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John 8:58
Hi everyone:
I noticed in the discussions of John 8:58 that some seem to equate the EGO
EIME there with the scripture in Exodus 3:14
(John 8:58) Jesus said to them: "Most truly I say to YOU, Before Abraham came
into existence, I have been."
(Exodus 3:14) At this God said to Moses: "I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL
PROVE TO BE." And he added: "This is what you are to say to the sons of
Israel, 'I SHALL PROVE TO BE has sent me to YOU.'"
God's reply in Hebrew was: Ehyeh' Asher' Ehyeh'. Some translations
render this as "I AM THAT I AM." However, it is to be noted that the Hebrew
verb hayah', from which the word Ehyeh' is drawn, does not mean simply
"be." Rather, it means "become," or "prove to be." The reference here is not
to God's self-existence but to what he has in mind to become toward others
The expression at John 8:58 is quite different from the one used at Exodus
3:14. Jesus did not use it as a name or a title but as a means of explaining
his prehuman existence. Hence, note how some other Bible versions render John
8:58:
1869: "From before Abraham was, I have been." The New Testament, by G. R.
Noyes.
1935: "I existed before Abraham was born!" The Bible-An American Translation,
by J. M. P. Smith and E. J. Goodspeed.
1965: "Before Abraham was born, I was already the one that I am." Das Neue
Testament, by Jrg Zink.
1981: "I was alive before Abraham was born!" The Simple English Bible.
1984: "Before Abraham came into existence, I have been." New World
Translation of the Holy Scriptures.
Using Ego Eimi as though it was unique to only Jesus seems to not hold water
notice other texts use the same structure and Jesus isn't the topic:
(Matthew 26:25) By way of reply Judas, who was about to betray him, said: "It
is not I, is it, Rabbi?" He said to him: "You yourself said [it]."
(John 9:9) Some would say: "This is he." Others would say: "Not at all, but
he is like him." The man would say: "I am [he]."
(Mark 13:6) Many will come on the basis of my name, saying, 'I am he,' and
will mislead many.
The text in Exodus 3:14 EGO EIMI is NOT the equivalent of the EGO EIMI of
John 8:58. It is HO ON. look it up. The Septuagint has it as EGO EIMI HO ON
with HO ON translated as THE BEING
I think it is a sense of fraud when I see people try to connect the two when
comparing the Greek. I might be wrong but if anyone can clear it up please
do..
I seem to agree with Greg Jordan if I'm reading him right.
JoRiz
Joe Rizoli
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