Skip to content

Exodus 20:2

Myself, He Is,2 mighty ones of yourself, whom I have removed from the Earth of Dual-Siege ("Egypt"), from out of the house of slaves.

Footnote:

Exo. 20:2

Hebrew אנכי myself. Is this an emphatic of an emphatic אני myself? The scholars have said it is a special emphatic, or an archaic emphatic. They see no reason for the differentiation in use between אנכי and אני. Both carry the meaning myself, me, I. But obviously they are not the same. Perhaps אנכי is a "myself the second" or "myself the other"?

אנכי יהוה  is a phrase that has been interpreted as "I am God" or "I am the Lord" but this is incorrect and leaves out a lot of information. Firstly, אנכי is not "I am" as it is not a verb but a very specific pronoun. It was just spoken in chapter 3 of this same book,  "I am [אהיה] who I am[אהיה]" using the verbThis is different. The phrase אהיה יהוה "I am Yahweh" is not found in the Hebrew anywhere. It does not exist. אנכי should not be translated as "I am."