Exodus 3:14-15
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.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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When God reveals His name as "I AM," He's not just giving Moses a label, but declaring His fundamental nature: He is the self-existent, unchangeable Being from whom all other existence flows. This isn't just about God's power, but His very essence, assuring Moses and the people that the One who promised to their ancestors is the eternally present reality who will fulfill those promises.
God has just called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a daunting task that Moses feels utterly unqualified for. After Moses expresses his doubts, God assures him of His presence and power, promising deliverance and revealing a profound name for Himself. Moses then asks how he should identify this God to the Israelites, who may not recognize Him after generations of oppression.
Moses asks for God’s name, and the answer is profound and mysterious: 'I AM WHO I AM.' What does this simple yet complex statement reveal about God?
When God declares, 'I AM WHO I AM,' He's not just giving a name; He's revealing His very nature. This phrase points to several foundational truths:
Absolute Existence
God's being is not dependent on anything or anyone. He simply is. Unlike everything else created, which had a beginning and can cease to exist, God's existence is necessary and unconditioned. He is the ultimate reality from whom all other existence flows.
Eternal and Unchanging
This name signifies God's eternal nature. He is not bound by time; He is, He was, and He will be. This unchangeability means His character, His promises, and His purposes are utterly reliable and constant.
The Source of All Being
Because God simply is, He is the source of all that exists. Everything else receives its being from Him. This is the profound essence of God's identity: He is the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable Creator.
Moses, faced with a monumental task, feels utterly inadequate. His question about God's name isn't just curiosity; it's tied to his own fear and doubt.
Moses’s question, 'What is his name?' comes after God commissions him to confront Pharaoh. He’s not just asking for a label; he’s asking for credentials and assurance. He knows that to represent God, especially to a stubborn Pharaoh and a discouraged people, he needs a powerful testimony of who is sending him.
God’s response, 'I AM WHO I AM,' and then instructing Moses to say, 'I AM has sent me,' is the ultimate credential. It says, 'I am the self-existent, all-powerful God. My being is My authority. My very nature guarantees My presence and My power.'
This assurance addresses Moses's feelings of inadequacy. God isn't sending Moses in his own strength, but in the power of the Eternal One. The declaration 'I AM has sent me' means God's eternal, unchangeable power is with Moses.
Understand the original words
ehyeh asher ehyeh · Hebrew Verb/Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, derived from the verb "to be," revealing His eternal self-existence, independence, and faithfulness. It signifies that God is the source of all being and is unchanging in His character.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His faithfulness and personal presence with His people. It is the name by which He entered into a relationship with Israel and fulfills His promises.
'olam · Hebrew Noun/Adverb
An extended duration; in a biblical context, it denotes the eternal nature of God's character and the perpetual validity of His covenant, binding Him to His people without end.
God's revelation of His name, 'I AM,' to Moses was not just a theological statement about His nature, but a powerful assurance for a hesitant leader and enslaved people. It connected His eternal being to the specific promises made to Abraham, assuring them that the God who always *is* would now act to fulfill His covenant.
c. 1845 BC
Abraham's Covenant
God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising land and descendants, laying the groundwork for the future nation of Israel.
c. 1650 BC
Israelites Settle in Egypt
Jacob and his family move to Egypt, initially welcomed, but eventually enslaved by a new dynasty.
c. 1447 BC
Moses' Birth and Upbringing
Moses is born into slavery, miraculously saved and raised in Pharaoh's court, but identifies with his enslaved people.
c. 1407 BC
Moses Flees to Midian
After killing an Egyptian oppressor, Moses flees to Midian and lives as a shepherd for forty years.
c. 1407 BC
This passage echoes the essence of God's self-declaration, stating, 'I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.' It emphasizes His unique, eternal existence, mirroring the 'I AM' declaration.
John 8:58Jesus directly references this divine name, saying, 'Before Abraham was, I AM.' This powerful statement links Jesus to the eternal 'I AM' of Exodus, highlighting His divine nature and pre-existence.
Revelation 1:4This verse describes God as 'He who is and who was and who is to come.' This aligns with the eternal, unchangeable nature implied in the 'I AM THAT I AM' statement, emphasizing God's constant presence throughout all time.
Psalm 90:2This psalm proclaims, 'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.' It underscores the eternal nature of God, directly supporting the concept of His self-existence revealed in Exodus 3:14.
calvinExodus 3:10-14: "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Et ait Moses ad Deum, Ecce ubi ego venero ad filios Israel, et dixero eis, Deus patrum vestrorum misit me ad vos: tunc si d…
pooleExodus 3:14: "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."
I am that I am; a most comprehensive and significant name, and most proper for the present occasion, It notes, 1. The reality of his being; whereas idols are nothings , 1 Corinthians 8:4 , all their divinity is only in the fancies and opinions of men. 2. The necessariness, eternity, and unchangeableness of his being; whereas all other beings once were…
When God reveals His name as "I AM," He's not just giving Moses a label, but declaring His fundamental nature: He is the self-existent, unchangeable Being from whom all other existence flows. This isn't just about God's power, but His very essence, assuring Moses and the people that the One who promised to their ancestors is the eternally present reality who will fulfill those promises.
God has just called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a daunting task that Moses feels utterly unqualified for. After Moses expresses his doubts, God assures him of His presence and power, promising deliverance and revealing a profound name for Himself. Moses then asks how he should identify this God to the Israelites, who may not recognize Him after generations of oppression.
God has just called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, a daunting task that Moses feels utterly unqualified for. After Moses expresses his doubts, God assures him of His presence and power, promising deliverance and revealing a profound name for Himself. Moses then asks how he should identify this God to the Israelites, who may not recognize Him after generations of oppression.
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The Burning Bush Encounter
God appears to Moses in a burning bush, commissioning him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage.
c. 1407 BC
God Reveals His Name
God reveals His divine name, 'I AM WHO I AM,' signifying His eternal, self-existent, and unchanging nature, to Moses.
c. 1407 BC
Moses Returns to Egypt
Empowered by God and armed with His name, Moses returns to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and demand the release of his people.
"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.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of I…" — When God reveals His name as "I AM," He's not just giving Moses a label, but declaring His fundamental nature: He is the self-existent, unchangeable Being from whom all other existence flows. This is…
