Exodus 6: Let Me Reintroduce Myself

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Nov 16, 2025 · 3m

Six chapters in, God seems to start fresh:

“And God spoke to Moshe and said to him, I am God. I appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov as El Shakkai, but by my name God (YKVK) they did not know me” (verse 2).

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֛ק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֤י יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א נוֹדַ֔עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (שמות ו:ב–ג)

God reintroduces the mission—enumerating five synonyms of saving and explaining the goal to bring the Israelites to Canaan. God is not the only one who is reintroduced. The text also provides…