tigger 2
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The New Bible Dictionary, Douglas (ed.), 1962, pp. 478, 479, published by Eerdmans, explains Exodus 3 well:
“Strictly speaking, Yahweh [or ‘Jehovah’ in traditional English form] is the only ‘name’ of God .... Elohim [the Hebrew word translated ‘God’ in English] says, ‘this [YHWH] is my name for ever’ (Ex. 3:15). Yahweh [Jehovah], therefore, in contrast with Elohim [‘God’], is a proper noun, the name of a person .... He [Moses] inquires, ‘when ... the children of Israel ... shall say, what (mah [in Hebrew]) is his name? What shall I say unto them?’ (Ex. 3:13). The normal way to ask a name is to use the [Hebrew] pronoun mî; to use mah invites an answer which goes further and gives the meaning (‘what?’) or substance of the name.”
“Nevertheless, Exod. 3 does not appear to give a new name for the first time but the explanation of a name known already but now identified as the saving God of Israel....” - The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, p. 69, Vol. 2, Zondervan, 1986.
In its commentary to Exodus 3:14, the JPS Tanakh, Jewish Study Bible, Oxford Edition states:
"God's proper name disclosed in the next verse is YHVH (spelled yod-heh-vav-heh. In Heb., in ancient times, the "vav" was pronounced "w"). But here God first tells Moses its meaning; ehyeh-asher-ehyeh, probably best translated as "I will be what I will be" meaning: "My nature will become evident from my actions."
“The name of God
“Israel’s ancestors knew God as ‘the LORD’, Yahweh (or Jehovah) (Genesis 2:4; Gen 12:1; Gen 26:2; Gen 28:21; Gen 49:18), but the name meant little to the Israelites of Moses’ time. God’s revelation to Moses in the ‘I am’ statement of Exodus 3:14 was an explanation of what the name Yahweh should have meant to God’s people.” - Bridgeway Bible Commentary.
“God had made Himself known to Abraham as Jehovah (Genesis 15:7). But here [Ex. 3:14] He gives the explanation of His name Jehovah. The patriarchs knew the name Jehovah, but the blessed significance of that name was not known to them.” - Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible.
NET Bible fn. for Ex, 3:14,15 - “First the verb ‘I AM’ [ehyeh] was used (v. 14) in place of the name to indicate its meaning and to remind Moses of God’s promise to be with him (v. 12). Now in v. 15 the actual name is used for clear identification: ‘Yahweh…has sent me.’ This is the name that the patriarchs invoked and proclaimed in the land of Canaan.”
So we see that Moses is really asking at Ex. 3:13, “when the children of Israel shall say ‘what is the meaning [mah] of his name?’ What shall I say to them?” Therefore, what is given in Ex. 3:14 is not his name at all (which they all knew already) but the meaning (or “explanation”) of his personal name YHWH (“Jehovah.”) That name (which even Moses knew at this time - his mother’s name, in fact, at Ex. 6:20, means “Jehovah is glory” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) is plainly stated in Ex. 3:15 and obviously is to be known and used as God’s personal name forever by all his true worshipers. Contrast the 7000 times that “Jehovah” is clearly used as God’s name in the scriptures with how many times “I AM” (or ehyeh) is clearly used for God’s name (none)!
“Strictly speaking, Yahweh [or ‘Jehovah’ in traditional English form] is the only ‘name’ of God .... Elohim [the Hebrew word translated ‘God’ in English] says, ‘this [YHWH] is my name for ever’ (Ex. 3:15). Yahweh [Jehovah], therefore, in contrast with Elohim [‘God’], is a proper noun, the name of a person .... He [Moses] inquires, ‘when ... the children of Israel ... shall say, what (mah [in Hebrew]) is his name? What shall I say unto them?’ (Ex. 3:13). The normal way to ask a name is to use the [Hebrew] pronoun mî; to use mah invites an answer which goes further and gives the meaning (‘what?’) or substance of the name.”
“Nevertheless, Exod. 3 does not appear to give a new name for the first time but the explanation of a name known already but now identified as the saving God of Israel....” - The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, p. 69, Vol. 2, Zondervan, 1986.
In its commentary to Exodus 3:14, the JPS Tanakh, Jewish Study Bible, Oxford Edition states:
"God's proper name disclosed in the next verse is YHVH (spelled yod-heh-vav-heh. In Heb., in ancient times, the "vav" was pronounced "w"). But here God first tells Moses its meaning; ehyeh-asher-ehyeh, probably best translated as "I will be what I will be" meaning: "My nature will become evident from my actions."
“The name of God
“Israel’s ancestors knew God as ‘the LORD’, Yahweh (or Jehovah) (Genesis 2:4; Gen 12:1; Gen 26:2; Gen 28:21; Gen 49:18), but the name meant little to the Israelites of Moses’ time. God’s revelation to Moses in the ‘I am’ statement of Exodus 3:14 was an explanation of what the name Yahweh should have meant to God’s people.” - Bridgeway Bible Commentary.
“God had made Himself known to Abraham as Jehovah (Genesis 15:7). But here [Ex. 3:14] He gives the explanation of His name Jehovah. The patriarchs knew the name Jehovah, but the blessed significance of that name was not known to them.” - Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible.
NET Bible fn. for Ex, 3:14,15 - “First the verb ‘I AM’ [ehyeh] was used (v. 14) in place of the name to indicate its meaning and to remind Moses of God’s promise to be with him (v. 12). Now in v. 15 the actual name is used for clear identification: ‘Yahweh…has sent me.’ This is the name that the patriarchs invoked and proclaimed in the land of Canaan.”
So we see that Moses is really asking at Ex. 3:13, “when the children of Israel shall say ‘what is the meaning [mah] of his name?’ What shall I say to them?” Therefore, what is given in Ex. 3:14 is not his name at all (which they all knew already) but the meaning (or “explanation”) of his personal name YHWH (“Jehovah.”) That name (which even Moses knew at this time - his mother’s name, in fact, at Ex. 6:20, means “Jehovah is glory” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) is plainly stated in Ex. 3:15 and obviously is to be known and used as God’s personal name forever by all his true worshipers. Contrast the 7000 times that “Jehovah” is clearly used as God’s name in the scriptures with how many times “I AM” (or ehyeh) is clearly used for God’s name (none)!