Exodus 3:13 records Moses asking God what name he should give the Israelites when they ask who sent him. The question is really about identity: Moses wants to know how to describe the God who is speaking to him so that his people will recognize him and trust the message. The verse is spoken by Moses, directed to God, and it sets up the revelation of God’s personal name in the next verse.
Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”
Exodus 3:13 (WEB)
What Exodus 3:13 Means
Moses begins by picturing a moment that has not happened yet: he arrives among the Israelites and delivers the message. He expects a skeptical question, because a group that has lived for generations under Egyptian rule may doubt that a stranger speaks for the God of their ancestors. The phrase “the God of your fathers” points back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the figures who received God’s promises. Moses is asking how to name God in a way that connects him to that shared history.
The question “What is his name?” shows that Moses wants something more than a title. In the ancient Near East a name carried a person’s character and reputation, so asking for a name was asking what kind of God this is. The verse does not show Moses resisting God’s call; it shows him wanting the clarity he will need to speak with credibility. It also does not promise that the Israelites will accept him, only that he is preparing to answer their doubts honestly.
The Context of Exodus 3:13
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells the story of Israel’s departure from slavery in Egypt, with the law and the tabernacle following later. Its first audience was the Israelite community that had survived the exodus and was learning to see itself as God’s covenant people. The book is written to show that God remembers his promises and acts to rescue those who suffer.
Just before this verse, in Exodus 3:10 to 12, God commissions Moses to bring the people out of Egypt and promises his presence. Moses responds with his own doubt, and God answers with reassurance. Verse 13 follows naturally: once Moses has been told he is sent, he asks how to explain that sending to people who will want proof. Reading the verse in that sequence shows that Moses’ question grows out of fear and responsibility rather than defiance.
Key Phrases in Exodus 3:13
Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
(WEB)
The next verse gives the answer Moses seeks: God declares “I AM WHO I AM,” revealing himself as the self-existent, faithful one. Reading it right after Exodus 3:13 shows that God answers Moses’ request directly, not with a title but with a self-revelation that will sustain the people through the exodus and beyond.
Exodus 3:15
God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘The LORD, the 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 forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.
(WEB)
This verse repeats the covenant connection to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and calls the name God’s memorial for all generations. It shows that the answer to Moses’ question is not only a name for the present but a lasting identity God gives his people to remember across time.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 3:13
Lord, when I face a task I feel unready for, I bring you the same questions Moses brought you. Who are you, and what will I say when people ask me to explain why I trust you? Remind me of the faithfulness you showed to those who came before me, and let that history steady my heart. Teach me to speak from your character rather than my own confidence, and give me courage to act where you have called me. Amen.
