I AM

[BreezeWood]

Who is God? This question drives much of human history, and is a driving force across the meta-narrative of the Bible. After the fall of man in Genesis, mankind no longer had direct access to God, and even the people of Israel only knew certain aspects of their Creator. In Exodus, God states His own name for the first time: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

The name of I AM is how God chose to introduce himself, becoming so sacred that in Judaism, the name is not to be spoken. The significance of God’s self-given name encompasses all that He is, and how we are to relate to Him.

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible. The first five books of both the Jewish and Christian Bibles, called the Pentateuch, are historically attributed to Moses. In context, the introduction of the name I AM comes early in Exodus. The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt for four centuries. Near the end of this time, Moses fled Egypt and lived in Midian for forty years when God came to him and spoke through a burning bush. Moses asks God for His name, so he will have an answer when the people of Israel ask. In English, God’s answer is translated as “I AM WHO I AM … tell them I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). This name is known as the TETRAGRAMMATON.

To understand the power and weight of this name, compare this answer to the Egyptian pantheon. The Israelite nation lived surrounded by temples dedicated to deities with faces, bodies, birth stories, and death stories. Most significantly, they had names and dominion over certain aspects of life. For example, the goddess Isis had dominion over women, children, and medicine. Her name identified her with specific characteristics, and she held sway only over a few elements of life. Not so for the God of Israel.

Prior to this moment with Moses, the Israelites called their god Elohim or El – is a title, not a personal name – or “El Shaddai”, often translated as God Almighty. When God gives a name for His people to call Him it conveys His dominion over all things, the source of His power, and His eternal nature: I AM. He is the self-sufficient, self-sustaining God who was, who is, and who will be.

This eternal nature is conveyed better in the Hebrew than in the English. The first time God says I AM (“I AM WHO I AM”), the Hebrew says, “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh”, which translates as “I will be what I will be.” When God then tells Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent you” (Exodus 3:14), it is “Yahweh.” Yahweh is the third person version of Ehyeh, which is first person. Yahweh could also be translated as He will be.

The Tetragrammaton appears over six-thousand times in the Bible, even in modern English translations. The Hebrew scribes were very careful to neither say aloud, nor fully spell out the holy and sacred name of God, Yahweh. Instead they would put it in all capital letters, and say Adonai. They put the vowels of Adonai into the consonants of Yaweh to get YAHOWAH, which English Christians translated into Jehovah. Today, any time a translator wants to acknowledge where YHWH is in the original Hebrew text, they use the word LORD in all capital letters.

Some examples include:

Isaiah 8:1 “Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters…”

Psalm 149:1 “Praise the LORD! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!”

Proverbs 21:3 “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Perhaps the most significant use of the name I AM in the Bible comes from Jesus Christ. The religious leaders would often try to catch Jesus in heresy, in a lie, or blaspheming so they could be rid of him. In John 8, the Jewish people challenged his authority, and they brought up Abraham. Jesus tells them how glad Abraham is to see the day of the Lord. When asked by the crowd how He speaks as if He knows Abraham, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am’” (John 8:58).

While the original statement in the Book of John comes to us in Greek, the context does indicate that Jesus is invoking the Divine Name of God. First, He is claiming to pre-exist Abraham, a feat rather difficult for an ordinary man. Second, the Jewish people reacted to this statement by trying to stone Jesus, as prescribed in Leviticus 24:15-16, “And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” The Jewish people took this law seriously, and reacted to Christ invoking I AM by trying to carry out the punishment of the Levitical law. To them it was blasphemy, as Christ took the Divine name for Himself.

When translating the Hebrew name of God into the English language, most translators translate Yahweh as I am. Where there is some differentiation is in the word that goes between the two “I AM” statements - ăšer or asher. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ăšer is, “a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as adverbially and conjunctionally) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc...it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun...used to show the connection.” There is a degree of choice that translations have when it comes to this word.

Here are some choices popular Bible translations have:

English Standard Version: “I AM WHO I AM.”
King James Version: “I AM THAT I AM.”
New International Version: “I AM WHO I AM.”
Wycliffe Bible: “I am that I am.”

Many English versions translate asher either as who or that in this context. Older translations tend towards “that”, where newer translations lean toward “who”.

Understanding the weight and power of the name in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM” is important for today’s Christian to understand the complexity of who God is. He is all-encompassing and self-sufficient. It is a name above names, one that reminds the believer that God is in control, and that He sees His children. It also affirms the identity of the Savior as the Son of God. It can be easy in the struggles of everyday life to lose sight of the majesty and holiness of God, but meditating on the name He gave Himself, and all that it represents, can help put our time on earth into perspective. God is infinite, and He is sovereign over our lives, He Is Who He Is - אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה.

