Evidently this is the beginning of God's proper relationship with and taking up of Israel; He gives Himself a covenant name of relationship. What goes before is preparatory, and God gives Himself then (chap. 3) a personal name, Eh'yeh, which is not repeated here. Then He reveals Himself, though for Israel, here His name by which He was to be known by them. We see also here the remains of unbelief in Moses; he is of uncircumcised lips, and cannot speak to Pharaoh. God uses this to bring about His own plans, and put Aaron in his place, and show where true power was. But was there nothing of the result (or of the effect of the same cause) of his going before waiting for the Lord's sending, and wisdom and power, in smiting the Egyptian, though his heart was right? Yet God uses our weakness, and puts all in its place through this; He that glories must glory in the Lord. There were forty years needed to cure him of Egyptian confidence in the flesh, when his heart was right. But he went in his own strength and will; the fear of Pharaoh was already in the act of human violence—such are we!
If God give us sunshine, let us not forget, still remember that Christ is the Sun.
The connection of this chapter with Deut. 32, already noticed elsewhere, is exceedingly striking, as showing the place that these prophetic revelations hold; at the end they (the people) are returned and stand in the house, celebrating Jehovah who has blessed—that is the place of the Psalm
3. It is no way said that Elohim had not this name—His name is His nature and character; but He did not appear to Abraham, etc., by it, but as Shaddai—did not make Himself known to them by His name Jehovah.
5. Note here the power of evil making God's people groan, recalls to God His covenant and promise, and He takes the name by which it is accomplished—which involves its accomplishment; it is not to be feared.