Tag Archives: Exodus 3:14

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.”… Learn Hebrew