Moses fled Egypt and lived in Midian for forty years when God came to him and spoke through a burning bush. Moses asks God for His name, so he will have an answer when the people of Israel ask. In English, God’s answer is translated as “I AM WHO I AM … tell them I AM has sent me to you”

.
- tell them I AM has sent me to you”

who's me -


i am who i am - - if that is how it all got started then undoubtedly anyone could makeup anything for whatever reason there might have been and be perfectly fine with whatever they came up with as being sent from heaven ... * close to the the history of the 3 desert religions.

 

[harmonica]

there is no god.....you claimed it--you prove it

 

[Newtonian]

Little Nipper - Yes, Jesus was "Mighty God" (Hebrew el gibbor) but not God Almighty (Hebrew el shaddai). In defense of his deity in John 10:34-36 he showed which definition of God (el/ Greek theos) applied to him:

John 10:34-36
(KJV)
Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Here Jesus quotes Psalms 82:6 in defense of his deity - where Jehovah calls others (human judges?) gods. But he left it to the listeners to get the full impact of this proof of his deity. Jesus only quoted the first part of Psalms 82:6 "I said, Ye are gods." Had they looked up (or remembered this verse of this sacred song) they would have understood more fully. Note how the entire 6th verse reads:

Psalms 82:6
(ABP+) IG1473 said,G2036 You are gods,G2316 G1510.2.5 andG2532 [2sonsG5207 3of the highestG5310 1all].G3956

Or "sons of the Most High." Notice what Jesus did claim in John 10:36 - that he was the Son of God! So in Psalms 82:6 Jesus not only calls them gods but also sons of the Most High. Jews realized that "Most High" is referring to God Almighty - but Jesus is actually claiming to be "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6 - Hebrew el gibbor) not God Almighty (Hebrew el Shaddai) - Jesus is claiming to be, like the gods in Psalms 82:6, the Son of God.

Further evidence of which definition of Greek theos applies to Jesus is in the original Greek for John 1:1 which shows Jesus (the Word/Logos) was with God Almighty and was a god. A careful examination of John 1:1 in Greek reveals that when referring to Jehovah, theos has the definite article, while when referring to the Word (Jesus) theos does not have the definite article. See the Greek text here:

Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

Εν In ἀρχῇ beginning ἦν was ὁ the λόγος, Word, καὶ and ὁ the λόγος Word ἦν was πρὸς toward τὸν the θεόν, God, καὶ and θεὸς god ἦν was ὁ the λόγος.Word.

ton theon = the God; theos without the Greek definite article is god (as in Psalms 82:6).

The Greek definite article is G3588 - "ho" in its various forms - in John 1:1 "ton."

Strong's Greek dictionary explains the significance of theos with or without the definitie article (G3588) - to wit:

G2316
θεός
theos
theh'-os
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].
Total KJV occurrences: 1343

So, using Strong's definitions of theos, John 1:1 should read:

In the/a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the supreme Divinity, and the Word was a deity.

 

[LittleNipper]

Little Nipper - Yes, Jesus was "Mighty God" (Hebrew el gibbor) but not God Almighty (Hebrew el shaddai). In defense of his deity in John 10:34-36 he showed which definition of God (el/ Greek theos) applied to him:

John 10:34-36
(KJV)
Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Here Jesus quotes Psalms 82:6 in defense of his deity - where Jehovah calls others (human judges?) gods. But he left it to the listeners to get the full impact of this proof of his deity. Jesus only quoted the first part of Psalms 82:6 "I said, Ye are gods." Had they looked up (or remembered this verse of this sacred song) they would have understood more fully. Note how the entire 6th verse reads:

Psalms 82:6
(ABP+) IG1473 said,G2036 You are gods,G2316 G1510.2.5 andG2532 [2sonsG5207 3of the highestG5310 1all].G3956

Or "sons of the Most High." Notice what Jesus did claim in John 10:36 - that he was the Son of God! So in Psalms 82:6 Jesus not only calls them gods but also sons of the Most High. Jews realized that "Most High" is referring to God Almighty - but Jesus is actually claiming to be "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6 - Hebrew el gibbor) not God Almighty (Hebrew el Shaddai) - Jesus is claiming to be, like the gods in Psalms 82:6, the Son of God.

