ehyeh

Ehyeh is a Hebrew term formed from the verb "to be" and means "I am" or "I will be." It represents the first-person singular imperfect form of the root היה (hayah). In biblical usage, the phrase Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh appears in Exodus 3:14, where God speaks to Moses from the burning bush and discloses Himself.

The phrase is commonly understood as a self-revelation rather than a name. In Hebrew, Ehyeh is the verb for the speaker, Asher means "that/which," and the repeated Ehyeh can be read as a continuation of the self-description. Translations vary: some render it as "I am who I am" (reflecting the sense of self-existence), while others, emphasizing the imperfect form, render it "I will be what I will be" or "I shall be what I shall be." The Greek Septuagint translates the line as ego eimi ho on, often interpreted as "I am the Being" or "I am the one who is."

Scholarly and theological discussions commonly treat Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh as a theophany—a revelation of God’s essential self-existence and presence—rather than a formal divine name. It has significant implications in Jewish and Christian thought about God’s nature, fidelity, and ongoing relationship with creation. In practice, the phrase is cited in discussions of God’s identity and covenant faithfulness, and it is sometimes referenced in liturgical and doctrinal contexts. Outside Exodus, Ehyeh generally appears only as a linguistic form derived from the same root, rather than as a separate proper name.