(2) God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am Adonai. (3) I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי), but I did not make Myself known to them by My Name. (4) I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. (5) I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. (6) Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am Adonai (YHVH). I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements. (7) And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, Adonai (YHVH), am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians. (8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I, Adonai (YHVH).”
(יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹקִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹקֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ (טו) וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹקִ֜ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כֹּֽה־תֹאמַר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יי אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹקֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹקֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵאלֹקֵ֥י יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃ (טז) לֵ֣ךְ וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֞ אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֤ אֲלֵהֶם֙ יי אֱלֹקֵ֤י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ נִרְאָ֣ה אֵלַ֔י אֱלֹקֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם יִצְחָ֥ק וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הֶעָשׂ֥וּי לָכֶ֖ם בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ (יז) וָאֹמַ֗ר אַעֲלֶ֣ה אֶתְכֶם֮ מֵעֳנִ֣י מִצְרַיִם֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
(13) Moses said to God, “When I come 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 shall I say to them?” (14) And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה).” God continued, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) sent me to you.’” (15) And God said further to Moses, “Thus shall you speak to the Israelites: Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: This shall be My name forever, this My appellation for all eternity. (16) “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said, ‘I have taken note of you and of what is being done to you in Egypt, (17) and I have declared: I will take you out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’
(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים אֶל משֶׁה, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מַמָּל, אָמַר לֵיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, שְׁמִי אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לֵידַע, לְפִי מַעֲשַׂי אֲנִי נִקְרָא, פְּעָמִים שֶׁאֲנִי נִקְרָא בְּאֵל שַׁדַּי, בִּצְבָאוֹת, בֵּאלֹקִים, בַּיי: כְּשֶׁאֲנִי דָּן אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: אֱלֹקִים, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה מִלְחָמָה בָּרְשָׁעִים, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: צְבָאוֹת, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי תּוֹלֶה עַל חַטָּאָיו שֶׁל אָדָם, אֲנִי נִקְרָא: אֵל שַׁדַּי, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי מְרַחֵם עַל עוֹלָמִי, אֲנִי נִקְרָא יי, שֶׁאֵין יי אֶלָּא מִדַּת רַחֲמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לד, ו): יי יי אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, הֱוֵי: אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, אֲנִי נִקְרָא לְפִי מַעֲשָׂי. רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, אֱמֹר לָהֶם אֲנִי שֶׁהָיִיתִי וַאֲנִי הוּא עַכְשָׁו וַאֲנִי הוּא לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, לְכָךְ כְּתִיב אֶהְיֶה שָׁלשׁ פְּעָמִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן רַבִּי אֲבִינָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי הוּנָא דְּצִיפּוֹרִין אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה אֱמֹר לָהֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד זֶה אֶהְיֶה עִמָּם, וּבְשִׁעְבּוּד הֵן הוֹלְכִין וְאֶהְיֶה עִמָּם, אָמַר לְפָנָיו וְכָךְ אוֹמֵר אֲנִי לָהֶם דַּיָּה לַצָּרָה בְּשַׁעְתָּהּ, אָמַר לוֹ לָאו, כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם, לְךָ אֲנִי מוֹדִיעַ, לָהֶם אֵינִי מוֹדִיעַ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֶהְיֶה, רַבִּי יִצְחָק בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַמֵּי אָמַר בְּטִיט וּבִלְבֵנִים הֵן עוֹמְדִים, וּלְטִיט וּלְבֵנִים הֵן הוֹלְכִים, וְכֵן בְּדָנִיֵּאל (דניאל ח, כז): וַאֲנִי דָנִיֵּאל נִהְיֵיתִי וְנֶחֱלֵיתִי, אָמַר לְפָנָיו וְכָךְ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לָהֶן, אָמַר לוֹ לָאו, אֶלָא אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֶהְיֶה לַאֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה בִּיחִידִים אֲבָל בִּמְרֻבִּים עַל כָּרְחָם שֶׁלֹא בְּטוֹבָתָם כְּשֶׁהֵן מְשֻׁבָּרוֹת שִׁנֵּיהֶן מוֹלֵךְ אֲנִי עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל כ, לג): חַי אָנִי נְאֻם יי אֱלֹקִים אִם לֹא בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְחֵמָה שְׁפוּכָה אֶמְלוֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי עֲנָנִיאֵל בֶּן רַבִּי שָׂשׂוֹן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִכְשֶׁאֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ אֶחָד מִן הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁהוּא אֶחָד מִשְּׁלִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, פּוֹשֵׁט יָדוֹ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמַגַּעַת לָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל ח, ג): וַיִּשְׁלַח תַּבְנִית יָד וַיִּקָּחֵנִי בְּצִיצִת רֹאשִׁי. וּכְשֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתִּי שְׁלשָׁה מֵהֶן עֲשִׂיתִים יוֹשְׁבִים תַּחַת הָאִילָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יח, ד): וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ תַּחַת הָעֵץ, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ כְּבוֹדוֹ מָלֵא כָל הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה כג, כד): הֲלוֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא נְאֻם יי. וּכְשֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתִּי דִּבַּרְתִּי עִם אִיּוֹב מִן הַסְּעָרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב לח, א): וַיַּעַן יי אֶת אִיּוֹב מִן הַסְּעָרָה. וְכַאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ, מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה.
God said to Moses: 'You wish to know My name; I am called according to My deeds. Sometimes I am called El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי), Tzva'ot (צְבָאוֹת), Elohim (אלֹקִים), and YHVH. When I judge the creations I am called Elohim (אלֹקִים). When I am waging war against the wicked I am called Tzva'ot (צְבָאוֹת). When I suspend [punishment] for a man's sins I am called El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי). When I am merciful towards My world, I am called YHVH, for YHVH only refers to the attribute of mercy, as it is said: "Adonai, Adonai, (YHVH, YHVH), God, merciful and gracious." Hence, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" [I am that I am, or I will be that I will be] - I am called according to My deeds. R. Yitzhak said: God said to Moses: ' Tell them, that I am who was, that I am now, and that I will be in the future.' For this reason the word Eheyeh is written three times.
Rabbi Arthur Waskow
As Moses faces the unquenchably fiery Voice Who is sending him on a mission to end slavery under Pharaoh, he warns the Voice that the people will challenge him: “Sez who?” And the Holy One, the Wholly One, answers: “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, I Will Be Who I Will Be” – a fitting Name for a universe that is always Becoming. A universe in which the powerless poor can be empowered and the pharaoh’s power can dissolve like powder into the Sea of Reeds. Then God adds, “But that’s a mouthful. You can use just ‘Ehyeh, I Will Be,’ as my nickname, if you like.”
“And oh yes, you can also call me ‘YHWH.’" But we actually can’t. There’s no way to “pronounce” those letters, with no vowels. And for a couple of millennia, Jews have been strictly taught not even to try pronouncing it but instead to say “Adonai, Lord.”
But God, and Torah say: Not so. The second time the Voice tells Moses that the new Name is “Y H W H” is in Exodus 6:2-3. Moses is in Egypt, and his first try at liberation and at organizing ... has miserably failed. This time the Voice explicitly says that the Name by which He/She/ It was known to the forebears — El Shaddai ... the God of Nourishment and Nurture, is no longer the Name for use in the liberation process.
Nechama Leibowitz
The Almighty had made a promise to the Patriarchs. He had promised them the land of Canaan but the time had not been ripe for its fulfillment. This is the meaning of the phrase that God had not yet appeared to them by His name. The attribute of Divine fulfillment implied in this name of God had not yet been realized in history