2025 notes on Shemot (Exodus 1:1-6:1) 2025读经笔记（“名字”出埃及记1:1-6:1）

(ChatGPT English translation from Chinese is provided later, edited by Mijiale）

1:1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

以色列的众子，各带家眷和雅各一同来到埃及，他们的名字记在下面。

2025注释: “名字”（希伯来语shemot），这是第一句里出现的关键词，是犹太人对本书出埃及记的称呼，也是犹太人对本书的第一个读经进度出埃及记1:1-6:1所起的名称。“名字”在希伯来语是复数的shemot。本读经进度提到了很多人的名字，也提到了神的名字。

2025 Commentary: “Names” (Hebrew: shemot), this is the key word that appears in the first sentence. It is the name that Jews give to the book of Exodus and also the name given to the first reading portion of the book, Exodus 1:1-6:1. “Names” is in the plural form in Hebrew, “shemot.” This reading portion mentions many people’s names and also mentions the name of God.

1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,有流便，西缅，利未，犹大，

2025注释: 1:2-1:5列出以色利十二子的名字和以色列自己的原名雅各。Rashi在1:1的解经里记载了两个解释，一是圣经多次列出这些名字表示神对他们的爱，另一个是把他们比喻成星星，并引用以赛亚书40:26说，“你们向上举目，看谁创造这万象，按数目领出，他一一称其名。因他的权能，又因他的大能大力，连一个都不缺。” 以色列的十二子的后代，就像围绕太阳的黄道十二星座，将来要发展成十二支派，要围绕造物主的会幕安营扎寨。

2025 Commentary: 1:2-1:5 list the names of the twelve sons of Israel and Israel’s own original name, Jacob. Rashi in his commentary on 1:1 records two interpretations. One is that the Bible repeatedly lists these names to indicate God’s love for them, and the other is to liken them to stars, quoting Isaiah 40:26: “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; he calls them all by name. By the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one is missing.” The descendants of the twelve sons of Israel, like the twelve constellations surrounding the sun, will one day develop into twelve tribes, encamping around the Tabernacle of the Creator.

2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 孩子渐长，妇人把他带到法老的女儿那里，就作了她的儿子。她给孩子起名叫摩西，意思说，因我把他从水里拉出来。

2025注释: “摩西”משה，这是本章（第二章）引入的最重要的名字。这名字与“那个名字השם”（指的是耶和华的名字，犹太人出于尊敬，称为那个名字）所表示的数字相等，都是345，与全足的神（中文圣经译成全能神，א-ל ש-די ）的数字也相等。不同单词的希伯来语数值相同，犹太人传统认为表示存在某种联系。这里我想是因为摩西是神的代言人，带以色列人出埃及，建会幕，设律法，写下了摩西五经的缘故。下一章神2025 Commentary: “Moses” (משה), this is the most important name introduced in this chapter (Chapter 2). This name, along with “that name” (השם, referring to the name of Y-HWH, which Jews respectfully refer to as ‘that Name’), both have the same numerical value of 345. This number also matches that of “E-l Sha-ddai” (א-ל ש-די), which is translated in the Chinese Bible as “Almighty G-d.” The Jewish tradition believes that when different Hebrew words have the same numerical value, it indicates a connection between them. In this case, it is likely because Moses is God’s spokesperson: he led the Israelites out of Egypt, built the Tabernacle, established the law, and wrote the Torah. In the next chapter, G-d will also use Moses to reveal “that Name” (Y-HWH).

3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 神说，我必与你同在。你将百姓从埃及领出来之后，你们必在这山上事奉我，这就是我打发你去的证据。

2025注释: “我必与你同在 אהיה עמך I will be with you”: 这句话的英文与希伯来文藏着“自有的”I will be א-ה-י-ה 这个后来在3:14里提到的神的名字，中文的含义是“我必然会”。

2025 Commentary: “I will be with you” (אהיה עמך, I will be with you): This sentence in both English and Hebrew contains the meaning of “ I will be ”(א-ה-י-ה), the name of God later mentioned in 3:14.

3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 神对摩西说，我是自有永有的。又说，你要对以色列人这样说，那自有的打发我到造物主们这里来。

2025注释: 。“自有永有的”א-ה-י-ה אשר א-ה-י-ה：中文翻译未能反映出原文的某些意思。英文可以翻译成I will be what I will be.

