What's in a Name?

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’’” (Exodus 3:14 ESV)

Exodus 3:14 has given encouragement and comfort to many of God’s people over the years. This verse constitutes so much more than the recording of an actual event when the Creator of the universe condescended to answer questions from a member of His creation, namely Moses. In addition to being an accurate historical record, these words have provided theologians, philosophers, and followers of Christ with an invaluable glimpse into the character and essence of God. It is impossible for men or women to plumb the depths of the mystery of the one true God, or to achieve a complete understanding of our Creator through an examination of His revealed Word. Yet for those who would study and learn from Exodus 3:14, there are great blessings indeed.

The immediate context of Exodus 3:14 is found in the preceding verses. God has met with Moses and called him to lead His people out from under the oppression of the Egyptians. Moses responds with a series of questions, the second of which is found in verse 13: “Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’” Knowing that the Israelites were living under slavery in the polytheistic culture of Egypt, Moses needed an answer in order to specifically point them to the one true God. In verse 14, God gave him that answer.

The first Hebrew word in Exodus 3:14, יֹּ֤אמֶר, which is translated said, is frequently utilized in the Old Testament to introduce revelation, and the source of this revelation is identified by the following word. With the second word of this verse, אֱלֹהִים, God speaks one of His names to Moses, God or Elohim. The names by which God chooses to refer to Himself are highly significant, as the Israelites held that a person’s name reflected a being’s character and essence. It should be noted that the form of this word is a grammatical plural, though it’s meaning in this instance is singular. Some scholars have seen this plural-singular tension as an implication of God’s “majesty or stateliness.” However, it is reasonable to go further, interpreting this usage as a hint of the Trinitarian nature of God, the mystery of the plurality of Persons in the Godhead.

The next name for Himself that God shares with Moses, this time as a specific answer to his question, is I AM WHO I AM. This name utilizes the word אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה for I AM, which appears three times in this verse. It is interesting to note that while the word is visually identical in each case, being based on the Hebrew verb meaning to be, it functions twice as a noun (in its first and third usages) and once as a verb (in its second usage). This is important, because when the word is used as a verb, it could be translated I will be. Using the verb alone, we might suspect that God is in the process of becoming something else, or changing in some way. Yet the two times that it functions here as a noun could be accurately translated as I be, or better yet, I AM. This speaks to the self-existence and total non-dependency of the Creator, who has always been and will never become, as opposed to all of creation, which is fully dependent on God for existence, having once become and then continuing on in a state of becoming. The word אֲשֶׁ֣ר, translated as who, connects the first two usages, and considering their different functions as a noun and a vowel, we can read this name of God as I AM WHO I WILL BE, or I AM WHO I AM.  God has always been, He has never become or changed, and He will always be. Many classical theologians have pointed to I AM WHO I AM as referring to God as eternal existence. In explaining this concept, Geisler describes God as, “. . . Pure Being or Pure Existence. God is Pure Actuality . . .” Swanson states that this name for God also focuses on His “. . . presence, care, concern, and relationship.” For the people of God, this insight from Exodus 3:14 into the unchanging nature, character, and essence of God speaks to the absolute reliability of His presence, His promises, and His Word.

In the second half of Exodus 3:14, God says to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’’” The Hebrew word תֹאמַר֙, which could be translated as you will say, is clearly a divine instruction. There is not a hint of suggestion or prediction contained in this usage of the word. God is sending Moses on a mission to free His people from their bondage in Egypt. Moses has been given a direct command from God Himself, and he is expected to obey. The fact that this is a mission-like undertaking is emphasized by the usage of the word שְׁלָחַ֥ נִי, translated as has sent me. In context, this Hebrew word means to send; to dispatch; to send out, usually for a purpose. God has a specific plan in mind, and He is dispatching Moses to play a major role in the successful completion of that mission.

Another detail of this mission emerges in the final Hebrew word of this verse, אֲל ֵיכֶֽם׃, which is translated to you. This word is plural in its usage here, with the sense that God is sending Moses to you all. And who is this plurality, this you all that Moses is being sent to deliver? We see the answer in the verse. They are the people of Israel. And the Hebrew word used here, לִ בְנֵ֣י, which can be translated as to the sons of or to the people of, underlines the “presence, care, concern, and relationship” that was mentioned above, insights into the character of the one true God as revealed in His name I AM WHO I AM. The Hebrew word translated here as to the people of, is a term of endearment, a reference to a relative, as a parent tenderly addresses his children. God loves the sons of Israel. They are His people. He has heard their cries for help and His rescue mission continues.

In the third chapter of Exodus, the one true God has promised to be with His people and rescue them from their bondage in Egypt. In Exodus 3:14, God has answered Moses’ question from the preceding verse: “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God’s response to this question is insightful both to the reliability of His promises and to the beauty of His essence and character. Some scholars have sought to explain away this divine disclosure by suggesting that God’s answer is evasive, showing a reluctance to reveal His name, or even that God is cutting Moses off and redirecting their conversation. But all such attempts to water down the passage are inaccurate, clearly disregarding the context of the verse. In actuality, God responds patiently to Moses’ inquiry by not only providing His name, but doing so in a manner that unveils important attributes of the one true God. While the promises contained in this passage of Scripture are remarkable and sure, it is this precious glimpse into the nature of the One who gives those assurances that should fill us with wonder, awe, and hope.

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