Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: I AM

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: GregStffrd AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: I AM
  • Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 11:28:35 EDT


It should be noted that the Lord, Jehovah, did not call himself "I AM"
anywhere in the Hebrew Bible. The verb used in Exodus 3:14 is EHYEH and is
imperfect, regularly meaning "I will be." Compare the use of the same verb
form in Exodus 3:12 and elsewhere in MT.

In Isaiah and Deuteronomy Jehovah says 'ANI HU, which both illustrates the
point about the Hebrew verbless clause ('ANI HU means I [am] he--though HU in
Mishnaic Hebrew and perhaps even a couple of time in MT serves as a copula
verb) and points to the frequent mistranslation of the predicate "he" (HU) as
though it were a verb (AM) in commentaries and discussions which claim that
God calls himself "I AM."

Greg Stafford








  • I AM, JWE, 05/01/2001

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page