What is it about?
God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush, as ‘I am who I am’. However, this verse presents significant difficulties in translation and understanding, which this article explores using the hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur.
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Why is it important?
The translation of Exodus 3 in English bibles masks the complexity of the original text, and indeed the complexity of understanding its meaning, even in the Hebrew. This article helps to introduce the idea of a hermeneutical arc, and the care with which text must be treated - especially ancient sacred writings.
Perspectives
This article is based of one of my assignments during ordination training. I was inspired and excited by the work of Paul Ricoeur, and in particular his treatment of this very familiar passage.
Rev'd Dr James Handley
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Difficult texts: Exodus 3.14 – the name of God, Theology, November 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0040571x19872108.
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