Original scientific paper
The Absolute »I AM« in Exodus 3:14 and Hosea 1:9
Ivica Čatić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2293-0917
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia
Ivan Andelfinger
orcid.org/0000-0001-6275-6995
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia
Abstract
In the article the authors confront the meanings of two Hebrew verb forms and their translations in biblical Greek and modern translations. It is the verb form 'ehyèiz in Ex 3:14, and its negation lö'-'ehyè in Hosea 1:9. These verb forms can be translated in the Croatian language as Ja jesam (I am) and Ja nisam (I am not) in the absolute sense. The study aims to shed light on the historical, philological and theological relations of the positive (Ex 3:14) and negative formulation (Hosea 1:9). In the Old Testament the Lord's absolute "I AM" has its foundation in the experience of the chosen people, it appears in key moments in Israel's history and is directed to the holy name of God. In Ex 3:14, God appeared to Moses as 'ehyè 'ášer 'ehyè (I AM WHO I AM), which the Septuagint translated into Greek as egō eimi ho ōn (I AM HE WHO IS). The Hebrew construction is cryptic and difficult to translate. Since it is almost impossible to determine the correct translation only from the morphosyntactic analysis, biblical scholars resort to the context in which the cryptic words are spoken. Although the traditional translation is "I AM WHO I AM," in recent years biblical scholars are increasingly opting for the future aspect of translation. In this paper, special attention will be directed toward this translation in the future tense and the question of its legitimacy. When talking about the Septuagint translation, in Ex 3:14 the translator opted for the present aspect. Because the Greek present as imperfect tense in a way already includes the future aspect. It follows that the LXX translation in the present tense has its foundation not only in philosophy and later theologizings as is commonly thought, but it also has its philological justification. When we talk about the book of the prophet Hosea the absolute "I AM" appears in the negative form, 'änökî lö'-'ehyè (Gk. egō ouk eimi - I am not). The prophet is almost certainly referring to Ex 3:14 to show the addressees, the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, that they suffered a fate contrary to the one that befell their ancestors while exiting Egypt. It follows that God's name "I AM" within the book of Exodus has a historical-salvational function, while within the book of the prophet Hosea it takes on a historical-destructive function.
Keywords
the Bible; the Old Testament; God's name; the formula "I AM"; historical-salvational function; the formula "I AM NOT"
Hrčak ID:
129659
URI
Publication date:
12.11.2014.
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