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  • From: "Daniel Wagner" <dan.wagner AT netzero.net>
  • To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: I AM
  • Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 22:48:18 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: <Bearpecs AT aol.com>
To: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: I AM


> Nowhere else does the word EHYEH mean "I am identified as...." On the
> contrary, in many verses G-d speaks in the first person: ANI Y.H.W.H.
> meaning
> "I am" you-know-who.
>
> In a message dated 5/2/01 3:20:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> dan.wagner AT netzero.net writes:
> > correctly translate it "I am I AM."
>

You misunderstand the essence of my argument. True, _EHYEH_ is not the
standard means of expressing "self-identity," per se, but identity is not my
real point. Whenever we find God as the subject of _EHYEH_ it indicates some
aspect of God's relationship to His people. Here is the data for 1CS of HYH
with God as subject of the verb:

3 X in Exodus 3 (In my view, once to introduce the Name, twice as the Name)
2 X miscellaneous ("I will be like dew" Hos.; "... a wall of fire ... for
glory in her midst," Zech)
The remainder of occurrences (22X) indicate a special relationship of God
with His people:
7 X "I will be with _______" (Exodus-Judges)
12 X "I will be a God to [My people]" (5X Jeremiah, 5X Ezekiel, Hos., Zech)
3 X "I will be a Father to [David's Son]" (Samuel)

So in Exodus 3:14 i think it is the same. God is asked for an answer to give
to the question "What is His name?" His answer is "I will be / I am: I-AM"
and by the "I-AM" He is whatever is needed in regards to relationship with
His people. But the Name is only "I AM" (or "I-WILL-BE", in theory; i'll
comment on the tense elsewhere).

Thus, the first _EHYEH_ is not so much an identification statement as it is a
covenant promise formula to say "I will be ________."

But as concerning your question, why does he not use the noun clause formula
with
_)aNI_ (as used for "I am YHWH") to introduce the name here, the reason
should be obvious enough. I'll comment on that more on the other post which
assumed i was motivated by mere theological agenda. Hardly is a noun clause
possible with a verb!

Dan Wagner



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