Chapter three begins the dialogue between Moshe and God about returning to Egypt to save the Israelites. One day while grazing sheep, Moshe notices a bush burning yet the bush is not consumed. The lowly bush symbolizes the Israelites’ lowly state. The Egyptian attempt to burn them out is unsuccessful because God protects them.
Despite this miraculous metaphor, Moshe is skeptical. If he returns to Egypt to take the Israelites out, they will not believe him. He asks God what name of God he should tell them:
“When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers [house] has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is [God’s] name?’ What shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13)
Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָא אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם וְאָמְרוּ לִי מַה־שְּׁמוֹ מָה אֹמַר אֲלֵהֶם
“And God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh,’ continuing, ‘Thus shall you say to the Israelites, “Ehyeh sent me to you.”’” (Exodus 3:14)
Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם
This is a very strange response from God. First of all, God has never been introduced as “Ehyeh” before. A more apt name for God to reveal would have been El-Shaddai, the name well known to the forefathers and previously used by God. Second, Moshe does not seem to use this name later when he speaks to the Israelites. Third, later in chapter 6, Hashem reintroduces Himself to Moshe as Yud-Key-Vav-Key, the Tetragrammaton. It is that name that the Israelites do not believe.
The connection to chapter 6 leads some commentators to explain that Ehyeh is a different version of the Tetragrammaton because it has similar letters. However, that does not explain why God would use this unique version now. The answer may actually be that God is not answering Moshe’s question at all. The answer to this question happens later in chapter 6. Here, God is simply telling Moshe not to worry—that God will be with him.
The previous times the word Ehyeh appears in Genesis all concern God telling the forefathers that He will protect them on their journey:
To Yitzchak in Genesis 26:3:
“Reside in this land, and I will be with you (Ehyeh) and bless you.”
Hebrew: גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְאֶהְיֶה עִמְּךָ וַאֲבָרִכְךָ
And to Yaacov in Genesis 31:3:
“Then God said to Jacob, ‘Return to your ancestors’ land—where you were born—and I will be with you (Ehyeh).’”
Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יַעֲקֹב שׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתֶּךָ וְאֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ
Moshe claims he is afraid that the Israelites will not believe him. God deflects this question and addresses Moshe’s real concern—that he will be vulnerable in Egypt. God’s response: Do not worry, Moshe. I will be with you on this journey, just like I was with Yitzchak and Yaacov.
