"Tell them, I was what I was, I am what I am, but I will be who I will be. Yes, I will be who I will be. And so will theyŠ "
Ehyeh asher ehyeh
asher ehyeh asher
ehyeh asher ehyeh
asher ehyeh asher …
I will be who I will be
who I will be who
I will be who I will be"
The flaming bush became a spiral of fire.
"I who was once the God of your fathers, I learn from mothers how to give birth. I learn and you learn, you learn and I learn; I bear and you are born, you bear and I am born. We will become who we will become.
“Ehyeh asher ehyeh
asher ehyeh asher …”
Moshe found his arms inscribing in the air before his chest a spiral, in rhythm with the flames and the words the flames were chanting.
"They were slaves, but they can become free people. They were a tiny clump of cells, nestled in a nurturing womb – but they have grown to birth size, and the birth pangs will seize Mother Egypt if Pharaoh tries to block their birthing. They can become who they will become.
"I speak to the women as well. When the midwives heard me, I spoke not from a bush but through a baby. I appeared in every mother’s face, I was heard in every baby’s cry. How else did they know they must disobey Pharaoh?
"And the women know my Name, as well. My secret Names.
"To Abraham I thundered that El Shaddai meant God-of-the-Mountains, All-Powerful; but to Sarah I whispered that it meant God-of-the-Breast, All-Nourishing.
"And now, my name can be neither Hebrew nor Egyptian, for both peoples must come to know me in both tongues. Some of the midwives were Israelite and some were Egyptian; they worked together for life. Miriam is an Israelite, and Pharaoh’s daughter, Bat-Yah – ‘daughter of God’ – is Egyptian; they worked together for life.
"So what can be my Name for them both to understand? Only the word that is beneath all words, the word that is beyond all words, the word that is within all words, the word that holds all words within it. The word that is not shaped by human hands, or tongue, or lips – but comes from outward in, from inward out. A breath. Only a breath
"My name is YHWH. Do not put in a vowel, Moshe! Do not try to call me Yahweh; not Jehovah; not Adonai, or Lord, or even Eternal. Just Yyyhhhwwwhhh, a breathing.
socialaction.com/firespoke.html“I am the breath of life, and the breath of life is what will set you free. Teach them that if they learn that my Name is just a Breathing, they will be able to reach across all tongues and boundaries, to pass over them all for birth, and life, and freedom.”
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh
So God’s name, at least the one given to Moses in the above Torah passage, is “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.” What does that mean? In biblical Hebrew, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” is a deceptively simple phrase consisting of the relative pronoun “asher” sandwiched between two instances of the first person singular imperfect of the verb hayah–to be. “Ehyeh” is most commonly translated as “I will be.” Asher is a remarkable Hebrew word. Imagine, in English, a single word that can mean “that” “who” “which” or “where.” So the phrase could mean:
I will be that I will be
I will be who I will be
I will be which I will be
I will be where I will be
English has many distinguishable tenses, but biblical Hebrew has only two main tenses, perfect and imperfect. The perfect tense describes actions that are completed:
I walked
I did walk
I had walked
The imperfect tense describes actions or states that are not completed:
I will walk
I usually walk
I might walk
May I walk?
I would walk
A Hebrew verb that appears in the imperfect tense can be translated with any of these meanings. (Simon, The First Hebrew Primer, p. 94) The first Ehyeh might be one tense (for instance, “I am”) and the second another (“I will be.”)
Here are some other possible translations:
I am that I am (Hertz, p 215)
I will be what I will be (Rashi, from Hertz, p 215)
I am who I am (Sarna, 1986, p 52)
I will be what I want to be (S.R. Hirsch from Plaut, p 405)
I will be what tomorrow demands (Plaut, p 405)
It is he who creates what comes into existence (Albright, p 171)
He brings into existence whatever exists (Enc. Jud.)
I will be with him that I will be
I exist and fulfill my promises
The one who spoke and the world came into being,
spoke and all was (Drazin, p. 59, various sources)
The one who spoke to the world at the beginning “be”,
and it was, and in the future will say to it
“be” and it will be (ibid.)
I am he who was, am and will be (ibid.)
bluethread.com/ehyeh.htmEhyeh asher ehyeh–the self-existent and eternal God; a declaration of the unity and spirituality of the Divine Nature, the exact opposite of all the forms of idolatry, human, animal, and celestial that prevailed everywhere else. [It is]…however, not merely a philosophical phrase; the emphasis is on the active manifestation of the Divine existence…To the Israelites in bondage, the meaning would be, ‘Although He has not yet displayed His power towards you, he will do so’…The answer which Moses receives in these words is thus equivalent to, ‘I shall save in the way I shall save.’ It is to assure the Israelites of the fact of deliverance, but does not disclose the manner. It must suffice the Israelites to learn that ‘Ehyeh, I will be (with you) hath sent me unto you.’ (Hertz, p. 215)
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh
At one point when Moses is speaking with God at the burning bush, he asks God, “Behold, I am going to come to the people of Israel and I will tell them, ‘The God of their forefathers sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13) God’s answer is the name “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” (Ibid. verse 14). The Midrashic comment which we have quoted in discussing the other names in actually a comment on the name “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.” Here it is again, in its entirety from “Midrash Shemot Rabbah” 3:6:
Rabbi Abba bar Mamel said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, 'You want to know My name? I am called according to deeds. Sometimes I am called “El Shaddai” or “Tzeva’ot” or “Elohim” or “Y-H-V-H.” When I judge My creatures, I am called, “Elohim.” When I wage war against the evil ones, I am called, “Tzeva’ot.” When I do not immediately punish a person for their sins, I am called, “El Shaddai.” And when I have compassion for My world, I am called, “Y-H-V-H,” for “Y-H-V-H” implies My quality of compassion, as it says, “Y-H-V-H, Y-H-V-H, El, compassionate One, forgiving One, etc.” (Exodus 34:6). This is [the meaning] of “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” (literally, I will be what I will be, from Exodus 3:14), I am called according to deeds.
Is “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” really a separate and distinct name of God, according to Rabbi Abba bar Mamel? It is indeed difficult to think that he would say, “Yes.”
Rashi, in his comment on Exodus 3:14, quotes a different Midrash and thus gives this name a distinct meaning:
“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.” I will be (“Ehyeh”) with them (Israel) during this time of trouble, just as I will be (“Asher Ehyeh”) with them during the enslavement by other kingdoms.
According to Rashi, this name of God implies God’s attribute of constancy. He is always with His people, Israel, especially during times of trouble.
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, Rambam, explains this names as implying that God is eternal. “I will be” because “I always have been.” (“Guide for the Perplexed,” Section 1, chapters 61 & 63)
hillel.org/Hillel/NewHille.nsf/0/7db62dd3a220249c8525693f005579c8?OpenDocumentOnce again, we see that the names of God are often open to interpretation. The interpretation of this name, in particular, is made more problematic by the context in which it appears, i.e., the episode of the Burning Bush (see Exodus 3:1 - 4:17). The issue of God’s name is only one element in a very complex dialogue, the central theme of which is Moses’ election as God’s messenger to the people.
jewfaq.org/g-d.htmG-d is Eternal
G-d transcends time. He has no beginning and no end. He will always be there to fulfill his promises. When Moses asked for G-d’s name, He replied, “Ehyeh asher ehyeh.” That phrase is generally translated as, “I am that I am,” but the word “ehyeh” can be present or future tense, meaning “I am what I will be” or “I will be what I will be.” The ambiguity of the phrase is often interpreted as a reference to G-d’s eternal nature.