Identity in God According to Old Testament Scripture

The Old Testament presents divine identity through a cluster of names and self-declarations that anchor Israel's understanding of who God is. The Hebrew name Jehovah (YHWH), rendered "LORD" in most English translations, derives from the verb "to be" and expresses God's self-existence, eternity, and immutability ^[7]. This name appears first in its full theological weight at the burning bush, where God identifies himself to Moses as "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14), a declaration that becomes the foundation for all subsequent biblical reflection on divine identity ^{[6, 8]}. The existence of God is taken for granted throughout the Hebrew Bible; there is no attempt to prove it by argument ^[2]. Instead, the text presents God as the one who simply is, the ground of all being.

The Divine Names and Their Significance

The Old Testament employs multiple names for God, each revealing a facet of his identity. The term El comes from a root meaning "to be strong," emphasizing divine power ^[2]. The plural form Elohim appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, while the singular Eloah occurs only in poetic texts ^[2]. These names establish God's supremacy and distinguish him from the false gods of surrounding nations. The name Jehovah itself carries particular weight: "this name is expressive of the being, eternity, and unchangeableness of God, who is, and was, and is to come, invariably the same" ^[9]. The declaration "I am the LORD, that is my name" in Isaiah 42:8 underscores this exclusivity—Jehovah is "a name by which he made himself known to Israel of old, and which is peculiar to him, and does not belong to another" ^[7].

The personal names of Israelites often embedded theological claims about divine identity. Elihu means "he is my God himself" ^[4], while Jehu signifies "himself who exists" ^[1]. Names like Deuel ("the knowledge of God") and Eldaah ("knowledge of God") ^{[3, 5]} reflect the community's understanding that knowing God meant knowing the one whose very name declares his being. These onomastic patterns reveal how deeply the theology of divine self-existence penetrated Israelite culture.

God's Self-Identification in Covenant Context

God's identity in the Old Testament is inseparable from his covenant relationship with Israel. When the Lord declares "I am the LORD" in prophetic texts, the statement functions as both identification and assurance: "His identity ensures that he will make it happen" ^[12]. This is not abstract metaphysics but relational theology. The covenant name YHWH distinguishes the God of Israel from all other claimants to divinity, and the repeated formula "I am the LORD" serves to ground Israel's confidence in divine faithfulness.

The name Jehovah is not exclusive of the Son or Spirit in later Christian interpretation, but rather encompasses the triune reality: "this name is to be understood not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit, who are with the Father the one Jehovah" ^[9]. The Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4—"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one"—establishes the unity of the divine being even as later readers would discern plurality within that unity ^[9]. Old Testament texts such as Exodus 17:6 and Isaiah 6:8, when compared with New Testament passages, reveal that the divine name and identity extend to the Son and Spirit ^[9].

Anthropomorphic Language and Divine Transcendence

The Old Testament frequently describes God in human terms, a literary strategy that makes the infinite accessible to finite minds. Deuteronomy 8:2 speaks of God testing Israel "to know what is in your heart," yet God already knew their innermost thoughts ^[10]. This anthropomorphism—assigning human characteristics to God—and anthropopathism—assigning human emotions to God—are "ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited" by these descriptions ^[10]. The tension between God's transcendent knowledge and the language of discovery reflects the Old Testament's pedagogical method: it speaks of God as if he learns or changes, while simultaneously affirming his immutability and omniscience.

This literary approach does not compromise divine identity but rather accommodates it to human understanding. The name "I AM" itself resists reduction to human categories. It is not a definition but a declaration, not an explanation but a presence. The Old Testament refuses to domesticate God even as it speaks of him in familiar terms.

The "I AM" Formula and Divine Presence

The phrase "I am" (ani hu in Hebrew) recurs throughout the Old Testament as a marker of divine identity. Psalm 102:27 declares God's unchanging nature with the words "you are the same," a phrase that echoes the self-identification of Exodus 3:14 ^[7]. Isaiah repeatedly uses the formula to assert God's uniqueness and sovereignty. The Greek rendering ego eimi ("I am") in the Septuagint becomes the vehicle by which New Testament writers connect Jesus' self-declarations to the Old Testament revelation of God's name ^{[6, 8, 11, 13]}. When Jesus says "I am" in the Gospels, he employs the divine name God revealed to Moses ^{[8, 13]}, making explicit claims about his identity that his Jewish audience would have recognized as either blasphemous or true.

The Old Testament establishes that divine identity is not a matter of attributes alone but of name and presence. God is who he says he is, and his name guarantees his character. The progression from "I AM WHO I AM" to "I am the LORD" to the covenant promises of presence and deliverance forms a single theological arc: God's identity is his faithfulness, and his faithfulness is grounded in his eternal, self-existent being.

Sources

Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Jehu — himself who exists”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Deuel — the knowledge of God”
Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Elihu — he is my God himself”
Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Eldaah — knowledge of God”
Revelation (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Revelation 1:8: 1:8 I am is the name of God in the Old Testament (Exod 3:13-14; 6:2; Deut 6:4). Jesus applied this name to himself (cp. John 4:26). Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; they signify that God’s actions are all-encompassing. God is fully in control.”
Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 42:8: I am the Lord, that is my name,.... Jehovah, a name expressive of his self-existence, eternity, and immutability; a name by which be made himself known to Israel of old, and which is peculiar to him, and does not belong to another, and so distinguishes him from all false gods; see Exo 3:14 or, "Hu is my name" (p); to which "he himself the same", answers; see Psa 102:27, compared with Heb 13:8 and this is one of the names of God with the Jews (q); as Hou is with the Turks to this day; which, in Arabic, signifies "him": that is, God, as Monsieur Thevenot (r) observes; s”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 18:5: 18:5 I Am he (literally I am): Jesus identified himself by the divine name God had revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai (see Exod 3:14; see also John 4:26; 8:24, 58).”
Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 83:18: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah,.... Or, "that thou, thy name alone is Jehovah" (p), a self-existent Being, the Being of beings, the everlasting I AM, the immutable God; for this name is expressive of the being, eternity, and unchangeableness of God, who is, and was, and is to come, invariably the same, Rev 1:4 which is to be understood not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit, who are with the Father the one Jehovah, Deu 6:4, and to whom this name is given; see Exo 17:6, compared with Co1 10:9, Isa 6:8 compared with Act 28:25, but to the ex”
Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 8:2: 8:2 to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6; 139:1, 4, 23); he wanted their character to come out in their actions. • to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his ”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 6:35: 6:35 Jesus’ I am statements in John depict Jesus’ identity and ministry (see also 4:26; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7-9, 11-14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1-5). Jesus purposefully used a phrase that would make his listeners think of the Old Testament name for God (Exod 3:14). • I am the bread of life: Jesus is the true manna that descended from God (John 6:38). He satisfies the spiritual hunger of those who believe in him (cp. 4:10-13).”
Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 60:22: 60:22 I, the Lord: The Lord identifies himself as the covenant God of Israel. His identity ensures that he will make it happen (see 27:3-4).”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 6:20: 6:20 I am here (Greek reads I am): Jesus identified himself by the name God had revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai (see Exod 3:14; see also John 4:26; 6:35).”

Ask Your Own Question