Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh: The Great “I AM”

Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) from Exodus 3:14 is one of the most profound self-revelations of God in Scripture. God responds to Moses' question about His name when sending him to the Israelites: "I AM WHO I AM" (or variations like "I Will Be What I Will Be"). This phrase is a linguistic and theological masterpiece, rich in Hebrew grammar, etymology, letter symbolism, and narrative context.

Linguistic and Hebraic Breakdown: A Tour de Force

The phrase consists of three words rooted in the verb הָיָה (hayah), meaning "to be," "to exist," "to become," or "to come to pass." Hebrew verbs emphasize aspect (complete/incomplete action) more than strict tense. The imperfect (incomplete) form here conveys ongoing, dynamic, or future-oriented existence.

• Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה): First-person singular imperfect of hayah. It translates as "I am," "I will be," or "I am becoming." The prefix א (aleph) marks the first person. This form appears twice, framing the phrase symmetrically. In context, God instructs Moses to tell the people that "Ehyeh has sent me to you" (v. 14b), making it a functional name.

• Asher (אֲשֶׁר): A versatile relative particle ("who," "which," "that," "as," or "because"). It creates a tautological or open-ended structure: "I am [the one] who I am," or "I will be what I will be." This resists full definition, evoking mystery, sovereignty, and relational presence rather than a static label.

  
  

The full phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh is enigmatic by design. It can imply:

• Self-existence and aseity (God depends on nothing).

• Dynamic presence ("I will be with you as I will be").

• Faithfulness to His people in history (promising action in the Exodus and beyond).

  
  

Scholars debate translations: "I AM WHO I AM" (traditional, emphasizing eternal being) versus "I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE" (highlighting imperfect aspect and future faithfulness). Both capture truth; Hebrew allows polyvalence. The imperfect form suggests God is not bound by time, He "was, is, and will be."

Hebrew Letters and Their Meanings (Pictographic, Symbolic, and Traditional)

Ancient Hebrew (paleo-Hebrew) was pictographic, adding layers of visual theology. Even in square script, letters carry traditional symbolic weight from Jewish mysticism (e.g., Kabbalah), gematria, and midrash.

Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) = Aleph (א) + Heh (ה) + Yod (י) + Heh (ה)

• Aleph (א): Silent letter (no phonetic sound of its own; carries vowels). Pictograph: ox's head (strength, power, leadership). Symbolizes the "chief" or "first," oneness of God (echad), and divine mystery. Gematria: 1 (or 1,000). In Aleph's form (two Yods connected by a Vav), some see Heaven-Earth linkage or the Trinity in Christian interpretation. It begins the alphabet, evoking primacy and the ineffable God.

• Heh (ה): Aspirated "h" sound, like a breath. Pictograph: man with arms raised (behold!, look!, revelation) or a window (breath, spirit, revelation). Gematria: 5. Symbolizes divine breath (ruach), life, grace, and presence. Adding Heh to words often adds "the" or divine element (e.g., Abram → Abraham). Here, the two Hehs frame the name, suggesting God's breathing forth existence or revelation. The Talmud links YHWH's breathable quality to Moses' speech impediment, God gives a name uttered by breath.

• Yod (י): Smallest letter, "y" sound. Pictograph: arm/hand (work, power, deed). Gematria: 10. Represents divine initiative, creation by hand, or a point of potential (seed of creation). Multiple Yods evoke humility or hidden action.

  
  

Letter-by-letter tour of Ehyeh:

• Aleph-Heh: "Strong breath" or "the Powerful One reveals/beholds."

• Yod-Heh: "Hand of revelation" or "deed of breath/life."

• Full: The Strong One (Aleph) breathes forth (Heh) creative power (Yod) and revelation (Heh). It evokes God as the self-existent Source who actively reveals and sustains existence.

  
  

Asher (אֲשֶׁר): Aleph (strength/oneness) + Shin (ש: teeth/fire/consumption, gematria 300; pictograph teeth or fire) + Resh (ר: head/person, gematria 200). It binds with relational "who/which," tying God's strength to fiery, personal action.

Gematria notes (numerical equivalence for interpretive insight, not core linguistics):

• Ehyeh = 21 (א=1, ה=5, י=10, ה=5).

• Full phrase often totals 543 or variants linked to Moses (345) or Jesus (888 in some systems), highlighting redemptive connections.

  
  

The related Tetragrammaton YHWH (יהוה) (revealed in v. 15 as the eternal name) is the third-person form: "He Is/He Will Be." It shifts from God's first-person self-reference (Ehyeh) to Israel's address of Him (YHWH). Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh mirrors Ehyeh but in third person, with Vav (hook/nail, connection) instead of Yod. This etymological link underscores unity: the "I AM" who is also "HE IS."

