What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14?

[WalterandDebbie]

Thursday, 2-12-26 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Shevat 23, 5786 54th. Day Of Winter

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[TrevorHL]

Greetings Walter and Debbie,

I consider that the translation given in the RV and RSV margins “I will be that I will be” or “I will be what I will be” is the correct translation of Exodus 3:14. Tyndale also translated this in the future tense, and I also like the interesting spelling of his time and the specific spelling “I wilbe”:

Exodus 3:12-14 (Tyndale): 12 And he sayde: I wilbe with the. And this shalbe a token vnto the that I haue sent the: after that thou hast broughte the people out of Egipte, ye shall serue God vppon this mountayne. 13 Than sayde Moses vnto God: when I come vnto the childern of Israell and saye vnto them, the God of youre fathers hath sent me vnto you, ad they saye vnto me, what ys his name, what answere shall I geuethem? 14 Then sayde God vnto Moses: I wilbe what I wilbe: ad he sayde, this shalt thou saye vnto the children of Israel: I wilbe dyd send me to you.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Aunty Jane]

Hey Walter and Debbie....I have to agree with Trevor....

God’s name, taken from the Jewish Tanakh is not rendered as “I Am” for several reasons...

First of all, If we read the Jewish rendering we will see something interesting....

13 And Moses said to God, "Behold I come to the children of Israel, and I say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"		יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָֽנֹכִ֣י בָא֘ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָֽמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם:
14 God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be)," and He said, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.'"		ידוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם:
15 And God said further to Moses, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'The Lord God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I should be mentioned in every generation.		טווַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה כֹּ֣ה תֹאמַר֘ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר:

Moses, in addressing his God, called Yahweh (יְהֹוָ֞ה) “the God of their forefathers”....so this God was no stranger to the Israelites, but perhaps their many years in Egypt had dimmed their knowledge and relationship with him.
To call himself “I Am” meaning that he “exists” was not what God was saying....they already knew that he “existed”....but now they needed to know him in a way they had never known him before....not just as “the God of their forefathers” in the past, but what he was going to “BE” for them in the future.

“I Will Be What I Will Be” was a promise, guaranteeing that their God was going to become their deliverer. He would BE whatever he needed to be in order to become their champion....and rescue them from slavery.

How many ways did Yahweh show himself to Pharaoh, so that he did not have an excuse to refuse the request to release his slaves.....he saw that the God of Israel was more powerful than the impotent gods of Egypt....but this stubborn monarch would not yield until Yahweh finally destroyed him and his whole army.

There are so many lessons in that story.....their God showed himself to his people in ways that they could never have imagined....He lived up to the meaning of his name....from that day onward.

 

[Debp]

When Jesus said the I Am statements, it signified His divine nature.

 

[Aunty Jane]

When Jesus said the I Am statements, it signified His divine nature.

If you check with an Interlinear and a concordance, you will see that Jesus was answering a question about his age, not his deity....

Jesus made “I am” statements all the time without ever once proclaiming deity.

His answer was in keeping with the question asked.
It was a past tense answer to a question about his age.....how he could have been around in Abraham’s day.
Jesus answered with a past tense statement, not a present tense response. He correctly stated that he existed before Abraham.

“I am” could just as correctly be translated “I have been”, which would make more sense, rather than trying to tie in Exodus 3:15, which as you can see by the Jewish Tanakh was not the meaning of God’s name at all.

 

[TrevorHL]

Greetings Aunt Jane and Depb,

When Jesus said the I Am statements, it signified His divine nature.

I prefer the rendition "I am he" for John 8:58 the same as given in John 8:24 and John 8:28. I have a different explanation of John 8:58 to both Trinitarians and Aunty Jane

“I Will Be What I Will Be” was a promise, guaranteeing that their God was going to become their deliverer. He would BE whatever he needed to be in order to become their champion....and rescue them from slavery.

I appreciate and agree with your above summary. As my Trinitarian Hebrew tutor said to his disappointed Trinitarian Hebrew scholars, Exodus 3:14 should be rendered in the future tense "I will be" and that the present tense of the verb To Be is found in Exodus 3:6:

Exodus 3:5–6 (KJV): 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Exactly the same word as found in Exodus 3:14 is translated with the future tense in the following and this sets the context and meaning of Exodus 3:14:
Exodus 3:11–12 (KJV): 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 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.

