I will be that which I will be!

In Shemot 3:13-14

we have the classic statement from Yehovah to Moshe when Moshe asks what he should tell the Israelites that to call The Ayin Suf. Yehovah's reply is very interesting for several reasons. One it is often just not translated correctly. Usually it is because the translator is not familiar with the conjugational structure of Hebrew. Second it is often misunderstood.

lets look at the Hebrew text, and its translation word for word:

יד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם:

14 And said Elohim to Moshe I will be that which I will be. He said thus you will say to the children of Israel, I will be in sent me to you.

This is usually translated as I am that which I am. The problem with this translation is that the is clearly in the imperfect. This is identified by the א prefixed onto the root הוה. The second part of this drash is that the meaning of this statement is I will be, future tense. This eludes to the bottom up relationship of Israel with Yehovah. By this statement, Yehovah will change his actions toward Israel according to the actions of Israel toward Him.

Lev_26:21 ‘And if you walk contrary to Me, and refuse to obey Me, I shall bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins,

Lev_26:23 ‘And if you are not instructed by Me by these, but walk contrary to Me,

Lev_26:24 then I also shall walk contrary to you, and I Myself shall strike you seven times for your sins.

and the reverse:

Lev_26:40 ‘But if they confess their crookedness and the crookedness of their fathers, with their trespass in which they trespassed against Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

Lev_26:41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies – if their uncircumcised heart is then humbled, and they accept the punishment of their crookedness,

Yehovah is telling Moshe and eventually Israel that it is our actions that dictates His response to us. This should not be foreign to any one who has children. If children rebel against their parents, it causes a negative reaction from the parents. If the child follows the commands of the parent, the parent is happy with the child. This meaning is quite profound to me and should be considered with all you being.

What do you think?