The Yahweh Name

[TrevorL]

The Yahweh Name: Initial Declaration and Fulfilment
The following is a consideration of the Yahweh Name that was revealed in Exodus 3:14. It is hoped that the following comments will help to explain some of the language of both the OT and NT and the true role of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The Name of God was revealed to Moses in the following terms:
Exodus 3:14-15 (KJV): 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Most translations and commentators accept the present tense “I am that I am”, but notice in the margin of the RV (or ASV) and RSV, an alternative is given “I will be that I will be” or “I will be what I will be”, showing that some modern scholars suggest this alternative reading. Although not popular it appears that this future tense is the correct translation.

Not only modern scholars, Tyndale also translated this in the future tense.
Exodus 3:12-14 (Tyndale): 12 And he sayde: I wilbe with the. And this shalbe a token vnto the that I haue sent the: after that thou hast broughte the people out of Egipte, ye shall serue God vppon this mountayne. 13 Than sayde Moses vnto God: when I come vnto the childern of Israell and saye vnto them, the God of youre fathers hath sent me vnto you, ad they saye vnto me, what ys his name, what answere shall I geuethem? 14 Then sayde God vnto Moses: I wilbe what I wilbe: ad he sayde, this shalt thou saye vnto the children of Israel: I wilbe dyd send me to you.
I also like his spelling, especially where he gives “wilbe”.

The word translated “I AM” in the KJV of Exodus 3:14 is the Hebrew word “ehyeh” and this is the same as in the earlier statement in v12, and here the translators give the future tense:
Exodus 3:12 (KJV): And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Not only does this fix the tense, it also introduces the concept that the Name of God is also associated with some future activity.

This future tense was to be the future activity by God acting to deliver Israel out of Egypt, so that Israel would become a people for His Name. They would be a living witness to the purpose of God, and a witness to the existence of God. The following passage emphasises this future work by God in delivering Israel and there is given a strong connection with the God’s Name which had been revealed:
Exodus 6:1-8 (KJV): 1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. 2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH (or Yahweh) was I not known to them. 4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: 7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

When Israel was delivered out of Egypt the Name of God remains the same, but the particular activity has been accomplished:
Exodus 15:1-3 (KJV): 1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
The future tense of God’s Name “He will be or become” had been accomplished, and Yahweh had become Israel’s salvation.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[TrevorL]

The Yahweh Name: Additional Consideration of the Future Tense

As mentioned in the previous post the KJV translates Exodus 3:14 with the present tense “I AM” and this appears to be a deliberate change of Tyndales’ future tense “I wilbe” or “I will be”. I am not aware if there is documentation of any discussion between the KJV translating committee on this aspect.

Perhaps it could be considered presumptuous to prefer the future tense, when there is such a strong support of the present tense. Having a quick browse of my electronic copies in my Bible Program, the following translations also have the present tense: NIV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, NLT, CSB, NKJV, HCSB, LEB, NET, NAB, NCV, CEV.

I mentioned that the RV and RSV have the future tense as an alternative, and my print edition of the RV has: “or I Will Be That I Will Be”. Again I am unaware of any documentation of the translating committee on this aspect. Evidently someone on the committee suggested the future tense, but the RV committee decided against this change. It is interesting that the Hebrew scholar AB Davidson was a member or advisor of the RV translating committee and he has endorsed the future tense elsewhere. AB Davidson’s Hebrew abilities have been respected and some of his Hebrew books were published in new editions until recently.

The article by AB Davidson is in the Hastings Bible Dictionary Volume 2 page 199:
"The name is connected with the Hebrew ‘hayah’, ‘to be’, in the imperfect. Now with regard to this verb, first, it does not mean ‘to be’ essentially or ontologically, but phenomenally; and secondly the imperfect has not the sense of a present (‘am’) but of a future (‘will be’). In Exodus 3:10ff when Moses demurred to go to Egypt, God assured him saying, ‘I will be with thee’. When he asked how he should name the God of their fathers to the people, he was told Ehyeh asher Ehyeh. Again he was bidden say, ‘Ehyeh hath sent me unto you’. From all this it seems evident that in the view of the writer Ehyeh and Yahweh are the same: that God is Ehyeh, ‘I will be’, when speaking of Himself and ‘Yahweh’, ‘he will be’, when spoken of by others. What He will be is left unexpressed - He will be with them, helper, strengthener, deliverer."
Now this last comment by AB Davidson ties in with what I suggested that what God would do or be was that Yahweh would be their salvation, Yahweh would deliver Israel out of Egypt and bring them into the Promised Land.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Yesua888]

The Yahweh Name: Additional Consideration of the Future Tense

As mentioned in the previous post the KJV translates Exodus 3:14 with the present tense “I AM” and this appears to be a deliberate change of Tyndales’ future tense “I wilbe” or “I will be”. I am not aware if there is documentation of any discussion between the KJV translating committee on this aspect.

Perhaps it could be considered presumptuous to prefer the future tense, when there is such a strong support of the present tense. Having a quick browse of my electronic copies in my Bible Program, the following translations also have the present tense: NIV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, NLT, CSB, NKJV, HCSB, LEB, NET, NAB, NCV, CEV.

I mentioned that the RV and RSV have the future tense as an alternative, and my print edition of the RV has: “or I Will Be That I Will Be”. Again I am unaware of any documentation of the translating committee on this aspect. Evidently someone on the committee suggested the future tense, but the RV committee decided against this change. It is interesting that the Hebrew scholar AB Davidson was a member or advisor of the RV translating committee and he has endorsed the future tense elsewhere. AB Davidson’s Hebrew abilities have been respected and some of his Hebrew books were published in new editions until recently.

