Tłumaczenia i interpretacje: "Ja jestem, który jestem" (Wj 3,14a)

Abstract

God’s enigmatic answer to Moses’ question about his name - hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a,,, usually translated “I am who I am” (Exod 3:14)— has provoked philological analysis for centuries, often coupled with philosophical and theological reflection. In this article there are taken in consideration two questions: the translation and the meaning of this sentence in Christian and Jewish tradition. At the very beginning there are presented the grammatical difficulties linked to the clause ehye asher ehye” (Exod 3:14). There are presented also the most popular proposals for the translations of the sentence. Indeed, the original construction of these words allows translating them in various ways. In the second part of this article there are presented in a syntactical way the interpretations of the words “ehye asher ehye” in Christian and Jewish tradition, which are different. This difference is probably caused by the translation of Septuagint's ἐγώ eἰμι ὁ ὤν (“I AM the existing Being”), which was influenced by Greek philosophy. Christians in the first centuries used to read basically this Greek translation. For this reason their interpretations understood these words usually in a metaphysical way, emphasizing the perfect existence of God. Meanwhile, in the ancient Jewish interpretations (Midrash Rabba, Talmud) there is no one ontological interpretation of the hebrew words hy<h.a, rv,a] hy<h.a,,. The Jews underlined not only the existence of God. They considered these words more as an assurance of the active presence of God among them in order to protect his people.