Further evidence of which definition of Greek theos applies to Jesus is in the original Greek for John 1:1 which shows Jesus (the Word/Logos) was with God Almighty and was a god. A careful examination of John 1:1 in Greek reveals that when referring to Jehovah, theos has the definite article, while when referring to the Word (Jesus) theos does not have the definite article. See the Greek text here:

Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

Εν In ἀρχῇ beginning ἦν was ὁ the λόγος, Word, καὶ and ὁ the λόγος Word ἦν was πρὸς toward τὸν the θεόν, God, καὶ and θεὸς god ἦν was ὁ the λόγος.Word.

ton theon = the God; theos without the Greek definite article is god (as in Psalms 82:6).

The Greek definite article is G3588 - "ho" in its various forms - in John 1:1 "ton."

Strong's Greek dictionary explains the significance of theos with or without the definitie article (G3588) - to wit:

G2316
θεός
theos
theh'-os
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].
Total KJV occurrences: 1343

So, using Strong's definitions of theos, John 1:1 should read:

In the/a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the supreme Divinity, and the Word was a deity.

Now let's reason just a little. GOD has said in His Word that there are no other gods beside Him. He is the only God. He also says that we are not to worship any other god. But you say that Jesus is Almighty God but not GOD Almighty. And the Word says that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord, and yet the very same Bible says we are not to worship anyone but GOD.

What I'm going to express to you is that YES, there is a distinction between the Father and Christ; however, they are both God. They are joined at the hip throughout all eternity along with the Holy Spirit. Together they are GOD and separated they are God. Each being of the essence we know as GOD has a special role or focus that completes the program -- GOD's WILL. When Adam talked to God he was talking to CHRIST. When God made for Adam and Eve coverings of sacrificed animals, this was CHRIST. When Abraham spoke to the messenger who remained behind while the 2 others went to Sodom, this was CHRIST. When Moses saw the burning bush, this was CHRIST. CHRIST is the bodily form of the invisible FATHER. The HOLY SPIRIT or COMFORTER is seated inside EVERY born-again believer. And CHRIST needed to return to the FATHER in order for the HOLY SPIRIT to then assume HIS role during this present age. The New World translation of John 1:1 is wrong. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

 

[Newtonian]

Little Nipper - Yes, Jesus was "Mighty God" (Hebrew el gibbor) but not God Almighty (Hebrew el shaddai). In defense of his deity in John 10:34-36 he showed which definition of God (el/ Greek theos) applied to him:

John 10:34-36
(KJV)
Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

Here Jesus quotes Psalms 82:6 in defense of his deity - where Jehovah calls others (human judges?) gods. But he left it to the listeners to get the full impact of this proof of his deity. Jesus only quoted the first part of Psalms 82:6 "I said, Ye are gods." Had they looked up (or remembered this verse of this sacred song) they would have understood more fully. Note how the entire 6th verse reads:

Psalms 82:6
(ABP+) IG1473 said,G2036 You are gods,G2316 G1510.2.5 andG2532 [2sonsG5207 3of the highestG5310 1all].G3956

Or "sons of the Most High." Notice what Jesus did claim in John 10:36 - that he was the Son of God! So in Psalms 82:6 Jesus not only calls them gods but also sons of the Most High. Jews realized that "Most High" is referring to God Almighty - but Jesus is actually claiming to be "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6 - Hebrew el gibbor) not God Almighty (Hebrew el Shaddai) - Jesus is claiming to be, like the gods in Psalms 82:6, the Son of God.

Further evidence of which definition of Greek theos applies to Jesus is in the original Greek for John 1:1 which shows Jesus (the Word/Logos) was with God Almighty and was a god. A careful examination of John 1:1 in Greek reveals that when referring to Jehovah, theos has the definite article, while when referring to the Word (Jesus) theos does not have the definite article. See the Greek text here:

Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

Εν In ἀρχῇ beginning ἦν was ὁ the λόγος, Word, καὶ and ὁ the λόγος Word ἦν was πρὸς toward τὸν the θεόν, God, καὶ and θεὸς god ἦν was ὁ the λόγος.Word.

ton theon = the God; theos without the Greek definite article is god (as in Psalms 82:6).

The Greek definite article is G3588 - "ho" in its various forms - in John 1:1 "ton."

Strong's Greek dictionary explains the significance of theos with or without the definitie article (G3588) - to wit:

G2316
θεός
theos
theh'-os
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very: - X exceeding, God, god [-ly, -ward].
Total KJV occurrences: 1343

So, using Strong's definitions of theos, John 1:1 should read:

In the/a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the supreme Divinity, and the Word was a deity.

