Exodus 3:13 · Bible study
Exodus 3:13 Commentary: The Question of God's Name
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Moses anticipated the Israelites would ask for God's name, and how that question shapes the meaning of divine self-revelation in Exodus.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Moses anticipates that the Israelites will demand a specific divine name, reflecting their need for assurance and their exposure to Egyptian polytheism.
- Key words: “Name” (shem, H8034), more than a label, it conveys reputation and character; “God of your fathers”, stresses covenant continuity.
- Main debate: Whether the Israelites had entirely forgotten God (Clarke, Calvin) or were testing Moses’ credentials (Gill, more moderately).
- Theological theme: Divine self-revelation meets human need; God’s name discloses his nature and faithful action.
- Best use: A text for teaching about the meaning of God’s name, the challenge of speaking for God in a pluralistic setting, and the pastoral sensitivity of honest questioning.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
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?”
KJV King James Version 1769
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?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y dijo Moisés á Dios: He aquí que llego yo á los hijos de Israel, y les digo, El Dios de vuestros padres me ha enviado á vosotros; si ellos me preguntaren: ¿ Cuál es su nombre? ¿ qué les responderé?
E disse Moisés a Deus: Eis que, quando eu chegar aos filhos de Israel, e lhes disser, O Deus de vossos pais me enviou a vós; se eles me perguntarem: Qual é seu nome? que lhes responderei?
Moïse dit à Dieu: J’irai donc vers les enfants d’ Israël, et je leur dirai: Le Dieu de vos pères m’ envoie vers vous. Mais, s’ ils me demandent quel est son nom, que leur répondrai-je?
Mose sprach zu Gott: Siehe, wenn ich zu den Kindern Israel komme und spreche zu ihnen: Der Gott eurer Väter hat mich zu euch gesandt, und sie mir sagen werden: Wie heißt sein Name? was soll ich ihnen sagen?
Toen zeide Mozes tot God: Zie, wanneer ik kom tot de kinderen Israels, en zeg tot hen: De God uwer vaderen heeft mij tot ulieden gezonden; en zij mij zeggen: Hoe is Zijn naam? wat zal ik tot hen zeggen?
E Mosè disse a Dio: “Ecco, quando sarò andato dai figliuoli d’Israele e avrò detto loro: L’Iddio de’ vostri padri m’ha mandato da voi, se essi mi dicono: Qual è il suo nome? che risponderò loro?”
I rzekł Mojżesz do Boga: Oto, ja pójdę do synów Izraelskich, i rzekę im: Bóg ojców waszych posłał mię do was: Jeźli mi rzeką: Które jest imię jego? Cóż im odpowiem?
И сказал Моисей Богу: вот, я приду к сынам Израилевым и скажу им: Бог отцов ваших послал меня к вам. А они скажут мне: как Ему имя? Что сказать мне им?
摩西 對 神 說：「 我 到 以色列 人那裡，對他們 說：『你們祖宗的 神 打發我 到你們這裡來。』他們若問我 說：『他叫甚麼 名字？』我要對他們 說 甚麼呢？」
And Moses said to God, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you: and they say to me, What is his name? what am I to say to them?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 3:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Moses’ question is not a naive request for a label, but a pastoral concern rooted in the people’s situation. Clarke, Calvin, and Keil all note that four centuries of Egyptian bondage had eroded Israel’s knowledge of the covenant God; the people had absorbed the polytheistic culture around them. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible add that ancient worshipers expected each deity to have a personal name that disclosed its character and sphere of operation. Moses himself, according to Gill, may have anticipated a test from the people: they would want proof that his authority came from the true God, not an invented figure. The consensus is that the question centres on the need for a name that carries assurance, a name that both distinguishes Yahweh from the Egyptian gods and bears the promise of deliverance within it.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Idolatry/ignorance view: Clarke, Calvin: Israel had absorbed Egyptian religion and lost true knowledge of Yahweh.
- Testing view: Gill: The people knew God but would test Moses by asking which name he would invoke.
