What does Exodus 3:15 mean?
The previous verse noted two statements by God. The first was God's description of Himself, to be used as His name: e'heyeh aser' e'heyeh, meaning "I AM WHO I AM." The second used similar language to instruct Moses to tell the people of Israel that he had been sent by "I AM." This verse continues with the third statement from God regarding His name.Moses is to specify that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him to the Israelites. The "I AM" who now speaks to Moses is the same God who appeared to Abraham.
Secondly, God refers to Himself using the word LORD, spelled YHWH in Hebrew letters. This term is connected with the root verb hayah, translated "I AM" in verse 14. God is the "I AM," the self-existent one, and the "Lord" Yahweh of Abraham and his descendants. This term was initially pronounced as "YAH-way," often spelled in modern contexts as Yahweh. It is also sometimes transliterated as Jehovah. The name Yahweh would be known as the unique name of Israel's God throughout Jewish history. Later in Jewish history, the name YHWH was considered so holy that readers would not pronounce it, substituting the name Adonai, another word for Lord, instead. This was thought to keep Jews from accidentally breaking the commandment regarding using the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7).