<P> I Am that I Am (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה ‎, ehyeh asher ehyeh (ehˈje aˈʃer ehˈje)) is the common English translation (JPS among others) of the response that God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for his name (Exodus 3: 14). It is one of the most famous verses in the Torah . Hayah means "existed" in Hebrew; ehyeh is the first person singular imperfect form and is usually translated in English Bibles as "I am" or "I will be" (or "I shall be"), for example, at Exodus 3: 14 . Ehyeh asher ehyeh literally translates as "I Am Who I Am ." The ancient Hebrew of Exodus 3: 14 lacks a future tense such as modern English has, yet a few translations render this name as "I Will Be What I Will Be," given the context of Yahweh's promising to be with his people through their future troubles . Both the literal present tense "I Am" and the future tense "I will be" have given rise to many attendant theological and mystical implications in Jewish tradition . However, in most English Bibles, in particular the King James Version, the phrase is rendered as I am that I am . </P> <P> Ehyeh - Asher - Ehyeh (often contracted in English as "I AM") is one of the Seven Names of God accorded special care by medieval Jewish tradition . The phrase is also found in other world religious literature, used to describe the Supreme Being, generally referring back to its use in Exodus . The word Ehyeh is considered by many rabbinical scholars to be a first - person derivation of the Tetragrammaton, see for example Yahweh . </P>

What does i am in the bible mean