Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>]

> > On Hebrew Grammar
> >
> > On the fact that the same word is used AS a future tense word in other
> > places in the Torah
>
> But not always or only as future.  The prefix conjugation serves
> both purposes.


Please, then cite an example from some OTHER place in the Torah, where
"Ehyeh" is not future

In the very same chapter, Exodus 3:12  Ehyeh is definitely used in the
future tense.  It is not characteristic of the Torah to be careless about
the words, and combinations of letters used - rather the opposite.


>
> >
> > On the fact that, Biblical Hebrew is still Hebrew, and not some other
> > language
>
> But modern Hebrew is based more on Mishnaic than biblical
> Hebrew (evidence e.g. the lack of the waw-consecutive form).
> Mishnaic Hebrew developed into a tensed language, whereas
> biblical Hebrew seems to be something different.


Not to me, when I read it


>
> > If someone would remind me where exactly this pasuk (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)
is,
> > in the Torah, I will see if I can find if any of the commentaries
comment on
> > this.
>
> Exodus 3.


Rashi uses Ehyeh as a word in future tense.  He says, "I will be with them
while they are in trouble, I will be with them during the time they are
under the oppression of all the foreign nations...."  ("I will be" with them
in this trouble "what I will be" with them in their bondage by other
kingdoms")

Torah Temima offers an explanation similar to Rashi's - in the future tense
("I will be with them during this oppression, and I will be with them during
subsequent oppressions under the nations)

The commentary in the Stone Edition ("with a commentary anthologized from
the Rabbinic writings") says

"I shall Be As I Shall Be".  This is in itself a Divine Name, as implied by
Onkelos, since he does not translate these three words.  Rashi explains that
the import of the word Ehyeh - literally I SHALL BE - is as follows:  "I
shall be with them in this sorrow as I shall be with them in other sorrows"
To this Moses replied, "An evil in its own time is enought!" ie: why should
You imply to them that there will be future exiles; is it not enough that
they suffer now in Egypt?  Accepting Moses' argument, G-d instructed him to
say, "I Shall Be [with them in this sorrow] has sent me to you" (Rashi from
Berachos 9b)

"According to the Midrash, the word "Ehyeh" describes G-d as timeless and
eternal


I really don't see how anyone can claim that they know better than the great
Torah commentators, which are far more numerous than what I just quoted,
none of whom, I can assure you, believe that "Ehyeh" means 'I am'

Shoshanna



>
>
> Dave Washburn
> http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
> "You just keep thinking, Butch.  That's what you're good at."
>
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