Talmud Bavli Berachot 9b 解释为לֵךְ אֱמוֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

אֲנִי הָיִיתִי עִמָּכֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד זֶה, וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּכֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיוֹת. （去告诉以色列人，我在这次你们受奴役时与你们同在，也会在今后你们被其他国家奴役时与你们同在。Go, say to the Israelites, I was with you in this servitude, and I will be with you in the servitude of the kingdoms.）https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.9b?ven=english|Tractate_Berakot_by_A._Cohen,_Cambridge_University_Press,_1921&lang=bi

我觉得按这个思路，可以翻译成“我必这样（将来与你们的后辈同在），按照我怎样（与你们即将出埃及的这第一辈人同在）”。表示造物主与祂子民的同在，在将来与在出埃及时一样。一个具体的例子是在约书亚记里，造物主与第二辈人的同在。祂在呼召新的领袖约书亚说（约书亚记1:5）：“… 我怎样与摩西同在，也必照样与你同在。 ”כאשר הייתי עם משה אהיה עמך As I was with Moses, I will be with you. 这句话与出埃及记3:12有原文完全相同的短语，“我必与你同在”，藏着“自有的”（我必然会）这个神的名。这句话也与“自有永有”有类似的语法结构并与之相对应：我必这样（与后辈同在），按照我怎样（与第一辈人同在）”。第二辈人与第一辈人虽然有很多不同，比如领袖是约书亚而非摩西，面对的障碍是约旦河而非红海，但神的同在不变。神在呼召约书亚时也和呼召摩西时一样应许与他同在，过约旦河时也像第一代人过红海时一样把水分开让他们过旱地。

圣经里，造物主启示祂自己的名字，不是在创世的时候，而是在拯救祂的子民出埃及的时候，这绝非偶然。所以，“自有永有”一名的真正意思，很可能与造物主在出埃及时的表现有关。从前面的讨论，我们可以看到中文翻译的不足，通过这个名，我们应该也有这样的确据：对造物主的子民来说，祂永远是同一个祂，就是救以色列人出埃及的那个祂。

2025 Annotation: The phrase “I AM WHO I AM” (א-ה-י-ה אשר א-ה-י-ה) contains nuances in the original Hebrew that are not fully conveyed in the Chinese translation. In English, it can be rendered as “I will be what I will be.”

The Talmud Bavli Berachot 9b interprets this phrase as:
לֵךְ אֱמוֹר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:
אֲנִי הָיִיתִי עִמָּכֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד זֶה, וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה עִמָּכֶם בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיוֹת.
(Go and tell the Israelites: “I was with you in this servitude, and I will be with you in the servitude of future kingdoms.”) https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.9b?ven=english|Tractate_Berakot_by_A._Cohen,_Cambridge_University_Press,_1921&lang=bi

According to this idea, maybe we can interpret this name in this way:

“I will be (present with your descendants in the future), just as I will be (soon with you, the first generation about to leave Egypt).”
This interpretation emphasizes the Creator’s enduring presence with His people—His future presence mirrors His presence during the Exodus. A specific example of this can be seen in the Book of Joshua, where the Creator’s presence with the second generation is highlighted. When He calls the new leader, Joshua, He says (Joshua 1:5):
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.”
כאשר הייתי עם משה אהיה עמך
This phrase echoes Exodus 3:12, where God promises, “I will be with you,” which contains the same Hebrew structure as the Name, “I will be” (אהיה). This connection aligns with the grammatical structure and meaning of “I will be what I will be.” It can be understood as, “I will be (present with your generation), just as I was (present with the first generation).”

Even though the second generation and the first generation differ significantly—for example, Joshua replaces Moses as the leader, and they face the Jordan River instead of the Red Sea—the Creator’s presence remains constant. His promise “I will be with you” to Joshua mirrors His promise to Moses, and when crossing the Jordan, the waters part just as they did for the Red Sea, allowing them to pass on dry ground.

In the Bible, the Creator reveals His Name not at the time of creation but during the redemption of His people from Egypt. This timing is no coincidence. Therefore, the true meaning of the Name “I will be what I will be” may be closely tied to the Creator’s actions during the Exodus. From the earlier discussion, we see the limitations of the Chinese translation. Through this Name, we can affirm this truth: to the Creator’s people, He is always the same—He is the One who delivered Israel out of Egypt.

