Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

> Todah, Shoshanna, for demonstrating that in each case in point given, that 
> "ehyeh"
> could indeed be rendered as "future."  Granted, the last word has not been 
> said on the
> Hebrew verbal system (as evidenced even by the dialogue by learned scholars 
> on this
> list).  And, according to whose view one accepts, there is no rigidity in 
> the
> imperfect - perfect designations.  Nevertheless, it remains clear that when 
> noted
> ancient Greek translators actually *translated* "ehyeh asher ehyeh,"  
> rather than just
> "interpreting" it, they came up with ESOMAI (future) rather than EIMI 
> (present).  And
> in the context, "I Will Be" fits better, as the whole salvation saga is 
> just about to
> begin.

This is so much fun.  How do we know which ones "translated" and 
which "interpreted"?  Answer: we don't.  We assume.  But this 
discussion has reached the point of diminishing returns...

> God said to Moshe:
> EHYEH ASHER EHYEH/ I will be-there howsoever I will-be there.
> And he said:
> Thus shall you say to the Children of Israel:
> EHYEH/ I-Will-Be-There sends me to you.  -- Exodus 3:14, from "The Five 
> Books of
> Moses," by Everett Fox, Shocken Books (1995)

I can't help wondering where he got "there"...to say nothing of how 
he got "howsoever" out of 'a$er...but whatever...if it's future, and if 
we conclude as I do that Fox has added "there" without any real 
linguistic justification, then when YHWH says "I will be" is he 
saying he doesn't exist yet?  Never mind, it was a rhetorical 
question.


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