וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
1. Divine Speech and the Power of the Imperfect
The verse begins with וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (“And He said”), a wayyiqtol form of the root אָמַר, marking it as part of the narrative sequence. The speaker, אֱלֹהִים (“God”), directly addresses מֹשֶׁה (“Moshe”). But what follows breaks out of ordinary narrative speech and ascends into divine self-revelation.
אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה (“I will be what I will be”) uses the first-person singular imperfect form of הָיָה, the verb “to be.” The use of the imperfect here is grammatically momentous. It conveys not a static name but a dynamic, unfolding reality. This form—imperfect—suggests future action, ongoing presence, and open-ended becoming. God does not say “I am,” using a perfect form, which would imply a fixed, completed state. Instead, He says אֶֽהְיֶה—implying presence that is ever active, ever arriving.
The construction אֲשֶׁר (“that” or “which”) links the two clauses, but its ambiguity also enhances the mystery: “I will be what I will be,” “I will be who I will be,” or even, “I will be because I will be.” Hebrew’s grammatical economy allows for this theological depth through the simplest of forms.
2. Syntax as Revelation
This verse is structured around a dramatic moment of naming—yet the “name” given is no ordinary noun. God’s “name” is a verb. In ancient Israelite culture, names were not mere labels but carried essence and identity. By using the verb הָיָה in the imperfect, God resists confinement to a finite noun. This syntactic structure emphasizes divine freedom and transcendence. God’s identity cannot be reduced to human categories or temporal limits.
Moreover, the syntax implies self-reference: “I will be that which I will be.” It is a declaration of sovereignty over being itself. God is the only Being whose essence is existence. This profound theological claim is made not through a philosophical treatise, but through Hebrew verb morphology.
3. Parallel Clauses and Progressive Revelation
The second וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (“and He said”) restarts the flow, leading to the direct commissioning of Moshe: כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (“Thus you shall say to the sons of Yisra’el”). The imperative תֹאמַר (“you shall say”) is a Qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular, but in this case it functions as an imperative—common in Hebrew when instructions are given indirectly.
God then restates אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה—but this time as a standalone identifier: אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם (“I will be has sent me to you”). Here, the imperfect verb becomes a proper name, or rather, a theological title. The form שְׁלָחַ֥נִי is a perfect 3rd masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix—”he sent me.” God authorizes Moshe’s mission with His own existential name.
4. Literary Devices and Rhetorical Weight
This verse contains an inclusio: the repetition of אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה at both the center and the end. This literary framing emphasizes that God’s being is the core of the message. The rhetorical repetition also mirrors prophetic call narratives, where God’s word becomes the vehicle of both command and self-revelation.
There is also a subtle chiasmus: A (God speaks) – B (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה) – B’ (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה) – A’ (God sends). The inner core reveals God’s identity; the outer brackets show that this identity empowers the mission.
5. Cultural and Theological Background
In the ancient Near East, deities were often named in reference to natural forces or human roles. Here, the God of Israel transcends such categorization. He is not “god of thunder” or “god of war.” He is אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה—Being itself, free, unbound, ever-present.
This theology of presence anticipates the covenantal refrain: “I will be with you” (אהיה עמך) in Exodus 3:12. The grammatical form God uses for His name is the same form He uses to promise His presence. This links God’s identity not to philosophical abstraction, but to relational fidelity.
6. Spiritual Reflection
The imperfect verb אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה invites trust. God reveals Himself not as a fixed statue but as a Living Presence. He is who He will be—faithful, mysterious, transformative. The use of verbal identity encourages the reader to relate to God not as a static concept but as a dynamic companion.
Through a single Hebrew verb form, God proclaims His freedom, His faithfulness, and His inaccessibility to human control. Yet He simultaneously commissions Moshe—bridging transcendence and immanence. This verse is not only a grammatical marvel but a spiritual summit, where the structure of Hebrew becomes the vessel for divine encounter.
