In his positive reply, God changed the terms of the request Moses made. God promised Moses a glorious experience, but he would not let Moses see his face. In the Old Testament, seeing God’s face means seeing God fully and directly.
Instead, God said he would show Moses his goodness. He would also proclaim his name. In the Bible, a name often expresses a person’s character and identity. God’s character is shown especially in his mercy and compassion (see Romans 9:14–16).
the LORD: In many English Bibles, the word LORD (written in capital letters) stands for the personal name of God, Yahweh.
In this verse, God emphasizes his personal name. This name shows that he is not distant. He is the covenant God (the God who makes promises) of his people.