I AM THAT I AM

Illustration of I AM THAT I AM
At the burning bush, God gave Moses a name that is really a declaration of pure existence - not 'I was' or 'I will be,' but simply 'I AM.'

When Moses asked for God's name at the burning bush, God answered 'I AM THAT I AM' (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) - a name declaring his self-existence, eternity, and utter independence from anything outside himself. It is the root of the personal name Yahweh (LORD) and the foundational self-revelation of God's character in all of Scripture, affirming that he simply is, without beginning or dependence on any other being. Jesus later applied this same name to himself - 'before Abraham was, I am' - a claim his hearers understood as nothing less than an assertion of deity.

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Meaning: The self-existent One; the eternal, unchanging God

First Usage: Exodus 3:14

Key Chapters

Exodus 3 The Burning Bush 5 min read

Key Passages

God Reveals His Name to Moses

Exodus 3:13-15

A13nd Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

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. 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

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