Exodus 3:13 Meaning: The Meaning of God's Name in Our Suffering
Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
And Moses saith unto God, `Lo, I am coming unto the sons of Israel, and have said to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, and they have said to me, What is His name? what do I say unto them?'
And Moses said to God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Meaning in one sentence
Moses knew the enslaved Israelites would ask for God's name. Discover the deeper question behind Exodus 3:13 about knowing who God truly is.
Context
Moses stands on holy ground. God has just commissioned him to confront Pharaoh and free Israel. He has already asked, “Who am I?” Now he asks a deeper question for the people. He imagines returning to his enslaved brothers and sisters. They have lived in Egypt for generations. The religion of their fathers has grown dim. They are surrounded by the mighty gods of Egypt, Ra, Osiris, Isis. Moses knows they will not trust a nameless messenger. The question “What is his name?” is not an excuse. It is the most important question a person can ask. Who is the God who sees our suffering? What can we call Him?
Key Words
Name (shem). In the ancient world, a name was not just a label. It revealed character, authority, and nature. The Cambridge Bible notes that every deity had a personal name, and knowing it meant you could approach that deity for help. Moses is not asking for a random identifier. He needs to show the Israelites the specific character of the God who remembers them.
God (Elohim). This is the generic Hebrew word for deity. The Egyptians had many gods. Moses could not just say “God sent me.” He had to say which God. Was it the God of the Nile? The God of the Sun? Moses needed the one true God to distinguish Himself from the idols of Egypt.
What (mah). This is an open, searching word. It is the cry of a man who knows he cannot answer on his own. Moses is throwing the question back to God. “Tell me who You are, so I can tell them.” This humble question opens the door for the greatest revelation of God in the Old Testament: “I AM WHO I AM.”
How Christians Read This Verse
Why did Moses think the people would ask for God's name? Some older commentators, like Matthew Henry and Calvin, focus on Moses' own spiritual weakness, his faith had grown rusty in Midian, and he feared the people's faith had too. Others, like Adam Clarke, emphasize the reality of Israel's idolatry: they had lived in Egypt so long that the true God was mixed up in their minds with the false ones. Scholars like Barnes point to the culture, where knowing a god's name was understood as knowing its power.
Across all these views, readers agree on one thing: the question was honest. Moses knew a suffering people needs a sure foundation for hope. God answered not with a brand new name, but by deepening the name He had already given to Abraham. He is the God who simply is, eternal, faithful, and present.
A common misunderstanding
A common assumption is that Moses did not know God at all, and God was giving His name for the first time in history.
In fact, the patriarchs knew and called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8). Moses is not asking for a first introduction. He is asking how God wants to be known to a generation that has drifted into slavery and spiritual confusion. The people were not asking for new information out of curiosity. They were asking, “Which God is strong enough to beat Pharaoh?” God's answer, “I AM”, reveals that He is the God who always has been, always is, and always will be.
Living This Out
You may know God as your Creator, your Provider, or your Friend. But when a new crisis hits, the old name may not feel like enough. Moses needed a fresh revelation for a fresh trial. What do you need God to be for you today? A Healer? A Deliverer? A Father who does not abandon? The great “I AM” is not limited to what you have known Him to be in the past. He is ready to show you a new depth of His character for the exact struggle you are in right now. Ask Him. He will tell you His name.
Main takeaway: God is not a distant force but a person with a name, and He reveals His character so we can trust Him in our suffering.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses was about to do a very hard thing. He asked God, “What is Your name?” God said, “I AM WHO I AM.” That means God is always here. He is whatever we need. When you are scared, you can remember that God is big and strong and with you. You can call on His name.
For ages 9, 12
Moses knew the people would not just believe a stranger. They lived in a country full of statues of false gods. The Egyptians had a god for the sun, a god for the river, and a god for war. If Moses said “God sent me,” the people would ask, “Which god?” God told Moses His personal name, “I AM.” This name means that God is the one true God. He didn't just make the sun and the river; He made everything. He is the only One who was alive before the world began. That is a name you can trust when things get hard.
Questions People Ask
Why did Moses think the Israelites would ask for God's name in Exodus 3:13?
Moses knew the Israelites lived in Egypt surrounded by many gods. Each god had a specific name and power. Moses needed to tell them which God was sending him. He also knew the people might doubt him, and having a specific name for God would give his message authority.
Did God reveal a new name to Moses, or was it already known?
The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, knew God by the name Yahweh. But God explains this name in a deeper way at the burning bush. He says, “I AM WHO I AM.” It is the same name, but its meaning is expanded. God is showing that He is eternal, self-existent, and faithful to His promises.
What is the most important thing we can learn from Exodus 3:13?
The most important thing is that God wants to be known. He does not keep His distance. When His people are in trouble and need a foundation for their faith, He tells them His name. God is not a vague force; He is a Person we can know and trust in the middle of our hardest moments.
How do Christians connect “I AM” in Exodus to Jesus?
Many Christians see a direct link. In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase “I AM” to describe Himself, I am the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection. He even says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This is understood as Jesus identifying Himself with the God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
For pastors & researchers
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