Now let's reason just a little. GOD has said in His Word that there are no other gods beside Him. He is the only God. He also says that we are not to worship any other god. But you say that Jesus is Almighty God but not GOD Almighty. And the Word says that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord, and yet the very same Bible says we are not to worship anyone but GOD.

What I'm going to express to you is that YES, there is a distinction between the Father and Christ; however, they are both God. They are joined at the hip throughout all eternity along with the Holy Spirit. Together they are GOD and separated they are God. Each being of the essence we know as GOD has a special role or focus that completes the program -- GOD's WILL. When Adam talked to God he was talking to CHRIST. When God made for Adam and Eve coverings of sacrificed animals, this was CHRIST. When Abraham spoke to the messenger who remained behind while the 2 others went to Sodom, this was CHRIST. When Moses saw the burning bush, this was CHRIST. CHRIST is the bodily form of the invisible FATHER. The HOLY SPIRIT or COMFORTER is seated inside EVERY born-again believer. And CHRIST needed to return to the FATHER in order for the HOLY SPIRIT to then assume HIS role during this present age. The New World translation of John 1:1 is wrong. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Little Nipper - before responding to your latest post I would like to know whether you agreed with the PDF link I gave you about examples of Christology/Christophanie in Hebrew Scripture accounts like Judges 13:20-22 where Manoah calls the angel of Jehovah: God?

NW is correct in its translation of John 1:1 - I gave you some of the reasons why. Did you examine the Greek for this verse that I linked you to? I gave you Strong's Greek dictionary definitions of theos/God/god and gave you how John 1:1 should read using Strong's definition of theos without G3588 meaning "a deity" and with G3588 (the Greek definite article = the) meaning "the supreme Divinity." Did you check out Strong's on this?

Simply, John 1:1 should read, using Strong's definitions of theos:

In the/a beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the supreme Divinity, and the Word was a deity.

You did not cite the reference, but - yes - Isaiah 44:6 reads in KJV "besides me there is no God." However, the Hebrew word translated "besides" can also mean "without."

Isaiah 44:6
(Geneva) Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his redeemer, the Lord of hostes, I am the first, and I am the last, and without me is there no God.
(ISV) This is what the LORD says, the King of Israel and its Redeemer—the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is his name—: "I am the first and I am the last, and apart from me there is no God.
(KJV+) ThusH3541 saithH559 the LORDH3068 the KingH4428 of Israel,H3478 and his redeemerH1350 the LORDH3068 of hosts;H6635 IH589 am the first,H7223 and IH589 am the last;H314 and besideH4480 H1107 me there is noH369 God.H430

The Hebrew word translated "besides" in KJV is H1107/baladey/besides/without - from Strong's Hebrew dictionary:

H1107
בַּלְעֲדֵי בִּלְעֲדֵי
bil‛ădêy bal‛ădêy
bil-ad-ay', bal-ad-ay'
Constructive plural from H1077 and H5703; not till, that is, (as preposition or adverb) except, without, besides: - beside, not (in), save, without.
Total KJV occurrences: 17

The way you are interpreting Isaiah 44:6 is contradictory to the verse Jesus quoted in defense of his deity and John 10:34-36, namely:

Psalms 82:6
(KJV) I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

They were gods according to Jehovah - but not WITHOUT Jehovah. Jehovah proclaimed them to be gods - they would not be gods except/without God. It is similar to when Jehovah referred to Moses as God - Moses could not have been God without Jehovah!

Exodus 7:1

559 [e] 1 way·yō·mer 1 ​ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר​ 1 so said 1 Conj‑w | V‑Qal‑ConsecImperf‑3ms 1​

3068 [e] Yah·weh יְהוָה֙ Yahweh N‑proper‑ms​

413 [e] ’el- אֶל־ to Prep​

､ ​

​

4872 [e] mō·šeh, מֹשֶׁ֔ה Moses N‑proper‑ms​

､ ​

​

7200 [e] rə·’êh רְאֵ֛ה See V‑Qal‑Imp‑ms​

5414 [e] nə·ṯat·tî·ḵā נְתַתִּ֥יךָ I have made you V‑Qal‑Perf‑1cs | 2ms​

430 [e] ’ĕ·lō·hîm אֱלֹהִ֖ים [as] God N‑mp​

､ ​

​

6547 [e] lə·p̄ar·‘ōh; לְפַרְעֹ֑ה to Pharaoh Prep‑l | N‑proper‑ms​

175 [e] wə·’a·hă·rōn וְאַהֲרֹ֥ן and Aaron​

Better formatting if you go to the link here:

Exodus 7:1 Interlinear: And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'See, I have given thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother is thy prophet;

Notice this translation puts "as" in bracketts - this is because the Hebrew text does not say "as God" but rather says God (Hebrew plural of excellence: H430/elohim).

