And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.
the Lord.
Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
Genesis 17:7,8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee…
this is my name for ever.
Psalm 72:17,19 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed…
Psalm 135:13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.
Psalm 145:1,2 David's Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever…
my memorial.
Psalm 102:12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Hosea 12:5 Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
Micah 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
“Say to the Israelites,
Moses is instructed to deliver God's message to the Israelites, underscoring his role as a mediator between God and His people. This reflects the communal nature of God's covenant with Israel.
‘The LORD,
The term "LORD" is a translation of the tetragrammaton YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. It signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal faithfulness.
the God of your fathers—
This phrase connects the present revelation to the patriarchal promises, affirming continuity in God's relationship with Israel. It reassures the Israelites of God's ongoing commitment to His covenant.
the God of Abraham,
Abraham is the patriarch with whom God made an initial covenant, promising land, descendants, and blessing. This reference recalls God's faithfulness to His promises and the beginning of the covenantal relationship.
the God of Isaac,
Isaac, as the son of promise, represents the continuation of God's covenant. His life exemplifies God's provision and faithfulness, reinforcing the message of divine reliability.
and the God of Jacob—
Jacob, later named Israel, is the father of the twelve tribes. His life story, marked by transformation and divine encounters, symbolizes the nation of Israel's relationship with God.
has sent me to you.’
Moses is commissioned as God's representative, emphasizing the divine authority behind his mission. This legitimizes his leadership and the message he brings to the Israelites.
This is My name forever,
God's name, YHWH, is declared eternal, signifying His unchanging nature and perpetual covenant with His people. It underscores the timelessness of God's identity and promises.
and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
The enduring remembrance of God's name across generations highlights the importance of teaching and preserving the knowledge of God. It calls for faithfulness in worship and obedience, ensuring that each generation recognizes and honors God's covenantal relationship.
In the burning-bush encounter, the Lord doesn’t stop with revealing “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). He goes further, commissioning Moses with a message for Israel. God initiates the conversation; Moses is listening.
• Cross reference: “The word of the LORD came to Abram” (Genesis 15:1). God always takes the first step.
• Notice how personal this is—Moses isn’t left to craft his own speech; every word comes from the Lord, guaranteeing both authority and accuracy.
The directive is crystal-clear. Moses must bring God’s exact words to God’s covenant people.
• Cross reference: God later commands Jeremiah, “Speak to them all these words” (Jeremiah 26:2). Obedience means precise transmission, not creative editing.
• Application thread: When we relay Scripture, we’re stewards, not inventors (1 Peter 4:11).
YHWH anchors His identity in history and covenant. He isn’t a new deity Moses discovered in Midian; He is the same faithful God their ancestors trusted.
• Each patriarch received promises: Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), Isaac (Genesis 26:24), Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15).
• Jesus quotes this very phrase to prove resurrection: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32), underlining the permanence of the relationship.
• Continuity assures Israel that the upcoming deliverance aligns with the ancient covenant.
Moses goes under divine orders, not personal ambition. The authority of the mission rests on the Sender, not the messenger.
• Cross reference: Later, the elders confirm, “The LORD… has sent you” (Exodus 4:31).
• New-covenant echo: Jesus says, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). God’s pattern: He sends; we go.
YHWH declares His covenant name timeless. He does not evolve with culture; His character remains steady.
• Psalm 102:12: “But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.”
• Malachi 3:6: “For I, the LORD, do not change.” Comfort flows from God’s immutability—what He promised then, He still means now.
God prescribes the way He wants to be known: by the name that ties Him to redemptive history.
• Deuteronomy 6:4-7 urges parents to rehearse God’s words to their children, embedding His name into daily life.
• Psalm 145:4 celebrates the outcome: “One generation will declare Your works to the next.”
• The ongoing memorial of God’s name guards against idolatry and forgetfulness (Judges 2:10-11 shows what happens when a generation fails to remember).
Exodus 3:15 reveals a God who speaks clearly, sends authoritatively, anchors Himself in covenant history, and insists on being remembered exactly as He has revealed Himself. For every generation—including ours—His unchanging name invites trust, obedience, and worship rooted in the certainty that the LORD who called Abraham still acts and delivers today.
(15) The Lord God of your fathers.--Heb., Jehovah, God of your fathers. The "I AM" of the preceding verse ('ehyeh) is modified here into Jahveh, or Jehovah, by a substitution of the third person for the first. The meaning of the name remains the same.This is my name for ever.--Jehovah is the pre. dominant name of God throughout the rest of the Old Testament. (On the meaning of the name see Note on Genesis 2:4.) Rendered by the LXX. ??????, ["Lord"] the name appears under that form everywhere throughout the Authorised Version printed in capitals. It does not occur in the New Testament, since "Lord" takes its place. An equivalent of the name occurs, however, frequently in the Revelation of St. John, where God appears as "He which is, and which was, and which is to come" (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 16:5). Necessary, self-sustained, independent, eternal existence, must always be of his essence. . . .
Verse 15. - The Lord God. In the original Jehovah elokey - "Jehovah, God of your fathers," etc. The name is clearly an equivalent of the "I AM" in the preceding versa The exact mode of its formation from the old root hava, "to be," is still disputed among the best Hebraists. This is my name for ever. Henceforth there will be no change - this will be my most appropriate name so long as the world endures - "The Existent" - "The Alone Existent" - "He that is, and was, and is to come" (Revelation 1:4, 8; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 16:5). My memorial. The name whereby I am to be spoken of.