(Exod. 6:2–3:) SO GOD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND SAID UNTO HIM: I AM THE LORD, AND I APPEARED UNTO ABRAHAM,…. This text is related (to Ps. 50:7): HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, AND LET ME SPEAK, O ISRAEL, SO THAT I MAY ADMONISH YOU…. R. Jose b. R. Simon said: Before you stood on Mount Sinai and accepted my Torah, you were called Israel, just as the nations of the world were called by names like Sabteca and Raamah (in Gen. 10:7 // I Chron. 1:9). But when you stood at Mount Sinai and accepted my Torah, you were called MY PEOPLE. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 50:7): HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, AND LET ME SPEAK.¹ 12:23.

footnotes: ¹ See below, 5:15; PRK

Another interpretation (of Ps. 50:7): HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, AND LET ME SPEAK. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, so that I shall have a chance to answer the nations of the world. (Ibid., cont.:) AND LET ME SPEAK, O ISRAEL, SO THAT I MAY ADMONISH YOU. I AM GOD, YOUR GOD. R. Jose says: I AM GOD: I am judge; I am your advocate² Lat.: patronus. {R. Eleazar says: I AM GOD.} R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite says: It is speaking about judges.³ 12:23 Judah’s opinion is that the Scripture is speaking about Israel. He said to them: Even though I called you gods, as stated (in Exod. 22:27 [28]): YOU SHALL NOT CURSE A GOD NOR A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE,⁴) as parallel to RULER. you nevertheless knew (from the end of Ps. 50:7) that I was over you. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: The Holy One said to Moses: Even though I called you a god, as stated (in Exod. 7:1): SEE, I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH, it is also stated (in Ps. 50:7:) I AM GOD, YOUR GOD. And therefore, it is stated (in Exod. 6:2): SO GOD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND SAID UNTO HIM: I AM THE LORD.⁵

footnotes: ² Gk.: patron; ³ According to PRK ⁴ The midrash understands GOD (elohim ⁵ Cf. below, 2:9.