There follows the third Old Testament name of God that we are undertaking to explain, namely, the one we have in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked the Lord His name, which Moses was to relate to the people of Israel in Egypt so as to confirm to them that his mission was from God. [To Moses’s question,] God responded with these words: אהיה אשר אהיה [Ehyeh asher Ehyeh]. And thus shall you say to the children of Israel, Ehyeh[1] sent me to you. I have undertaken to explain this name, despite having omitted many others, not because it appears frequently in the Scriptures, for I read no repetition of it outside of this passage [in Exodus 3]. Rather, I do so because it is related to the name יהוה (for both derive from the verb to be[2]) and because the name ὁ ὤν (which is how Ehyeh[3] is translated in the Septuagint) appears not infrequently in the Scriptures, in Revelation and elsewhere. Additionally, [I am explaining this name] in order to interpret the passage in Exodus 3.

I. Accordingly and first of all, there is a twofold translation of this name. As I mentioned, the Septuagint’s translators took the future tense as a present tense, which is hardly an innovation among the Hebrews in the Holy Scriptures, and so they render it: Ἐγὼ εἰμὶ ὁ ὤν [I am the One who is]. This meaning is secure, as will be clearly evident in what follows, and this interpretation was universally accepted in antiquity. It appears to be proved by Revelation 1[:4], where God is described in such a way that His name is the One who is, and the One who was.[4] Indeed, it seems that three words are used in Revelation 1:4 for what Moses expresses with one word in Exodus 3 when God called Himself Ehyeh.[5] This is the first translation.

The second translation is literal in accordance with the Hebrew word [that we translate as] I will be. It renders Ehyeh asher Ehyeh[6] word for word as I will be who I will be. To be sure, the fact that this name is derived from hayah[7] [to be] is so obvious that trying to prove it is a complete waste of time. So, I come to the interpretation of the name insofar as it is translated in the future tense: I will be who I will be. Then, I will move onto the translation whereby it is rendered ὁ ὤν [the One who is].

As far as the first point is concerned, some interpret this [passage] in such a way as to understand that the Son of God alone is speaking here, He who at the time of Moses was called the Angel of Jehovah and Jehovah but who was called Christ when He took on flesh and who promised the redemption of all His people through His coming in the flesh, bodily suffering, and death. Hence, they conclude that the meaning is: Moses, do you ask Me, who am sending you to redeem the people from Egypt, what My name is? I reveal it to you in just a few words: “I will be; I will be; I will be.” That is, I am He who, after much time, will be the Savior of the whole elect people. I will deliver all of the elect, not through you but on My own, and not from Egypt but out of bondage to sin and death. And I will lead them not into the land of Canaan but into a heavenly land. The present deliverance is a type of and an introduction to the other one. In short, I am the Son of God, the Mediator between God the Father and mankind; I am the promised Seed in whom all the nations will be blessed. They advance many reasons and testimonies from Holy Scripture in an effort to confirm this interpretation.

But while I strongly commend the actual point that they are making as pious and while I do not disregard it as a shrewd interpretation, I nevertheless cannot be persuaded to believe that this is the genuine meaning of the passage. For if they allege the meaning to be that what He says here concerning Ehyeh[8] can only befit the Son, since neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit but only the Son took on flesh, then they will have proven that the name Ehyeh asher Ehyeh[9] applies to the Son alone, which to me seems completely and utterly absurd.

Accordingly, others interpret it in this way: I will be who I will be. That is, Why are you asking My true name? No one can express who and what and how I am. Hence, I will be who I will be. That is, I will reveal Myself by results, and I will declare My being according to the works that I will accomplish. Thus, you will be able to adduce various names for Me. If the works are of great power, then the name “Most Powerful” will be My name. If of the highest wisdom, I will be called “Most Wise.” If of the greatest goodness, I will be “the Greatest Good.” And so forth, such that this is the meaning of the passage: You ask what My name is? Truly, I will respond with My deeds, and I will reveal My name. Hence, I will be who I will be.