Broader Theological Context

This name reveals God's aseity (self-existence, independent of creation), immutability (unchanging essence), and dynamic faithfulness (present and active with His people). Unlike pagan gods tied to nature or cycles, the God of Israel is existence itself, eternal, sovereign, and relational. It echoes in philosophy (e.g., "necessary being") and counters idolatry by refusing a manipulable label.

In the Exodus narrative, it assures Moses of God's empowering presence amid Pharaoh's power. It grounds covenant theology: God "will be" with Israel through deliverance, wilderness, and land. Later Jewish thought (e.g., Buber, midrash) sees it as promise of presence in every generation's "Egypt."

Connection to Christ's "I AM" in the New Testament

Jesus' ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) statements in John deliberately echo the LXX translation of Exodus 3:14 ("I am the One who is"). This is not coincidental.

• John 8:58: "Before Abraham was, I am [ἐγώ εἰμι]." The crowd's reaction (picking up stones for blasphemy) shows they heard a divine claim. Jesus claims eternal preexistence and the divine name.

• Seven "I AM" predicates (John): Bread of Life (6:35), Light of the World (8:12), Door (10:9), Good Shepherd (10:11), Resurrection and Life (11:25), Way/Truth/Life (14:6), True Vine (15:1). These fulfill OT imagery while claiming the "I AM" identity.

• Other uses (e.g., John 18:5-6, calming "I am He" at arrest) cause people to fall, evoking divine theophany.

  
  

Theologically, this identifies Jesus with the God of Exodus: the same self-existent One now incarnate. Christian exegesis sees continuity, the "I AM" who delivered Israel from Egypt is the One who delivers from sin and death. It supports Nicene Christology (full deity). Jewish perspectives differ, viewing it as prophetic or misapplied, but the linguistic parallel is strong.

In sum, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh is a linguistic-theological summit: a breathy, powerful declaration of sovereign, relational existence that reverberates through redemption history into the New Testament's revelation of the God-man. It invites awe, trust, and encounter rather than exhaustive definition, God is, and He will be with His people. This remains a living word for exegesis, prayer, and worship.

Expanded Meanings from Christian Scholars

Christian interpreters across centuries have mined Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh for layers of ontological, relational, covenantal, and Christological depth. While respecting the Hebrew's dynamic imperfect aspect and narrative context, they often synthesize it with broader biblical theology, patristic philosophy, and Reformation insights. Here is a survey of key proposals, emphasizing their contributions to understanding the name and its NT fulfillment in Christ.

Patristic and Medieval Voices: Ontological and Metaphysical Emphasis

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) viewed the name as a revelation of God's eternal, immutable being. In his De Trinitate and expositions on Exodus, he linked it to God's self-existence: the One who truly is, in contrast to creatures who "become" or depend on another for existence. Augustine saw "I AM" as pointing to the divine essence, pure, timeless being, echoing Platonic ideas but grounded in Scripture. This influenced the Western tradition profoundly, framing God as the ground of all reality.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) built on Augustine, identifying the God of Exodus 3:14 with Ipsum Esse Subsistens ("Subsistent Being Itself"). In the Summa Theologica, Aquinas argued that in God, essence and existence are identical, He is not a being among beings but the pure Act of Being (Actus Purus). Every perfection (goodness, power, wisdom) exists in Him eminently. This metaphysical reading underscores aseity (self-existence), simplicity, and transcendence. Aquinas saw the burning bush theophany as fitting: a God who is without composition or change.

These patristic/medieval readings highlight philosophical rigor but have been critiqued by modern biblical scholars for importing too much Hellenistic ontology. They remain foundational for classical theism.

Reformation and Protestant Perspectives: Faithfulness, Presence, and Sovereignty

John Calvin (1509–1564) emphasized God's sovereignty and covenant faithfulness. In his Commentary on Exodus, Calvin stressed that "I AM WHO I AM" declares God's independence from all external causes while promising faithful presence to His people. It reassures Moses (and Israel) that God will be their deliverer, provider, and protector, whatever the circumstances demand, without variation in His character or promises. Calvin tied this to immutability: God does not change in His essence or commitments.

Martin Luther and broader Reformation thought echoed this practical, pastoral focus. The name assures believers that the same God who was with the patriarchs will be with them, grounding justification by faith in the reliable "I AM."

John Piper (modern Reformed voice) unpacks seven implications in a sermon on the name:

• God exists absolutely.

• His personality and power derive from Himself alone (no reality "behind" God).

• He is unchanging (immutability).

• He is independent and self-determining.

• He is the source of all reality.

• He is personal and knowable.

• This infinite God draws near in Christ for our salvation.

Piper bridges metaphysics and devotion: the name invites awe and intimate trust.