Some translations read "as God" probably because they do not want to believe Jehovah said Moses was elohim/God - but that is what the Hebrew says and some translations render this verse correctly, e.g."

Exodus 7:1
(TS2009) So יהוה said to Mosheh, “See, I have made you an elohima to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother is your prophet. Footnote: aOr mighty one – see footnote at Exo_4:16.
International Standard Version
The LORD told Moses, "Listen! I've positioned you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
(KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Interestingly, while NW reads "a god" in John 1:1 while KJV reads "God" - the opposite is the case in Exodus 7:1 - to wit:

Exodus 7:1
(KJV+) And the LORDH3068 saidH559 untoH413 Moses,H4872 See,H7200 I have madeH5414 thee a godH430 to Pharaoh:H6547 and AaronH175 thy brotherH251 shall beH1961 thy prophet.H5030
[but H430/elohim means God, not a god, when used in the plural of excellence rather than the literal plural as at Psalms 82:6]
(NW ref) Consequently Jehovah said to Moses: “See, I have made you God* to Pharʹaoh,+ and Aaron your own brother will become your prophet.+

NW ref footnote on "God" -

Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

“God.” Heb., ʼelo·himʹ; Gr., the·onʹ; Lat., Deʹum.

Btw - the TS 2009 footnote on Ex.7:1 is correct - elohim in this verse means "mighty one" [as in Mighty God - el gibbor in Isaiah 9:6, not el shaddai/God almighty] as also in Exodus 4:16.

Did you get the irony? KJV reads "a god" in Exodus 7:1 while NW ref reads "God!"

And you are correct about this very important point - only Jehovah should be worshiped (common English definition - obeisance is proper to others). Neither Moses nor the gods in Psalms 82:6 were worshiped - they were simply 'mighty ones" - but not without Jehovah! (Isaiah 44:6).

Bottom line: Interpretations that make the Bible appear to contradict are incorrect interpretations - correct interpretation preserves the internal harmony of Scripture - or, simply: the Bible does not contradict itself.

 

[Newtonian]

Note: I am not sure why, in the above quote of the Hebrew-English interlinear at the biblehub website forum format inserted the KJV wording of Exodus 7:1 - not the interlinear wording in the URL link.

 

[Newtonian]

A little more on ehyeh asher ehyeh i Exodus 3:14.

The Immortal Possessor of the “Eternal Purpose” — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

This is an authorized Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is a research tool for publications in various languages produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

wol.jw.org

"God is not here speaking about his existence. A person might think so from the way that some translators render into English the Hebrew expression eh·yehʹ a·sherʹ eh·yehʹ and eh·yehʹ. For example, The Jerusalem Bible (English translation), of 1966, reads: “And God said to Moses, ‘I Am who I Am. This’ he added ‘is what you must say to the sons of Israel: “I Am has sent me to you.”’” However, God is really talking about being something. This is further borne out by the translation of the Twenty-Four Books of the Holy Scriptures, by Rabbi Isaac Leeser, as follows: “And God said unto Moses, I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I WILL BE hath sent me unto you.”*

Footnote:

“Most moderns follow Rashi in rendering ‘I will be what I will be’; i.e. no words can sum up all that He will be to His people, but His everlasting faithfulness and unchanging mercy will more and more manifest themselves in the guidance of Israel. The answer which Moses receives in these words is thus equivalent to, ‘I shall save in the way that I shall save.’ It is to assure the Israelites of the fact of deliverance, but does not disclose the manner.”—Footnote on Exodus 3:14, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, by Dr. J. H. Hertz, C. H., Soncino Press, London, 1950 C.E."

 

[LittleNipper]

Jesus as “a god”
John 1:1

This verse in the NWT 2013 reads: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” The Watch Tower goes to great lengths to explain why this is an accurate rendering of the Greek, citing grammatical rules and misquoting Greek scholars to support its belief that the Word is “godlike, divine, a god,” but not co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

In truth, as the late professor and dean Charles L. Feinberg noted, “I can assure you that the rendering which the Jehovah’s Witnesses give John 1:1 is not held by any reputable Greek scholar.”

