Exodus 3:13 (KJV)

What does Exodus 3:13 mean?

Moses asks God what he should tell the Israelites if they ask the name of the God who sent him. Moses anticipates having to identify the one whose authority stands behind his message.

The key word is “name” — שֵׁם (shem). The word means a name, but a name identifies someone and can carry that person’s reputation. At the burning bush, Moses has been told to bring Israel out of Egypt. His question, “What is his name?” asks how he should identify the God commissioning him to the people he must approach.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 3:13

• “God” — אֱלֹהִים (elohim): This word can refer to God or to gods, depending on the context. Here it refers to the single God speaking with Moses. Although the Hebrew form is plural, the verse speaks of God as “his” and presents God as one sender.

• “children” — בֵּן (ben): The basic meaning is “son”; the plural form used here means “sons” or “children.” In “children of Israel,” the phrase identifies the descendants of Israel as a people, including adults. Moses is being sent to the Israelite community.

• “fathers” — אָב (av): This word means “father,” and its plural can mean ancestors. “The God of your fathers” connects Moses’ message with Israel’s ancestral history. Earlier in the chapter, God identifies those ancestors as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

• “sent” — שָׁלַח (shalach): This verb means to send or dispatch. Here Moses imagines saying that God “hath sent me unto you.” Moses would be approaching Israel as someone commissioned by God, with a message and a task.

Why Exodus 3:13 matters

• Moses is anticipating the Israelites’ response. “When I come” leads into what Moses will say, what they may ask, and what he should answer. The verse records a proposed conversation, not a question the Israelites have already asked.

• The ancestral connection and the request for a name belong together. Moses expects to announce “the God of your fathers,” yet he still asks how to answer “What is his name?” Identifying God through Israel’s ancestors does not remove Moses’ need for a specific answer.

• The verse prepares for God’s reply. “What shall I say unto them?” leaves the answer with God. The explanation of the divine name begins in Exodus 3:14–15, rather than in Moses’ question itself.