וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נֹודַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
In one of the most enigmatic declarations in the Torah, God tells Moses:
וּשְׁמִי יְהוָ֔ה לֹא נֹודַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם
“And My name YHWH I did not make known to them.”
This statement — from Shemot 6:3 — appears at first to contradict what we know from earlier narratives. After all, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are recorded as using the name YHWH. So how can God say He was not known by that name?
The answer lies beneath the surface, encoded in the grammar of divine revelation. In this verse, a single verb form — נֹודַעְתִּי — carries profound theological weight. It is not just about naming; it is about knowing, revealing, and becoming present. And the way it is used here transforms our understanding of how God reveals Himself across time.
“I Was Not Known by My Name”: A Grammatical Puzzle
Let us begin with the key phrase:
וּשְׁמִי יְהוָ֔ה לֹא נֹודַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם
“And My name YHWH I did not make known to them.”
The verb נֹודַעְתִּי is from the root י-ד-ע, meaning “to know” or “to be made known,” in the nifal stem, which often conveys passive or reflexive meaning. Here, it means something like “I was not made known” or “I did not reveal Myself.”
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נֹודַעְתִּי | י-ד-ע | Nifal perfect, 1cs | “I was not made known” | Used here to describe God’s self-revelation as an intentional act tied to covenantal history. |
This verb form is crucial. It does not merely say “they did not know Me” — it says “I did not reveal Myself.” This subtle distinction shifts the focus from human ignorance to divine timing — and to the unfolding nature of divine identity within history.
The Name That Was Withheld: From El Shaddai to YHWH
The verse contrasts two ways in which God revealed Himself:
- To the patriarchs: בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי — “by the name El Shaddai”
- To Moses: שְׁמִי יְהוָה — “My name YHWH”
This is not a contradiction but a progression. The patriarchs experienced God as powerful (El Shaddai), provider, and promise-giver. But now, with the Exodus about to unfold, God is about to reveal His covenantal name — YHWH, the name tied to faithfulness, redemption, and historical presence.
Consider the shift in language. The earlier appearances were marked by promises and visions. Now, God introduces a new kind of relationship — one that will be defined by action, deliverance, and covenant. The name YHWH is not unknown in sound — but it becomes fully meaningful only when God fulfills what that name implies: steadfast presence, redemptive power, and unbroken commitment.
From Appearance to Revelation: The Verbs of Knowing God
The verse begins with a contrast between two verbs:
- וָאֵרָ֗א – “I appeared” – Nifal perfect, 1cs
- נֹודַ֖עְתִּי – “I was made known” – Nifal perfect, 1cs
Both derive from roots related to seeing or knowing. But while ראה implies vision or appearance, ידע implies deeper knowledge — intimate, experiential, relational.
God had shown Himself to the Patriarchs — He had been seen. But He had not yet fully revealed who He was in the fullness of His covenantal character. That revelation would come through Moses — not only in name, but in action: bringing Israel out of Egypt, fulfilling promises, establishing a redemptive relationship.
This distinction is not semantic — it is grammatical. The shift from El Shaddai to YHWH is mirrored by the shift in verb form — from past appearances (וָאֵרָא, “I appeared”) to a new kind of self-disclosure (נֹודַעְתִּי, “I was made known”).
The Syntax of Covenant: Why Timing Matters
What makes this passage so rich is that it is not simply a doctrinal statement about names — it is a narrative turning point. God is explaining why this moment, with Moses, is different from all before it.
Consider the structure of the sentence:
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָם… בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי
וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נֹודַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶם
This is a classic example of contrastive parallelism, where the second clause clarifies or deepens the meaning of the first. The Patriarchs saw God — but not fully. Now, God will make His true identity known — not just by name, but by deed.
The verb נֹודַעְתִּי marks a qualitative shift in divine-human relationship. It suggests that knowledge of God is not static, but progressive — unfolding in stages that correspond to the needs of each generation.
The Verb That Reveals God’s Timing
In closing, Exodus 6:3 teaches us that names in Biblical Hebrew are not just labels — they are revelations. The verb נֹודַעְתִּי captures this perfectly: God did not merely withhold His name — He withheld its full meaning until the right moment.
This is not a denial of prior encounters. It is a declaration of their incompleteness. Just as a child may see clearly only after growing up, so too, Israel’s understanding of God matures over time — and language reflects this unfolding.
In the end, this verse is not a contradiction — it is a confession of how deeply God ties His name to His actions. And in the grammar of Exodus 6:3, we find not confusion, but clarity: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is now ready to show Who He truly Is — not only as Almighty, but as Redeemer.