I recently read an article by a renowned scholar in an obscure publication that really got me thinking. The article was by the prolific Jewish commentator, Jacob Milgrom (The Desecration of YHWHs Name: Its Parameters and Significance in Birkat Shalom: Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern LiteraturePresented to Shalom M. Paul, eds., C. Cohen, et al., 69-81. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2008). Towards the end of the article Milgrom makes some compelling suggestions about the meaning of the name YHWH based on the testimony of God himself in the account of the burning bush (Exodus 3:9-15).

Basically, Milgrom suggests that the significance of the name Yahweh revealed here is not so much about God as the Existent One (I AM) or as the Creator (the One Who Causes to Be [this was D. N. Freedmans interpretation published in Journal of Biblical Literature in 1960]). Rather, the significance of the name YHWH which is revealed in this passage for the first time is that God is the Present One (I AM PRESENT).

Gods presence is, of course, a major emphasis in the context. In Exodus 3:12, God affirms his presence to Moses (I am with you - 蓉鞄霞艶鞄 immakh), and in v. 14b God affirms his presence for the nation of Israel ("Say this to the people of Israel, '蓉鞄霞艶鞄 has sent me to you'"). The connections between Gods 蓉鞄霞艶鞄 (I AM) statements and Gods presence have been well-noted by previous scholars (e.g., see C. D. Isbell, The Divine Name 蓉鞄霞艶鞄 as a Symbol of Presence in Israelite Tradition Hebrew Annual Review 2 [1978]: 101-118) and are readily apparent in passages such as the commissioning of Joshua, Gideon and David (Deut 31:23; Josh 1:5; 3:7; Judg 6:16; 2 Sam 7:9 // 2 Chron 17:8). Furthermore, Exodus 3:14-15 explicitly makes a semantic connection between the meaning of 蓉鞄霞艶鞄 and the meaning of the name YHWH.

Thus Milgrom suggests that the contextual meaning of I am who I am (ehyeh asher ehyeh) may be more precisely rendered I am present where/when I am present (see Milgrom 2008:80). Additionally he suggests that the name YHWH is a verbal form, specifically a third person Qal Imperfect, meaning He is present (see Milgrom 2008:80-81). Such would be in keeping with the syntax of proper names in Semitic languages, and it is possible that yhwh is short for 霞温鞄敬艶鞄e鉛, God is present.

The message in Exodus 3:9-15 is that Gods personal presence is revealed and assured for Gods people as they cry out in distress! The Present One is Gods very identity! He desires to be present, to dwell with his people. Of course, this concept should not strike us as anything new. Jesus is Immanuel (God is with us; Matt 1:23) and he repeatedly claimed to be the I am (present) (passim in the Gospel of John). I would dare say that this attribute of God is (one of) the most pervasive theme(s) in the biblical drama (see G. K. Beale, The Temple and the Churchs Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2004). Gods presence is idyllically depicted in Eden (Gen 2), jeopardized by sin (Gen 3-11), reaffirmed to the patriarchs (Gen 12-50; note especially 蓉鞄霞艶鞄 immakh in Gen 26:3; 31:3), tangibly experienced by his people in the Tabernacle and Temple (Exodus and ff.), intensified by the incarnation (Immanuel/Jesus) and Pentecost (Holy Spirit), and fully restored in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21). The Present One is what/who Genesis-through-Revelation is all about! God deeply desires to be in harmonious relationship with his creation. And as his people we have the privilege of serving as his priests in his holy presence. Priesthood is indeed our purpose as we practice the presence of God in our lives.

Wow. All this from an obscure article buried in a festschrift. Countless scholars have wrestled with the meaning of Gods name for millennia, but I think this non-Christian Jew may have just hit the nail on its head! Yahweh is the Present One!