“I am that I am” (Exodus 3:14). God’s response when Moses asks for his name is famous for both its simplicity and its mystery. But what exactly does it mean?
In Hebrew, “I am” is the word ehyeh (אהיה). If you’ve studied a language, you know that verbs—action words—have grammatical person and number. With most languages, “number” refers to singular or plural; “person” refers to the subject of the verb. When I taught biblical languages, I would explain it this way: I am number one (first person). You are second fiddle (second person). Everyone else (he, she, or they) is a third party (third person).
The name of God, ehyeh (אהיה), is a first-person, singular form of the verb “to be” (hayah היה): “I am.” It’s a statement of self-existence—and, therefore, a denial of being created by any higher power or force.
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Author: Michael S. Heiser
Keywords: Yahweh, Jehovah, God's divine name, Divine name, God's name, Name of God, Holy name, YHWH, I am, I am that I am, I am the Lord, LORD, Lord God, Self existent one, I will be, I am who I am, I am the Being, I am He Who Is
Bible reference(s): Exodus 3:14, Exo 15:2
Source: “Lost at Sea,” BibleStudy Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2014, p. 42.
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