A Commentary on Exodus 3: 13-15 - אהיה אשר אהיה

[David Ben-Abraham]

A Commentary on the passage in Exodus 3:13-15.

vs. 13] And Moses said unto G-d: "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, 'The G-d of your fathers hath sent me unto you,' and they shall say to me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say unto them?"

[Comm.] Here marks the beginning of all instruction on what is in a name. A name reveals a person's essence. It is the same with G-d. His name reveals to man His essence. If we were to look carefully at what transpired here, in these verses, the scripture begins by Moses asking to know G-d's name. But how does G-d answer Moses in return?

vs. 14] And G-d said unto Moses, "I shall be that which I shall be" (Heb. אהיה אשר אהיה). And he said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel , 'I shall be (Heb. אהיה) hath sent me unto you.' "

[Comm.] According to the Zohar (Section "Acharei Mos"), the first words, "I shall be," or what is written in Hebrew as אהיה, is a generalization, which words are immediately followed by the specification, "that which I shall be." Meaning, whatever name G-d is called by (whatever that might be, since it is now only an unknown identity and presumed name), that name will become his essence. Hence: "that which I shall be" (albeit, everything at this point is still ambiguous). This is what was implied by the second set of words, "that which I shall be," or what is written in Hebrew as אשר אהיה, and, as noted, is a specified statement to what began as a general statement.

The Greek LXX has translated אהיה אשר אהיה in Exo. 3:14 as meaning, "I am the one being" (Gr. εγώ είμι ό ών), or "I am the (one) who (is)." Bear in mind here that the Greek text is subjected to the Hebrew text, and not vice-versa, for since the Greek LXX comes to describe what was written in the Hebrew original, it cannot be better than the Hebrew original. As we all know, sometimes, when words are translated from one language into another, the sheer force and beauty of the original language is lost in the translation. In our Greek translation, unfortunately, nowhere can it be understood by the words "I am the one being" that in the original Hebrew language there was written there a generalization followed by a specification, only to disclose afterwards what that specification really is, viz. the Tetragammaton (that ineffable name which we are not permitted to utter, neither copy down in writing). Nor can it be known by the English (KJV: I am that I am) that the original Hebrew was written first with a generalization followed by a specification, only then to disclose once and for all what was implied by that specification!

vs. 15] And G-d said moreover unto Moses, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'The LO-RD G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.' "

[Comm.] G-d gradually led up to his name, but in the meantime, disclosed unto Moses that a name is a reflection of a thing's essence, saying "I shall be" (erroneously translated as "I am"). The long awaited answer finally arrives. G-d's name is the LO-RD (i.e., the Tetragrammaton), which is also his essence: viz., "He that was, who is, and who is to be," or in other words, "he who is eternal;" or, in the words of the Targum Yerushlami (ibid.): "He that said to the world "to be," and the world "was." (Meaning, the words "to be" and "was," even though said here in relation to the creation, are still the essence of his name).

Note: Hebrew is called the Holy Tongue because of its being the language given to the first man, as also the language with which G-d conversed with the fathers. It was not in vain that, in Hebrew, a horse is called "sus" (סוס) because it is inclined to be of a joyous and gay disposition (Heb. שָׂשׂ); a dog is called "caleb" (כלב) because it is inclined to be "all heart" (Heb. כולו לב); a vulture is called "nesher" because of its appearance, which seems to have "shed its feathers" (Heb. נֹשֶׁר); man is called "adam" because he was made from the red earth (Heb. אדמה), etc. etc.