אהיה אשר אהיה in the Context of the Theology of the Divine Name (Exo 3:13-15)

Exodus 3:13-15 presents the foundational narrative in which God, in the course of His encounter with Moses, discloses His own name. This pericope has long been recognized as a decisive point of departure for any theological understanding of the biblical God. Consequently, it occupies a central place in linguistic inquiry, the history of religions, systematic theology, and biblical exegesis. In response to Moses’ inquiry regarding the divine name, God articulates His self-identification through four interrelated designations: i) the God of your fathers, ii) אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, iii) אֶהְיֶה, and iv) יהוה. This revelation, however, raises a series of profound interpretive challenges. The principal questions may be summarized as follows: i) What is the root or origin of the divine name?; ii) How are these names to be analyzed in terms of Hebrew grammar and usage?; iii) How should the tetragrammaton יהוה be vocalized?; iv) What historical and theological context underlies the revelation of the name יהוה?; v) What is the precise meaning of the expressions אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה and אֶהְיֶה, which accompany the disclosure of יהוה?; vi) What is signified by the designation “the God of your fathers”?; vii) How should one understand the declaration, “This is my eternal name, and this is my memorial to all generations”? None of these questions admits a simple resolution. Each has generated extensive scholarly debate and a diversity of proposals. In the present discussion, attention will be directed primarily toward questions iv) through vi). The biblical canon contains numerous titles and epithets associated with the divine name. Expressions such as El Olam or El Elyon, for instance, tend to accentuate particular attributes or dimensions of God’s nature. By contrast, (אֶהְיֶה) יהוה functions not merely as a descriptive title but as a designation of God in His very being. It conveys not so much a specific characteristic as the comprehensive reality of God Himself. (אֶהְיֶה) יהוה is the God who transcends temporal boundaries: He is the God of past generations (the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the God of the present generation (Moses and his contemporaries), and the God of generations yet to come. As Exodus 3:15b affirms, “This is my eternal name, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” The divine name therefore establishes Jahwe as the One who is to be perpetually invoked, remembered, and worshiped. In this theological sense, the Expression אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה bears the nuance of self-determination: “I am who I intend to be (Ich bin, so viel ich sein will).” Accordingly, the divine name אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה should be interpreted as a confession that Yahweh is the One who created — and continues to create — and who sustains all that exists within the cosmos. Thus, He is the Lord of creation and history, the sovereign over all beings and all events, the One who acts and remains present within the unfolding of historical reality.