Exodus 3 · Verse 6

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 3:6, King James Version

Exodus 3:6 in other translations

BSBThen He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
WEBMoreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
ASVMoreover 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.
YLTHe saith also, ‘I am the God of thy father, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob;' and Moses hideth his face, for he is afraid to look towards God.
DARBYAnd 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 at God.
BBEAnd he said, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses kept his face covered for fear of looking on God.
WebsterMoreover 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.

What does Exodus 3:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 3:6-8
6-8. I am the God ... come down to deliver--The reverential awe of Moses must have been relieved by the divine Speaker (see Mt 22:32), announcing Himself in His covenant character, and by the welcome intelligence communicated. Moreover, the time, as well as all the circumstances of this miraculous appearance, were such as to give him an illustrious display of God's faithfulness to His promises. The period of Israel's journey and affliction in Egypt had been predicted (Ge 15:13), and it was during the last year of the term which had still to run that the Lord appeared in the burning bush.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 I am the God of thy father - Though the word אבי abi, father, is here used in the singular, St Stephen, quoting this place, Act 7:32, uses the plural, Ὁ Θεος των πατερων σου, The God of thy Fathers; and that this is the meaning the following words prove: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. These were the fathers of Moses in a direct line. This reading is confirmed by the Samaritan and by the Coptic. Abraham was the father of the Ishmaelites, and with him was the covenant first made. Isaac was the father of the Edomites as well as the Israelites, and with him was the covenant renewed. Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs, who were founders of the Jewish nation, and to him were the promises particularly confirmed. Hence we see that the Arabs and Turks in general, who are descendants of Ishmael; the Edomites, now absorbed among the Jews, (see Clarke's note on Gen 25:23), who are the descendants of Esau; and the Jewish people, wheresoever scattered, who are the descendants of Jacob, are all heirs of the promises included in this primitive covenant; and their gathering in with the fullness of the Gentiles may be confidently expected. And Moses hid his face - For similar acts, see 1Kgs 19:13; Isa 6:1, Isa 6:5; Neh 9:9; Psa 106:44; Act 7:34. He was afraid to look - he was overawed by God's presence, and dazzled with the splendor of the appearance.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 3:1-6

The years of the life of Moses are divided into three forties; the first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh's court, the second as a shepherd in Midian, the third as a king in Jeshurun. How changeable is the life of man! The first appearance of God to Moses, found him tending sheep. This seems a poor employment for a man of his parts and education, yet he rests satisfied with it; and thus learns meekness and…

Read the full comment on Exodus 3:1-6 →

Exodus 3:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אָנֹכִי֙'a.no.KhiIH595
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[am] [the] God ofH430
אָבִ֔יךָ'a.Vi.khafather yourH1
אֱלֹהֵ֧י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
אַבְרָהָ֛ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
אֱלֹהֵ֥י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִצְחָ֖קyitz.ChakIsaacH3327
וֵאלֹהֵ֣יve.lo.Heiand [the] God ofH430
יַעֲקֹ֑בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
וַיַּסְתֵּ֤רvai.yas.Terand he hidH5641
מֹשֶׁה֙mo.ShehMosesH4872
פָּנָ֔יוpa.Navface hisH6440
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
יָרֵ֔אya.Re'he was afraidH3372
מֵהַבִּ֖יטme.ha.Bitfrom lookingH5027
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָאֱלֹהִֽים\׃ha.'E.lo.Him<the> GodH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 3:6

  • Luke 20:37

    Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

  • Matthew 22:32

    I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

  • 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.

  • Mark 12:26

    And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

  • Acts 7:32

    Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

  • Genesis 28:13

    And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

  • Revelation 1:17

    And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

  • 1 Kings 18:36

    And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

  • Judges 13:22

    And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

  • Isaiah 6:1-5

    In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. …

  • Jeremiah 32:38

    And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

  • Jeremiah 24:7

    And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I am.
14,15; 4:5; 29:45; Ge 12:1,7; 17:7,8; 26:24; 28:13; 31:42; 32:9
1Ki 18:36; Es 3:4; Ps 132:2; Jer 24:7; 31:33; 32:38; Eze 11:20
Zec 8:8; Mt 22:32; Mr 12:26; Lu 20:37; Ac 7:32,32
thy father.Though the word {avicha,} "thy father," is here used in the singular, yet St. Stephen, quoting this passage (Ac. 7:32), uses the plural, [Lo Theos ton patron sou,] "the God of thy fathers;" and that this is the meaning, the following words prove. This reading is confirmed by the Samaritan and Coptic.
hid.
Ge 17:3; Jud 13:22; 1Ki 19:13; Ne 9:9; Job 42:5,6; Ps 106:44,45
Isa 6:1-5; Da 10:7,8; Mt 17:6; Lu 5:8; Ac 7:34; Heb 12:21; Re 1:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 3:5

    And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

  • 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 3:7

    And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

Read all of Exodus 3

Exodus 3:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dijo: Yo soy el Dios de tu padre, Dios de Abraham, Dios de Isaac, Dios de Jacob. Entonces Moisés cubrió su rostro, porque tuvo miedo de mirar á Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il dit: Je suis le Dieu de ton père, le Dieu d’Abraham, le Dieu d’Isaac, et le Dieu de Jacob. Et Moïse cacha son visage, car il craignait de regarder vers Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sprach: Ich bin der Gott deines Vaters, der Gott Abrahams, der Gott Isaaks und der Gott Jakobs. Da verbarg Mose sein Angesicht, denn er fürchtete sich, Gott anzuschauen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ait: Ego sum Deus patris tui, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac et Deus Jacob. Abscondit Moyses faciem suam: non enim audebat aspicere contra Deum.