JWs, why did Moses ask what God's name was (Ex 3:13)?

Some people are a bit curious by Moses’ question in this regard. Many actually feel that neither Moses nor the children of Israel knew God’s personal name but that can hardly be the case. Why? At Exodus 6:20, we read that Amram took Yochebed (Jochebed) as his wife and she bore him Aaron and Moses. In Hebrew, Yochebed means Yahweh is Glory. Manifestly, Moses and his mother knew what her name meant; hence, they knew Yahweh was God’s name. What about others?

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph knew God’s name. Remember, it was the earlier Pharaoh who gave Joseph and his family the land of Goshen. At Genesis 49:18 Jacob uses God’s name in his pronouncement of blessings upon all of his sons. Long before this, at Genesis 29:30-35, Leah (the less-loved wife of Jacob) gives credit to God, using his personal name Yahweh after giving birth to, and naming four sons - Judah, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi.

It should be remembered that by the time Yahweh was ready to deliver the Israelites, they had been in Egyptian slavery for 215 years. Though it may come as a surprise to some, during their slavery in Egypt, many actually worshipped foreign gods, including Egyptian gods. Ezekiel 23:3, 8 says that Israel began to prostitute herself in Egypt and did not ABANDON that prostitution when coming out. Compare also, Ezekiel 20:8 and Joshua 24:14 where it is plainly stated that many served idol gods in Egypt BEFORE being freed by Yahweh. What bearing does all of this have on why Moses asked God what he should tell the Hebrews?

Moses knew all of the above. So while Yahweh was telling him that he was the one God would use to free the Hebrews, Moses wanted to know what to say to the Hebrews. Suppose THEY ask your name? Moses did not seem to have any lack of faith, he was supposing about the people. Perhaps the people could say: “Well, Moses, we’ve been in slavery for some 200 years, and even though we all know God’s name, why did he wait so long to deliver us? Is he somebody different now? We have been here for 200 years and Jehovah has done nothing. Who is Jehovah to do something?” They may very well say just as Pharaoh did: Who is Jehovah? Yes, at Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh asks: “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all.” What did THAT mean?!

Pharaoh knew Jehovah’s name but he meant “I don’t recognize him as anybody worthy of my attention. He’s got no authority or power here. I run this! I’m Pharaoh, the son of the sun-god Ra, I myself am a god. All Egyptians view me that way. I am the incarnation of the falcon-headed god Horus the successor of Osiris. So who is Jehovah? Nobody.”

In other words, is there something different about Jehovah that can encourage us to believe he will deliver us? Remember, they have been worshipping the gods of Egypt. They all have names too. But Jehovah lets Moses know that he is still Jehovah and will take on whatever role is necessary to fulfill his purpose. In this case, it would be a deliverer against the mighty Egyptian nation. Indeed, in the ten plagues, Jehovah God humiliated ten different Egyptian gods. He fulfilled the meaning of his name, got glory for himself, delivered his people Israel and destroyed those enemies who defied him.

Hannah J Paul

It's a great question to provide even more evidence that JWs are confused, if any were needed.

The most basic problem JWs suffer from is that of limited thought..aka simple mindedness. They almost exclusively think from a greco-roman/western perspective which means they can't understand anyting from any other perspective.

The simple reality is that "name" is not just a simple label. In Jewish culture and biblical references the word "name" has lots of different connotations, perspectives, application and uses. So for example, "blessed is who comes in the name of the Lord" has no literal "label" application. It actually means "blessed is who comes in the authority of the Lord". In other words, the word "name" can often does mean "authority" .. something JWs can't grapple with.

Then there's the small problem of distinguishing between "names" and "titles". JWas think this is simple because they live with the western perspective where the distinguish is simple.... but the bible makes no distinction. MOre than that the bible deliverately mixes up things we think are simple and distinct. For example, when Adam "named" the animals, did he give a dog a proper name like Rex? Of course, not. He named the animal "dog" and a cat, he named "cat", etc. The terms "dog", "cat", etc are not names in the western thinking which means JWs can't explain how Adam "named" the animals.

This cuts to the heart of the matter.

In JWs mind the term "I am who I am" cannot be a name....

....NOT BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO!

....but because western thought says so.

To emphasize the problem and illuminate JW confusioin... God said to Moses "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you'

"I AM" sent me to you! Now either God's an idiot and effectively said use a name that's not a name, or God's confused as to what a name is and isn't! Of course, it's neither and if God declares His name is "I am" and tomorrow it's "YHWHW who are we to argue that God can only have one name? Apparently JWs can ignore the obvious and claim to know better than God who says He is "I AM"

Even more problematic though is the obvious fact that there is no record of the name YHWH ever been recorded... but even worse is that God NEVER took the time or trouble to tell any of the dozens of prophets He sent over thousands of years to tell the Jews to record and use His Holy name. That's a bit stupid if God requires us to use His name and knows we don't know what it is!

Even after God told the Jews HIs name was "YHWH" and even after God told Moses He was "I AM", the Jews often referred to God as "The God of Abraham, God of Moses and God of Isaace right up to Peter doing so in Acts!

The name of God the Father is Yehovah.

The name of God the Son is Yeshua.

Moses may well have wondered if Jehovah would reveal himself under some new name to throw light on his purpose toward Israel.

Moses’ going to the Israelites in the name of the One who sent him meant being the representative of that One, and the greatness of the authority with which Moses would speak would be determined by or be commensurate with that name and what it represented.

So, Moses’ question was a meaningful one.

in asking God’s name, Moses was asking about the person represented by the name.

In effect, he was saying: What can I tell your people Israel about you that will build their faith in you, that will convince them that you really will deliver them?

To identify him to the Hebrews by name. But God didnt answer his question the way Moses wanted/expected. Instead God told Moses who he is by description - not by name. "I am who I am." Thats Hebrew hayah hayah which means "the self existing one." God was making the point that he doesnt need a name because there is only one God. And yet some insisted on labeling him with a name. So hayah hayah morphed into "Jehovah" over the centuries. See the Tetragrammaton.