YHWH (יהוה)
Seen, yet not seen.
Not seen.
Exodus 33:18-23 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
...“you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
(ויאמר לא תוכל לראת את-פני כי לא-יראני האדם וחי)
...and while my glory passes by... but my face shall not be seen.”
Yet seen
Exodus 33:11 Thus YHWH (יהוה) used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
(וגבר יהוה אל-משה פנים אל פנים כאשר ידבר איש אל-רעהו)
Seen by: Hagar
ותקרא שם-יהוה הדבר אליה אתה אל ראי כי אמרה הגם הלם ראיתי אחרי ראי
Genesis 16:7-14
The Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה) found her...
And he said, “Hagar...
The Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה) also said to her,
“I will surely multiply your offspring...”
Hagar recognised that it was God speaking to her.
So she called the name of YHWH (יהוה) who spoke to her,
“You are a God of seeing,” for she said,
“Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.
” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi (באר לחי ראי)
Seen by: Abraham
Genesis 22:11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17–18
The Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה) speaks to Abraham:
...YHWH (יהוה) called to [Abraham]... He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.
The Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה) identifies himself as YHWH (יהוה)
...the Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה) called to Abraham a second time... and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares YHWH (יהוה), because you ... have not withheld your son, your only son, ...I will greatly bless you... because you have obeyed my voice.”
Whose voice?
The one speaking - the Angel of YHWH (מלאך יהוה), who is YHWH (יהוה)
Genesis 18-19
Genesis 18 begins by saying YHWH (יהוה) appeared to Abraham (וירא אליו יהוה).
Genesis 18:2 tells us how YHWH (יהוה) appeared to him.
He raised his eyes (וישא עיניו) and saw three men (וירא והנה שלשה אנשים).
It is interesting that in Genesis 18:3 he addresses one of the men using the title Adonay (אדנָ֗י) reserved only for YHWH (אדנָ֗י אם-נא מצאתי חן בעיניך אל-נא תעבר מעל עבדך)
And we know he is addressing one of the men because it's all masculine singular.
It's only in Genesis 18:4-5 that he addresses all three (רחצו רגליכם והשענו).
So in this introduction we are informed that
YHWH appeared to Abraham.
Of the three men Abraham addressed,
one is Adonay (אדנָ֗י), a title reserved exclusively for YHWH.
The three remain under the tree and are entertained by Abraham (Genesis 18:8).
(ויקח חמאה וחלב ובן-הבקר אשר עשה ויתן לפניהם והוא עמד עליהם תחת העץ ויאכלו)
They ask where Sarah might be and then one of them, YHWH (יהוה) speaks in Genesis 18:9 and says he will return the following year. (ויאמרו אליו איה שרה אשתך ויאמר הנה באהל)
We know it's YHWH because Genesis 21:1-2 tells us
"So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him."
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.
Who was she listening to?
The three men under the tree,
One of whom was Adonay (אדנָ֗י).
When she laughed at what God had just said to Abraham, the identity of Adonay was made plain in Genesis 18:13,
"YHWH (יהוה) said to Abraham..." (ויאמר יהוה אל-אברהם)
The three men got up to go in Genesis 18:16
and Abraham walked with them (ויקמו משם האנשים וישקפו ואברהם הלך עמם).
YHWH (יהוה) spoke again from Genesis 18:17 (ויהוה אמר וינר יהוה).
Genesis 18:22 tells us that:
The men turned away towards Sodom (ויפנו משם האנשים וילכו סדמה) but Abraham stayed with YHWH (יהוה) (ואברהם עודנו עמד לפמני יהוה)
How do we know only two left?
Because Genesis 19:1 tells us that two messengers (שני המלאכים שני) arrived at Sodom.
Where was the third?
Back with Abraham obviously.
After some haggling about Sodom YHWH (יהוה) eventually left and Abraham returned to his tent (וילך יהוה).
God walked off to join the others.
YHWH /Adonay (יהוה/אדנָ֗י) is mentioned then in Genesis 19:17 outside Sodom where he has rejoined the other two (ויאמר המלט).
Lot answered Adonay (אדנָ֗י), "... no my Lord..." ( אל-נא אדנָ֗י).
Genesis 19:19 contains words in the masculine singular.
Lot pleads with YHWH /Adonay (יהוה/אדנָ֗י) .
Then in Genesis 19:24
YHWH (יהוה), one of the men, addressed earlier with the divine title Adonay (אדנָ֗י) is described as... YHWH (יהוה).
And YHWH (יהוה) standing there causes fire to rain down from YHWH (יהוה) in heaven.
Amazing, is it not? Not seen, yet seen.
J.