The article by AB Davidson is in the Hastings Bible Dictionary Volume 2 page 199:
"The name is connected with the Hebrew ‘hayah’, ‘to be’, in the imperfect. Now with regard to this verb, first, it does not mean ‘to be’ essentially or ontologically, but phenomenally; and secondly the imperfect has not the sense of a present (‘am’) but of a future (‘will be’). In Exodus 3:10ff when Moses demurred to go to Egypt, God assured him saying, ‘I will be with thee’. When he asked how he should name the God of their fathers to the people, he was told Ehyeh asher Ehyeh. Again he was bidden say, ‘Ehyeh hath sent me unto you’. From all this it seems evident that in the view of the writer Ehyeh and Yahweh are the same: that God is Ehyeh, ‘I will be’, when speaking of Himself and ‘Yahweh’, ‘he will be’, when spoken of by others. What He will be is left unexpressed - He will be with them, helper, strengthener, deliverer."
Now this last comment by AB Davidson ties in with what I suggested that what God would do or be was that Yahweh would be their salvation, Yahweh would deliver Israel out of Egypt and bring them into the Promised Land.

Kind regards
Trevor

Hi Trevor,
Thanks for the post and things to study : )

This is what I have uncovered:

"The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was published in 1611, while William Tyndale's first complete printed English New Testament appeared in 1526, with a revised edition in 1534.

This means Tyndale’s version predates the King James Version by approximately 85 to 88 years. The KJV drew heavily from Tyndale’s work, with scholars estimating that around 84% of the New Testament and 76% of the Old Testament portions he translated were retained in the KJV."

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Yeshua888,

"The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was published in 1611, while William Tyndale's first complete printed English New Testament appeared in 1526, with a revised edition in 1534.

I appreciate the information. I decided to look at the two Bible versions between Tyndale and the KJV. Both the Geneva Bible of 1560 and the Bishop's Bible of 1568 have rendered Exodus 3:14 with the present tense "I AM". Perhaps the KJV was only copying these, rather than deliberately altering Tyndale's translation. It is interesting that Robert Alter in his fairly recent translation gives both the Name of God in Hebrew and then the translation in English in the future tense: "Éhyeh-'Asher-Ëhyeh, I-Will-Be-Who-I-Will-Be"

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[David]

The Yahweh Name: Initial Declaration and Fulfilment

The name in Exodus 3:14 is powerful, but the overwhelming testimony of Scripture presents God as the eternal “I AM.” When Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am” ~John 8:58, the Jews understood exactly what He claimed and tried to stone Him for it. That fits the present-tense sense of self-existent, unchanging being.

God Himself calls it “my name for ever” and “my memorial unto all generations” ~Exodus 3:15. Yes, He acts in mighty ways to deliver His people, as in the Exodus, but the name reveals who He is in Himself, the eternal, faithful God who was, is, and always will be with His people. ~Malachi 3:6 (KJV) says plainly, “For I am the LORD, I change not.”

The future-tense idea has some linguistic support, but Scripture itself keeps pointing us to the great “I AM.” That seems to be the clearer emphasis across both Testaments.

Kind regards.

 

[David]

I appreciate the information. I decided to look at the two Bible versions between Tyndale and the KJV. Both the Geneva Bible of 1560 and the Bishop's Bible of 1568 have rendered Exodus 3:14 with the present tense "I AM". Perhaps the KJV was only copying these, rather than deliberately altering Tyndale's translation. It is interesting that Robert Alter in his fairly recent translation gives both the Name of God in Hebrew and then the translation in English in the future tense: "Éhyeh-'Asher-Ëhyeh, I-Will-Be-Who-I-Will-Be"

Great. You’re reading that word exactly right. You’re paying attention to the wording. That’s good. But don’t focus on the waves. It doesn’t matter which English version came before which other English version. The weight of this verse is not resting on the shoulders of translation history. It’s resting on Jesus.

When God declares who He is in ~ Exodus 3:14, He’s not teaching Moses grammar. He’s making a distinction between Himself and everything else in existence. The entire created universe will become. Everything created has changing seasons. Everything created needs something to continue existing. But God? He just IS.

While that Hebrew word has a sense of both “I am” and “I will be”, please don’t miss what God is communicating to us. He is not restricted by tense like we are.He is not currently becoming something He will later be. He is not growing, or changing, or improving. He exists outside of time fully God, fully complete, and fully present in the current moment. That’s why Jesus can say, “I am the LORD, I change not” ~Malachi 3:6. THAT is NOT poetry. That is FACT.

Fast forward to Jesus. When He declares “Before Abraham was, I am” ~ John 8:58. He’s not bragging about who got here first. He’s claiming that name. That identity. And the people listening to Him knew it. The religious leaders understood exactly who Jesus was declaring Himself to be. That’s why they reached for their stones. It wasn’t because they didn’t understand who Jesus claimed to be. They knew He was claiming to be God Almighty.

So does it matter if someone says “I am” or “I will be”? Does the absolute truth of who God is shift one millimeter? No. When God defines Himself, He’s not restricted by the past, present, and future tenses we use to try to make sense of our lives. He defines Himself as the eternally self-existent One who IS.

That is your anchor. Not which translator John translated from. Not which English translation came before the English you have in your hands. The anchor keeping you grounded is the character of who God says He is.