As well as Tyndale and the RV and RSV margins, Robert Alter in his recent translation and notes on the text gives the future tense "I will be".

On a different matter @Aunty Jane, I had a pleasant surprise today when I was shopping. I met a former JW workmate who was my supervisor for a short time about 40 years ago. He called out my name when I was shopping, though I did not recognise him at first. He is now 88 y.o. but has not lost his memory as he asked me a question about the King of the North of Daniel 11:40, and this was part of the brief conversation that we had on the day of his retirement about 30 years ago. I have a great respect for him even though we have some basic differences in our beliefs. He was very helpful to me at a time when I got myself into trouble due to my own folly.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Greetings Walter and Debbie,

I consider that the translation given in the RV and RSV margins “I will be that I will be” or “I will be what I will be” is the correct translation of Exodus 3:14. Tyndale also translated this in the future tense, and I also like the interesting spelling of his time and the specific spelling “I wilbe”:

Exodus 3:12-14 (Tyndale): 12 And he sayde: I wilbe with the. And this shalbe a token vnto the that I haue sent the: after that thou hast broughte the people out of Egipte, ye shall serue God vppon this mountayne. 13 Than sayde Moses vnto God: when I come vnto the childern of Israell and saye vnto them, the God of youre fathers hath sent me vnto you, ad they saye vnto me, what ys his name, what answere shall I geuethem? 14 Then sayde God vnto Moses: I wilbe what I wilbe: ad he sayde, this shalt thou saye vnto the children of Israel: I wilbe dyd send me to you.

Kind regards
Trevor

Hello TrevorHL, how are you all? Just looking through our notes.

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Thursday, 2-12-26 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Shevat 23, 5786 54th. Day Of Winter

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Greetings Walter and Debbie,

I consider that the translation given in the RV and RSV margins “I will be that I will be” or “I will be what I will be” is the correct translation of Exodus 3:14. Tyndale also translated this in the future tense, and I also like the interesting spelling of his time and the specific spelling “I wilbe”:

Exodus 3:12-14 (Tyndale): 12 And he sayde: I wilbe with the. And this shalbe a token vnto the that I haue sent the: after that thou hast broughte the people out of Egipte, ye shall serue God vppon this mountayne. 13 Than sayde Moses vnto God: when I come vnto the childern of Israell and saye vnto them, the God of youre fathers hath sent me vnto you, ad they saye vnto me, what ys his name, what answere shall I geuethem? 14 Then sayde God vnto Moses: I wilbe what I wilbe: ad he sayde, this shalt thou saye vnto the children of Israel: I wilbe dyd send me to you.

Kind regards
Trevor

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Hey Walter and Debbie....I have to agree with Trevor....

God’s name, taken from the Jewish Tanakh is not rendered as “I Am” for several reasons...

First of all, If we read the Jewish rendering we will see something interesting....

13 And Moses said to God, "Behold I come to the children of Israel, and I say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"		יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר משֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָֽנֹכִ֣י בָא֘ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָֽמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם:
14 God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be)," and He said, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.'"		ידוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם:
15 And God said further to Moses, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'The Lord God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I should be mentioned in every generation.		טווַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה כֹּ֣ה תֹאמַר֘ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵֽאלֹהֵ֥י יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר:

Moses, in addressing his God, called Yahweh (יְהֹוָ֞ה) “the God of their forefathers”....so this God was no stranger to the Israelites, but perhaps their many years in Egypt had dimmed their knowledge and relationship with him.
To call himself “I Am” meaning that he “exists” was not what God was saying....they already knew that he “existed”....but now they needed to know him in a way they had never known him before....not just as “the God of their forefathers” in the past, but what he was going to “BE” for them in the future.

“I Will Be What I Will Be” was a promise, guaranteeing that their God was going to become their deliverer. He would BE whatever he needed to be in order to become their champion....and rescue them from slavery.