Modern Biblical Scholarship (Evangelical and Broader Christian)

Many contemporary scholars prioritize the Hebrew grammar and Exodus context while affirming theological richness:

• Relational Presence and Faithfulness: "I will be what I will be" or "I am present as I am present" (e.g., interpretations drawing from Milgrom, Fretheim, Durham, Meyers). God promises dynamic, faithful accompaniment through history, "I will be with you" in deliverance, wilderness, and beyond. This is not evasion but a relational pledge. Julian of Norwich (medieval mystic) extended this maternally/paternally: the "I AM" as goodness and wisdom that helps us love.

• Narrative and Covenantal Identity: The name reveals God's character through actions (redemption from Egypt) rather than abstract definition. It underscores sovereignty amid Pharaoh's claims and Israel's doubt.

• Self-Sufficiency and Transcendence: God as uncaused, eternal Source, distinct from creation (contra pantheism). This supports classic attributes while grounding ethics and worship.

  
  

Scholars note the name's polyvalence: eternal being plus immediate, dependable presence for a enslaved people.

Christological Connections in NT Scholarship

Christian exegetes overwhelmingly see Jesus' ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) as deliberate echoes of the divine name, claiming full deity:

• John 8:58: "Before Abraham was [γενέσθαι, aorist, came into being], I am [present tense, continuous existence]." Scholars (e.g., in commentaries by Carson, Köstenberger, and others) note the tense contrast and the crowd's stoning reaction as evidence of blasphemy charge, Jesus claiming the divine name and preexistence. This identifies Him as the eternal "I AM" incarnate.

• The Seven "I AM" Statements in John fulfill OT types (bread from heaven, light, shepherd, etc.) while rooting them in the Exodus "I AM." Jesus is the presence of God with us (Emmanuel).

• Pre-Incarnate Christ: Some (e.g., in evangelical traditions) argue the One speaking from the bush was the Angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Son, making Jesus' claims a direct self-identification.

This NT usage transforms the name: the transcendent "I AM" enters history fully in Christ, bridging aseity with relational redemption (e.g., "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life," John 14:6).

Synthesis in Broader Theology

These interpretations are complementary, not contradictory. The Hebrew's openness ("I will be what I will be") allows for:

• Ontological depth (Augustine/Aquinas: necessary, simple Being).

• Covenantal dynamism (Calvin, moderns: faithful presence).

• Christological fulfillment (NT: the "I AM" tabernacles among us, dies for us, rises).

In systematic theology, Exodus 3:14 undergirds divine attributes (aseity, immutability, eternity) and the doctrine of the Trinity (the Father, Son, and Spirit share this one divine name/essence). It counters idolatry, grounds assurance, and invites worship of the God who is and will be our all in all.

This "I AM" remains inexhaustible, a linguistic and theological summit that reveals enough for faith while preserving divine mystery. It calls believers, as it did Moses, to holy ground encounter and obedient mission in the power of the same self-existent, ever-present Lord.

Restoration Teachings from Modern Prophets and Apostles

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirms and expands upon the biblical "I AM" revelation through additional scripture (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price), the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), and the teachings of modern prophets and apostles. In LDS theology, Jehovah (the premortal Jesus Christ) is the One who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, making the Exodus 3:14 encounter a Christophany, a direct appearance of the premortal Savior.

Identification of Jehovah as the Great "I AM" (Premortal Christ)

President Russell M. Nelson (then of the Quorum of the Twelve) explicitly connects the name in a 1992 BYU devotional: Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word hayah, which means “to be” or “to exist.” A form of the word hayah... was translated into English as “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Remarkably, I AM was used by Jehovah as a name for himself... Jehovah had thus revealed to Moses this very name that he had meekly and modestly chosen for his own premortal identification, I AM.

President Nelson further notes Jesus' New Testament echoes (e.g., John 8:58) and the Kirtland Temple vision (D&C 110), where the resurrected Christ declares, “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain,” identifying Himself as Jehovah, the Great I AM.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson echoes this: Both as Jehovah and Messiah, He is the great I Am, the self-existing God. He simply is and ever will be.

This aligns with the LDS Bible Dictionary, which states that YHWH (Jehovah) is the premortal name of Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament who revealed Himself to Moses.

Joseph Smith Translation and Scriptural Clarifications

The JST refines key verses for clarity in an LDS context:

• Exodus 3:2 (JST) emphasizes "the presence of the Lord" (not merely an angel) appearing in the bush, pointing to direct divine (Christ's) manifestation.

• Exodus 6:3 (JST) repunctuates as a rhetorical question: "And I appeared unto Abraham... Was not my name [Jehovah] known unto them?" affirming continuity of the name across dispensations.

Modern revelation reinforces this:

• D&C 68:6: The resurrected Christ declares, “I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come,” a direct expansion of the eternal "I AM" encompassing past, present, and future.