- Character-revelation view: Keil, Barnes: They needed a name that expressed God’s nature and promise of deliverance, distinguishing him from false gods.
What is clear: Moses anticipated a genuine need from the people to know which God was acting, and God answered by revealing his personal name as the basis for trust and hope.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why Moses asks the question | Moses was concerned about how the people would receive his message and needed a way to identify God. | Clarke and Calvin see the people as largely ignorant of the true God due to Egyptian influence; Gill thinks they knew God but would test Moses. Keil emphasizes the need for a name that expressed God's nature. |
| The state of Israelite religion in Egypt | Generations of bondage weakened the people's grasp of the covenant. | Some commentators (Clarke) argue the people had become essentially idolatrous; others (Calvin) suggest the faith was rusty but not gone; Barnes sees a practical need to distinguish Yahweh from Egyptian gods. |
| What 'name' means in this context | A name is more than a title, it reveals character and authority. | Traditional Protestant readings focus on the name as a revelation of God's essence; the Cambridge Bible situates it in the ancient practice of invoking a deity by name for help. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moses stands at the burning bush, freshly commissioned to confront Pharaoh and lead Israel out of Egypt. His first excuse, “Who am I?”, has been answered with God’s pledge of presence (v.12). Now he raises a second objection: when the people ask for God’s name, what will he say?
This question makes sense only against the backdrop of Egypt’s religious landscape. Egypt had hundreds of gods, each with a distinct name and area of control, Ra the sun god, Isis the mother goddess, Hathor of fertility, and so on. A god’s name was not merely an identifier; it was a key to the god’s power and character. Barnes points out that Moses was familiar with this habit, so when he imagined the people asking “What is his name?” they were effectively asking, “Which god is this, and what aspect of his nature should give us hope?”
The Israelites had been in Egypt for generations. Clarke and Calvin both note that prolonged slavery, coupled with the absence of written revelation (the earliest portions of the Torah likely not yet compiled), meant that the covenant traditions of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had faded. The people had likely picked up Egyptian ways of thinking about the divine. Moses himself, living forty years among Midianite shepherds, may have felt the gap. The question thus reflects a real pastoral problem: if the deliverer cannot clearly identify the God who sent him, why should the slaves believe?
Literarily, this verse serves as the hinge between God’s call and God’s self-revelation in v.14-15. It sets up the most famous divine name in Scripture: “I AM WHO I AM.” Without Moses’ question, the name Yahweh would lack its anchor in Israel’s crisis.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 3:13. The verse is stable across ancient manuscripts and translations. Minor differences in English phrasing (e.g., “Behold, when I come” vs. “Suppose I go to the Israelites”) do not affect the meaning.
Reception History
This verse has been read as the prelude to the great revelation of God’s name in v.14. Early church writers such as Origen and Athanasius saw in Moses’ question a sign that human beings need divine teaching to know God truly. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Luther emphasized that Moses’ hesitancy reflects the weakness of human faith. Wesley and Matthew Henry used the verse to show that even faithful leaders doubt how to present God, and that God meets those doubts with clear self-disclosure. In modern scholarship, the question is often examined for what it reveals about the religious environment of ancient Israel and the theological breakthrough of the divine name.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Moses expects honest inquiry. He does not dismiss the people as faithless; he anticipates that slavery and idolatry have left them uncertain. A pastor’s heart prepares for hard questions.
- Names carry weight. In the ancient world, a deity’s name revealed its nature and authority. Moses needs a name that will stand against every Egyptian god and every fear of the people.
- God’s answer will exceed the question. The name “I AM” (v.14) directly responds to the crisis: it declares self-existence, faithfulness, and power to deliver, all in one phrase.
Five-point outline
- Moses’ second objection reveals his growing leadership, he thinks about how the people will receive the message.
- The question “What is his name?” exposes Israel’s religious drift. They needed to be re-introduced to the God of their fathers.
- Ancient people understood that knowing a god’s name gave access to that god’s help. The people wanted more than a title; they wanted a guarantee.
- God uses the question to give a definitive self-revelation, not just a name. The answer transforms the entire relationship between God and Israel.