How many ways did Yahweh show himself to Pharaoh, so that he did not have an excuse to refuse the request to release his slaves.....he saw that the God of Israel was more powerful than the impotent gods of Egypt....but this stubborn monarch would not yield until Yahweh finally destroyed him and his whole army.

There are so many lessons in that story.....their God showed himself to his people in ways that they could never have imagined....He lived up to the meaning of his name....from that day onward.

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[WalterandDebbie]

When Jesus said the I Am statements, it signified His divine nature.

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

 

[bdavidc]

I prefer the rendition "I am he" for John 8:58 the same as given in John 8:24 and John 8:28. I have a different explanation of John 8:58

You can say you prefer a wording, but Scripture does not take orders from preference. Jesus did not say “before Abraham was, I was.” He said “before Abraham was, I am” ~John 8:58. Straightforward Greek there, ἐγώ εἰμι, present tense. Not a title used for convenience, but a statement of existence. And they knew exactly what He said, because “they took up stones to cast at him” ~John 8:59. They were about to commit him to death for violating the law against blasphemy ~Leviticus 24:16. You do not stone a man for saying he existed earlier. You stone a man for taking the name of God.

God declared His name: “I AM hath sent me unto you” ~Exodus 3:14. The same God declares, “beside me there is no God” ~Isaiah 44:6. Either Jesus spoke truth when He said “I AM” and is Yahweh in the flesh or He blasphemed. Scripture allows no alternative.

The rest of the Word backs Jesus up. “The Word was God… and the Word was made flesh” ~John 1:1,14. God the Father says to Jesus, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” ~Hebrews 1:8. Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God” and Jesus didn’t discipline him ~John 20:28.

Translation arguments don’t enter into it. You either accept or reject what God has clearly spoken about His Son. “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son” ~1 John 5:10.

 

[ScottA]

Thursday, 2-12-26 5th. Day Of The Weekly Cycle, Shevat 23, 5786 54th. Day Of Winter

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Love, Walter and Debbie

By definition, "I AM" mean: Ever or always existing One; "I" indicating that He is the only One (who is ever or always existing).

 

[JustMe]

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of I AM WHO I AM in Exodus 3:14? Why did God reveal Himself as I AM in Exodus 3:14?

www.gotquestions.org

Walter, I'm afraid that your source is one of many on the internet today that tends to spew out lies, and they do it carefully as they weave a very convincing yarn; especially designed for gullible people who do not want to take the effort to look under the hood.

Today it is very difficult to find the truth about the nature of the Father God and his Son. They have made them into two artificial unscriptural constructs or objects and have assigned them to different parts of scripture, at will, to suit their views and for their own benefit.

Just look at this source you've presented again.

The source sneaks in a bold lie concerning the Son of God at the end of its text. And they never explain their claim.
----------------------------------------------from the text----------------
God is the only One who can accurately describe Himself as “I AM.” Jesus claimed the title I AM for Himself in John 8:58.
----------------------------------------------
Initially, after defining and trying to clarify this incorrect English translation, which is now common in most versions, as 'I am' being the personal characteristic name of the one Hebrew God, they then introduce the subtle falsehood that the Son of God referred to himself as this so-called 'I am'.

John 8:58 actually concerns the age of the Son of God, not his identity. His listeners were already aware of his identity long before he spoke about his age and even his importance, especially in comparison to their ancestor, Abraham.

His audience of course never though the Son of the living God, his Messiah would also be called the Hebrew God. That would be insane for anyone to think this way.

 

[amigo de christo]

Hello TrevorHL, how are you all? Just looking through our notes.

Love, Walter and Debbie

mark my words , many have a serious problem with the diety of Christ
and no longer desire to beleive that the Word was God .
any guesses on why this has and is picking up such momentum .
IN ORDER to merge all religions
NO ONE religoin can claim to BE as JESUS claimed .
because that sets ONE religoin above all others .
THEY have to merge them . KEEP that in mind .
so no ones religoin can stand above any others .
AT most they will say , HEY all knew GOD in different ways
BUT i know WHO JESUS IS .
and he was not a mere prophet
he was not some an gel
NO mam and no sirs . Before anything that was , was even created , HE WAS
and may i also make mention that BY HIM all things that were made , WERE MADE . sound familiar .