• Other D&C sections (e.g., 29:1; 38:1; 39:1) have the Savior self-identifying with "I am" language.

  
  

Broader Theological and Symbolic Emphasis

An Ensign article by Stephen P. Schank frames the name Christologically: Known to ancient Israel as the Lord Jehovah, the premortal Jesus Christ identified Himself as the source to which His people should look for redemption... It is that answer, the Redeemer of Israel, the Great “I Am,” that we seek...

It then lists symbolic "I Am" fulfillments (Lamb, Bread of Life, Living Water, Healer, etc.), tying the burning bush name to Christ's Atonement and daily sustenance for modern Israel.

LDS thought emphasizes relational presence and covenant faithfulness alongside self-existence. The name assures God's active involvement in deliverance (ancient Exodus and latter-day gathering), with Jehovah/Christ as the central Agent executing the Father's will. This integrates with unique LDS doctrines like the premortal existence, multiple mortal probations avoided through Christ's Atonement, and ongoing revelation through living prophets.

Synthesis with Prior Interpretations

LDS teachings harmonize with classical views (aseity from Augustine/Aquinas; faithfulness from Calvin) while adding distinctive clarity: the "I AM" is not an abstract deity but the premortal Christ, Creator, Jehovah, and Redeemer, who appeared to Moses, ancient Israel, Joseph Smith, and continues to guide through prophets. This bridges Old Testament theophany, New Testament claims, and Restoration scripture, portraying the same divine Person across dispensations. The name invites personal encounter: the self-existent God who is and will be with His covenant people, culminating in the Savior's mortal ministry and latter-day work.

Connections to the Unspoken Aleph and Tav in Scripture

A profound layer of interpretation links Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh and the divine name to the Hebrew letters Aleph (א) and Tav (ת), the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which appear together thousands of times throughout Scripture as the untranslated particle את (et). This particle functions grammatically as a direct object marker (accusative), often left unspoken in English translations, yet we see in it a symbolic signature of the self-existent God who encompasses all of creation from beginning to end.

Aleph (א), as explored earlier in the letter symbolism of Ehyeh, represents strength, primacy, leadership, and the ineffable oneness of God, the "chief" or "first." Tav (ת), the final letter (pictographically a cross or mark in paleo-Hebrew), symbolizes completion, covenant, sign, or enclosure (often linked to the idea of being "marked" or a sacred boundary, such as the Holy of Holies). Together, Aleph-Tav evokes totality: the beginning and the end, the source and the fulfillment. This mirrors the Greek Alpha and Omega in Revelation, where the exalted Christ declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13; also 1:8, 21:6). Hebrew-speaking interpreters understand Jesus as saying, in effect, “I am the Aleph and the Tav.”

This connection enriches the “I AM” revelation. Just as Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh declares dynamic, all-encompassing self-existence, “I will be what I will be,” the pervasive, often “unspoken” את in the Hebrew Bible (appearing over 7,000 times) subtly threads the presence of the divine Agent through every act of creation, redemption, and covenant. In Genesis 1:1, for example: “In the beginning God created את the heavens and את the earth.” We see here the premortal Christ (Jehovah, the Great I AM) as the direct object and Agent of creation, the “strength of the covenant” holding all things together (cf. Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:1-3). The silent marker becomes a living witness to the One who is the beginning and end of all reality.

In LDS theology, this aligns seamlessly with the identification of Jehovah (the premortal Christ) as the Great I AM who spoke to Moses. Modern prophetic emphasis on Christ as Creator and Redeemer finds resonance in the Aleph-Tav motif: the same self-existent One who revealed Himself in the burning bush is the Aleph-Tav who stands at the alpha and omega of every divine action. Patristic and Reformation voices emphasizing aseity and covenant faithfulness find further support here, the unchanging “I AM” who bookends history and Scripture. This is a hidden Christological signature woven into the fabric of the Tanakh, pointing forward to the incarnate Word who fulfills the “I AM” claims in John.

Thus, the Aleph-Tav deepens the linguistic tour de force of Ehyeh: the breathy, powerful declaration of sovereign existence is not abstract but embodied in the One who is both the silent marker and the spoken Name, Alpha and Omega, Aleph and Tav, the eternal I AM who was, who is, and who is to come. This interpretive lens invites believers to see the divine name reverberating not only in explicit theophanies but in the very grammar of revelation, calling forth awe at the God who encompasses and sustains all things.

These perspectives, linguistic, patristic, Reformed, contemporary evangelical, Latter-day Saint, and Aleph-Tav, together form a rich, harmonious tapestry. The Hebrew's polyvalence sustains ontological depth, covenantal dynamism, and Christological fulfillment. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh remains an inexhaustible invitation to encounter the living God who is, who was, and who will be our Redeemer across all ages.