- This passage encourages believers today to think through how they will explain God to those shaped by a different worldview.
Illustration hooks
- Imagine being sent by a boss to deliver a message, and the first thing people ask is, “Who exactly sent you? What’s their reputation?” You need an answer that earns trust.
- A child asks, “What’s God’s real name?”, the same instinct: we want to know who we are dealing with.
- When a new leader comes to a community in crisis, the natural question is, “Who sent you and why should we follow?”
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God’s name matter so much in the Bible?
- How do I explain who God is to people who don’t know him?
- What if I feel like I don’t know God well enough myself to speak for him?
Leading a Discussion
Moses’ question grows out of real pastoral concern. He knows the people have suffered long and have absorbed Egypt’s many gods. Before they can follow Moses, they need to know which God sent him, and why that God can be trusted. This passage invites us to consider how we identify God when the world around us offers many alternatives.
Discussion questions
- What does Moses’ question reveal about his understanding of the people’s spiritual condition?
- Why would the Israelites ask, “What is his name?” What did a name mean in the ancient Near East?
- How does the surrounding context (Exodus 3:1, 12) shape the way we read this verse?
- In what ways might the Israelites have misunderstood God after generations in Egypt? How does that parallel challenges we face today?
- God’s answer in v.14 (“I AM WHO I AM”) directly addresses the need Moses raises. What does that name communicate specifically to a people in bondage?
- How does this passage help us think about our own need to know God’s character, not just his name?
- What would you say to someone who asks, “How can I know which God to trust?”
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 32:29 | Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there. |
| Exodus 3:14 | God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” |
| Exodus 15:3 | Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name. |
| Judges 13:6 | Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name; |
| Judges 13:17 | Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?” |
| Proverbs 30:4 | Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know? |
| Isaiah 7:14 | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. |
| Isaiah 9:6 | For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sees the Israelites' likely question about God's name as evidence of their deep entanglement in Egyptian idolatry. After generations without revelation or true worship, they had little genuine knowledge of the supreme God. Even Moses himself was cautious, needing full assurance against possible delusion from Egyptian magic.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that Moses was not asking for a new name for God. He needed direction to use the specific name that would itself guarantee the promise. This question arose from Moses’ familiarity with Egyptian customs, where worshippers chose from the gods’ names the one that suited their need.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Moses feared rejection not because he or the Israelites were utterly ignorant of God, but because their faith had grown faint and rusty. Moses, lacking proper instruction in Midian, and the people, having strayed from their fathers' ways, needed a recognizable token to confirm his divine mission.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator explains that in ancient times, knowing a deity's personal name was essential for prayer and help, and the name often revealed the deity's nature. This cultural background clarifies why Moses needed to know God's name. The promise that the Israelites would receive valuables from the Egyptians is attributed to a specific source.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then Moses said vnto God, Behold, when I shall come vnto the children of Israel, and shall say vnto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you: if they say vnto me, What is his Name? what shall I say vnto them?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the Israelites' question about God's name is not out of ignorance, since they had already called on Him in their distress. He suggests they ask either to test Moses or because God often reveals a new name when making a fresh appearance, so they want to know the name He currently uses.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that Moses asked for God's name not because Israel had forgotten it, but because a name in this context reveals the bearer's nature and actions. God's answer, "I am that I am," declares Him as the absolute, self-determined God, utterly unlike Egypt's many deities, and gives His people unshakable confidence in His saving purposes.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the burning bush as a symbol of God's people in affliction. The fire represents God's jealous love, which purifies and rejuvenates without consuming. He interprets the preserved bush as a prophetic image of the Church enduring through all trials until the end of the world.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Moses, the man most qualified to lead Israel out of Egypt, protests his own inadequacy. For this commentator, such low self-opinion is a mark of true fitness for service: the more capable a person is, the less he thinks of himself.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads Moses' question as a practical request for a name that would set God apart from every false god and give the Israelites solid ground to hope for deliverance. The name must do double duty: distinguishing the true God and strengthening a people in bondage.