Exodus 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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At the burning bush, Moses asks God what name he should give to the Israelites when they ask who has sent him.
What Does Exodus 3:14 Mean?
This verse means that God reveals Himself as the One who simply and eternally is -- self-existent, faithful, and ever-present. When Moses asks what name to give the people, God answers not with a title but with a declaration of His own being: "I AM THAT I AM." The Hebrew points to the One whose life depends on nothing outside Himself and who will be unfailingly present with His people. He is not one god among the idols of Egypt; He is the source of all that exists.
This name is also a promise. The God who simply "is" is the God who will be there -- present in the deliverance to come, present at the sea, present at the mountain. For a people enslaved and uncertain whether anyone hears them, the name says that the everlasting God has stepped into their story. Centuries later this same name would echo in the words of Jesus, drawing a direct line from the bush in the wilderness to the One who comes to save. To know this name is to rest in a God who does not change and does not leave.
In the Original Language
The phrase translates the Hebrew "ehyeh asher ehyeh," built on the verb hayah, "to be," and closely tied to the divine name YHWH.
Cross References
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
- John 8:58
“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
- Exodus 6:3
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
- Revelation 1:8
Application
When circumstances feel uncertain, anchor your trust in the God who always is and is always present with His people.