
support of the popular translation of this verse. Based on the contextual evidence and use of
rhetorical parallelism, it seems obvious that a more accurate translation of Exodus 6:3 is:
Now I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as EL SHADDAI.
And by my name dedi didnt I make myself known to them?

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