 

[WalterandDebbie]

mark my words , many have a serious problem with the diety of Christ
and no longer desire to beleive that the Word was God .
any guesses on why this has and is picking up such momentum .
IN ORDER to merge all religions
NO ONE religoin can claim to BE as JESUS claimed .
because that sets ONE religoin above all others .
THEY have to merge them . KEEP that in mind .
so no ones religoin can stand above any others .
AT most they will say , HEY all knew GOD in different ways
BUT i know WHO JESUS IS .
and he was not a mere prophet
he was not some an gel
NO mam and no sirs . Before anything that was , was even created , HE WAS
and may i also make mention that BY HIM all things that were made , WERE MADE . sound familiar .

Hello, very true, Brother, from what I can see.

Love, Walter

 

[amigo de christo]

mark my words , many have a serious problem with the diety of Christ
and no longer desire to beleive that the Word was God .
any guesses on why this has and is picking up such momentum .
IN ORDER to merge all religions
NO ONE religoin can claim to BE as JESUS claimed .
because that sets ONE religoin above all others .
THEY have to merge them . KEEP that in mind .
so no ones religoin can stand above any others .
AT most they will say , HEY all knew GOD in different ways
BUT i know WHO JESUS IS .
and he was not a mere prophet
he was not some an gel
NO mam and no sirs . Before anything that was , was even created , HE WAS
and may i also make mention that BY HIM all things that were made , WERE MADE . sound familiar .

A question my friend .
Was the WORD in the beginning with GOD
and was the WORD GOD .
now just in case you dont know
i will give you a huge hint . READ the gospel of JOHN . and pay close attention to what is written
concerning the WORD . the answer is a simple one . EVEN if its not understood
IT S HOULD BE BELEIVED .

 

[bdavidc]

Love, Walter and Debbie

You speak much about what God’s name means, but you stopped where Scripture does not stop. God said, “I AM hath sent me unto you” ~Exodus 3:14, and He alone says, “beside me there is no God” ~Isaiah 44:6. That is the line in the sand. Only the LORD bears that name.

Then Jesus stands in the temple and says, “Before Abraham was, I am” ~John 8:58. Not “I was,” not “I will be,” the very words God used of Himself. The men listening understood, because “they took up stones to cast at him” ~John 8:59. They knew the law, “he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD… shall surely be put to death” ~Leviticus 24:16.

So there are only two options. Either Jesus falsely took God’s name, or He truly is who He claimed. The rest of Scripture settles it. “The Word was God… and the Word was made flesh” ~John 1:1,14. The Father says to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” ~Hebrews 1:8. Thomas says to Him, “My Lord and my God” and Christ receives it ~John 20:28. This is not a word study. It is a verdict. “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son” ~1 John 5:10.

 

[lforrest]

Children do not call their father by name, they call him dad. They aren't going to confuse someone else for their dad because they only have one dad. God didn't need a name when talking walking with Adam, because there was no confusing him for someone else. There are no other gods besides him. "I am" is like the shortest description of God possible.

 

[bdavidc]

Today it is very difficult to find the truth about the nature of the Father God and his Son.

Finding the truth is easy. God did not place it into the opinions of scholars and theologians. He placed it in His Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” ~John 17:17. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” ~2 Timothy 3:16. We don’t have trouble accessing the Word. We have trouble submitting to it. The Father says something. The Son is manifested and it is written. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself… he that believeth not God hath made him a liar” ~1 John 5:10.

We go to Scripture, not spin doctors. We read what God says, not what someone says God says. Jesus wasn’t discussing His age. They said, “Thou art not yet fifty years old” Jesus replied, “Before Abraham was, I am” ~John 8:57-58. If Jesus was talking about age he would have said “I was.” He used present existence.

Notice how they understood it. “Then took they up stones to cast at him” ~John 8: 59 because they said, “thou, being a man, makest thyself God” ~John 10:33. Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy ~Leviticus 24:16, NOT for being older than Abraham.

Jesus was connecting this to God’s name “I AM THAT I AM” ~Exodus 3:14. In fact Jesus says your eternal salvation hinges on believing this ~John 8:24. The passage itself reveals Jesus was making a claim to deity.