But this, too, is weak, for it seems inconsistent with what He says next: Say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh[10] sent me.” For He indicates that His name is Ehyeh,[11] He who sent Moses into Egypt. But Moses was not sent by the Son alone; He was also sent by the Father and the Holy Spirit.[12]

[A third interpretation:] A certain rabbi by the name of Chizkuni [that is, Hezekiah ben Manoah], whom Fagius cites,[13] says that the first Ehyeh[14] is God’s name and the second Ehyeh[15] is an exposition of the first.[16] It is as if the Lord were speaking to Moses in this way: My name is “Ehyeh.”[17] The reason is: because I will be forever, without end. Accordingly, the words should be smoothed out in Latin like this: My name is “Ehyeh.”[18] For, “I will be who I will truly be forever.” Hence, this name signifies God’s eternity. Therefore, the meaning is: I am He who is eternal, that is, [I am] God.

The interpretation of another group actually agrees with this third interpretation. This group says (uncontroversially) that the name Ehyeh[19] signifies the eternal One (namely, God), He who always was, is, and will be. The reason is that no creature can assert that it will be, nor can any creature simply and properly say, as is the case here: I will be. Much less can it say: I will be forever, as is understood to be the case here, since I will be is pronounced unrestrictedly.

Galatino offers another rationale [for this interpretation], which he deduces Kabbalistically on the basis of the [verb’s] root and voice. For he proves in the following way that the three tenses—past, present, and future—which denote eternity are included in this word. The first letter is א, and this constitutes the first-person future: אהיה [ehyeh, which means:] I will be. Thus, we have the future. The second letter is ה, and this is the first letter and root of the verb היה [hayah]: It was. Thus, we have the past tense. Merely changing the same word’s vowels to a cholem and tseri makes a Benoni that indicates the present tense: being or existing. Fagius reports this as well with regard to the rabbis’ opinion on Exodus 3. Therefore, the name Ehyeh[20] both by its meaning and its explanation signifies He who is eternal and not subject to time.

[A fourth interpretation:] Some take Ehyeh[21] in both cases as a verb rather than as a name. Their opinion is that God promised His presence and favor to His people, just as He had also previously promised to Moses, saying: Surely, I will be with you (Ex. 3:12). Accordingly, this is the meaning: I who will be with you will be with them, namely, in order to deliver them from this and every other affliction, for I refuse to give them up, according to the promise I made to Abraham. Therefore, I will be with them, I who will be with you, just as I already promised you.

Rabbi Solomon [ben Isaac, that is, Rashi] has almost the same interpretation: I will be (with them in their present tribulation) who I will be (with them also in the affliction [they suffer at the hands] of other kingdoms).[22]

[A fifth interpretation:] Others teach that, in this passage, this word indicates nothing less than God’s steadfastness to His promises. And this is the meaning: Why do you ask My name? I will give no response to you other than that I am He who steadfastly wills to keep the promise He made to deliver His people. For I will be who I will be, and who I ought to be.

[A final interpretation:] Some are of the opinion that it is a confirmation of the promise He just made to Moses (in Exodus 3:12) concerning the freeing of the people from the hands of Pharaoh: I will be with you. With these words, God indicated and promised that He would be with Moses in such a way that the people would be altogether snatched out of Pharaoh’s hand, in accordance with the promise made to Abraham. Hence, they prefer this to be the meaning: Do not ask about My name. Instead, be content with this promise and the knowledge of My will whereby I promised that I would be with you in such a way that, against Pharaoh’s will, I will deliver the people through you. For in every respect, I will be (namely, with you in delivering the people) who I will be. That is: Just as I promised you previously, I am going to be with you, since I told you: “I will be with you.” But with this approach, there is no name of God in Exodus 3:14, which is contrary to the opinion of nearly all learned men.