Compare the King James Version (KJV): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The New American Standard (NASB) and Holman Christian Standard (HCSB) versions read exactly the same.

Jesus not eternal
John 8:58

The New World Translation (2013) renders this: “Jesus said to them: ‘Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.’” Because Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity and eternality of Jesus, their translators had to change the biblical text to match their errant doctrines.

Compare the KJV: “Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

Or consider the NASB: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” And the HCSB renders it, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.”

Here, Jesus harks back to Exodus 3 where God reveals Himself to Moses in the burning bush as I AM, or YHWH, a unique name Jesus applies to Himself as He speaks to religious leaders of His day.

Jesus’ blood not divine
Acts 20:28

The New World Translation 2013 reads: “Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.”

Since JWs deny the deity of Christ, they cannot allow God to shed His blood to pay our sin debt.

Consider the plainer language of the KJV: “… feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

The NASB and HCSB both render it “His own blood.”

Jesus a secondary creator
Colossians 1:17

The New World Translation 2013 reads: “Also, he is before all other things, and by means of him all other things were made to exist.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses argue that Jesus is the first of Jehovah’s created beings, who then created all “other” things. Again, the biblical text is bent to match JW doctrine.

The KJV reads: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

The NASB reads: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

And the HCSB reads: “He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.”

No English translation distorts the true meaning of this verse like the New World Translation .

Koine Greek	Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
Greek transliteration	En arkhêi ên ho lógos, kaì ho lógos ên pròs tòn theón, kaì theòs ên ho lógos.
Syriac Peshitta	ܒ݁ܪܺܫܺܝܬ݂ ܐܺܝܬ݂ܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܗ݈ܘܳܐ ܡܶܠܬ݂ܳܐ ܘܗܽܘ ܡܶܠܬ݂ܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ݂ܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܗ݈ܘܳܐ ܠܘܳܬ݂ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܘܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ݂ܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܗ݈ܘܳܐ ܗܽܘ ܡܶܠܬ݂ܳܐ ܀‎
Syriac transliteration	brīšīṯ ʾiṯawhi milṯā, whu milṯā ʾiṯauhi hwā luaṯ ʾalāhā; wʾalāhā iṯauhi hwā hu milṯā
Sahidic Coptic	ϨΝ ΤЄϨΟΥЄΙΤЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝϬΙΠϢΑϪЄ, ΑΥШ ΠϢΑϪЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝΝΑϨΡΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. ΑΥШ ΝЄΥΝΟΥΤЄ ΠЄ ΠϢΑϪЄ
Sahidic Coptic transliteration	Hn teHoueite neFSoop nCi pSaJe auw pSaJe neFSoop nnaHrm pnoute auw neunoute pe pSaJe.
Sahidic Coptic to English	In the beginning existed the Word, and the Word existed with God, and God was the Word.
Latin Vulgate	In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.

 

[barn sour]

Very interesting. I'm not an expert in Hebrew or Greek, but I will speak anyway.

I have to go back 50 years to my hippie days -- living in a log cabin we built in the woods of Central Oregon. We had been given a book, Late Great Planet Earth, and were pouring over it amazed that all kinds of old Bible prophecies seemed to be coming true. I had attended Catholic school, but never really read the Bible, and had pretty much decided it was all a bunch of bunk.

Then one day, much to our surprise, some Jehovah Witnesses came knocking on our door. We stood out in the snow while the sun shone upon us as we listened to them talking about the Bible. They were very nice, and then one of them read this verse to us. John 1:1. As he read, explaining that Jesus was the Word being spoken of there, he said, "And the Word was A God." This may sound silly, but there was like a loud cymbal crashing inside my head. A God? A God? Something was not right.

I cut off the conversation and went in the cabin to dig out the old Bible my grandma had recently sent me. Ah, there it was. The Word was with God and was God.

Later that same day, we read a note at the store that said an old couple needed to have the snow shovelled off their roof, and after shovelling the snow, I spoke to the old Jewish lady (a completed Jew she called herself), and told her about the Witnesses that came over and what they said. I told her how much it had bothered me. She, forthwith, told me that in John 1:14, John says that the WORD who was God became flesh and dwelt among us. She then proceeded to preach the Gospel to me, and I have followed the Lord since that time. Of course, Jesus is God. He is God and man, which is why He is the perfect mediator between God and man.

Sorry, but I always share my testimony when this verse is being discussed. It's as if it happened yesterday. I always have to give the JWs some of the credit for my finding the Lord.

For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 1 Timothy 4:10