3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 神又对摩西说，你要对以色列人这样说，耶和华你们祖宗的神，就是亚伯拉罕的神，以撒的神，雅各的神，打发我到你们这里来。耶和华是我的名，直到永远，这也是我的纪念，直到万代。

2025注释: “永远” לעלם， Rashi 解经记载，这个词没有使用完整拼写לעולם，而לעלם有要隐藏的意。这个拼写的奥秘，已经变成现实。神的名字的元音被隐藏了，圣殿被毁后失传了。比如说，中文翻译的发音“耶和华” י-ה-ו-ה，是否准确，我们已经无法确定。这个词是造物主的专有名词。是祂的名字，而不只是一个称号。其他的名字很多是描述祂的特性的称号，比如至高者，全能者（或全足者），或表示祂的职位，如神（表示审判者的职位），宇宙的主宰，等等。那么 “耶和华” י-ה-ו-ה 是什么意思呢？这个词的意思我们也没法完全确定，这名字的含义和推论可能无穷无尽。圣经里提到过耶和华沙龙（赐平安的那一位），耶和华尼西（我的旌旗），耶和华拉法（医生），耶和华神（审判者），耶和华以勒（预先看见将来的圣殿会在亚伯拉罕献以撒的地方），… 犹太人说， י-ה-ו-ה 藏着过去现在将来三种时态的存在的词根，所以表示昔在今在永在的意思。犹太人读这名字时说a-d-o-n-a-y, 表示我的主的意思，每当读到这名字就等于是自我接受祂的主权。在平时提到这名字就说“那个名字”Hashemהשם. 他们认为这个名字应该受到尊重，我很同意。（参见The Name according to Hebrew for Christians。）从语法结构看， י-ה-ו-ה 这个名字不是任何一个寻常意义的短语。我见过的最像的通常用的词是יהווה，意思是第三人称的“将形成”。如果从这个角度来看， “耶和华”的名可能隐含这样的意思：祂是使万事万物形成存在和变化的那一位主宰，或者简称造物主。

2025 Notes: According to Rashi’s commentary, the word “forever” (לעלם) is not written in its full spelling לעולם, but rather as לעלם, which carries the idea of concealment. The mystery of this spelling has already become a reality: the vowels of God’s name, י-ה-ו-ה, have been hidden and lost after the destruction of the Temple. For instance, the pronunciation of the name commonly translated into Chinese as “耶和华” (Je-ho-vah) cannot be verified for accuracy.

This term is the Creator’s unique and personal name—not merely a title. Many other names describe the Creator’s attributes or functions, such as “The Most High,” “The Almighty” (or “The All-Sufficient”), or titles representing His roles, such as “God” (denoting the role of a judge), “The Sovereign of the Universe,” and so forth.

What, then, does the name י-ה-ו-ה mean? Its precise meaning cannot be fully determined, and its implications and interpretations are inexhaustible. For example, Scripture refers to י-ה-ו-ה in compound forms such as

Y-HWH-Shalom (The One Who Grants Peace),

Y-HWH-Nissi (My Banner),

Y-HWH-Rapha (The Healer),

Y-HWH-Elohim (The Judge).

Y-HWH-Yireh (The One Who Sees Ahead, referring to the place where the future temple will be built, where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac), and others.

The Jewish interpretation suggests that י-ה-ו-ה contains the root of existence in three tenses: past, present, and future. Thus, it expresses the meaning of “He was, He is, and He will be.” When Jews read this name, they say Adonai (אדוני), meaning “My Lord,” signifying personal acceptance of His Sovereignty. In everyday speech, they refer to this name as “The Name” (Hashem – השם), showing their reverence for it. I agree with this respect for the name. See, e.g., The Name according to Hebrew for Christians

From a grammatical structure perspective, this name י-ה-ו-ה is not just an ordinary phrase. The word I’ve seen most resembling it is יהווה, which means “He will form” in the third person.

If we approach the name י-ה-ו-ה from this perspective, it may carry the implied meaning: He is the One who brings all things into existence, causes them to remain, and governs their transformation—essentially, the Creator.