Exodus 6: Let Me Reintroduce Myself

Six chapters in, God seems to start fresh:“And God spoke to Moshe and said to him, I am God. I appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov as El Shakkai, but by my name God (YKVK) they did not know me” (verse 2).וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֛ק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֤י יְהוָה֙ לֹ֣א נוֹדַ֔עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (שמות ו:ב–ג) God reintroduces the mission—enumerating five synonyms of saving and explaining the goal to bring the Israelites to Canaan. God is not the only one who is reintroduced. The text also provides a complete lineage for Moshe and Aharon. In chapter 2, the text does not give a name to Moshe’s family—only “a man from Levi married a daughter from Levi.” Even Moshe’s sister Miriam is only named as “his sister.” Why the need for all these reintroductions so late in the story?The answer may come from the very first word of the second verse “VaYidaber.” Until now, God always spoke to Moshe in the “VaYomer” verb. VaYomer is a less intimate form of speaking used when one simply talks to another. VaYidaber is intimate. It connotes a connection between the speaker and the subject.The first time that God uses “VaYidaber” for Avraham is in Genesis 17 when God reintroduces himself as El Shakkai—the same El Shakkai he mentions to Moshe:“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted.’”וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃ (בראשית יז:א) This is also when God tells Avraham that he will have a son, changes Avraham and Sarah’s names, and commands Avraham to perform a circumcision.This point of the story is similar to Moshe’s story. In chapter 15 of Genesis, God appeared to Avraham in the covenant of the parts, promised him offspring and that those offspring would be strangers in Egypt.In chapter 16, Sarah gives Avraham Hagar and Avraham has Ishmael. This offspring is a “false start” to God’s promise to Avraham. After this God appears to Avraham, reintroduces himself and promises him Yitzchak followed by a commandment for circumcision.In Exodus, God commanded Moshe at the burning bush to go to Pharaoh to request that the Israelites be freed. Moshe reluctantly agreed, but the initial meeting was a disaster. The people do not believe him and Pharaoh increases their work. That is Moshe’s “false start.” God returns now and reintroduces himself to Moshe. God promises again that the people will be freed, and that Moshe does not need to worry. This time when Moshe protests, he claims to have uncircumcised lips that God will “fix” through Aharon.In outline form: I. Promise of God regarding his people in Egypt at a miraculous event (covenant of the parts and the burning bush); II. A false start to the promise (Ishmael and Moshe’s first visit to Pharoah); III. Reintroduction to the full promise and connection to circumcision (El Shakkai/brit milah and YKVK/uncircumcised lips); IV. New full lineage appears. After step four for Avraham things begin to turn around and all of God’s promises come true. So too here, God links the stories to show that just like with Avraham, with Moshe, everything will begin to turn around.