When Moses stood before the burning bush and asked for God's name, he heard a strange, profound answer: “I AM who I AM” (Exodus 3:14). In Hebrew, it was ehyeh asher ehyeh, and in the Greek Septuagint, it became EGO EIMI ho ōn—“I am the one who is.”

That phrase, EGO EIMI, became loaded with meaning. So when the Gospel of John presents Jesus using those exact same words—EGO EIMI—repeatedly and emphatically, it is not a coincidence. It is a theological earthquake.

Yet in most English translations, it gets lost in the noise of grammar and readability. “It is I,” “I am he,” “I’m the one”—these all smooth over something John wants us to feel in our bones.

Let’s take a closer look.

The Divine “I AM” in John’s Gospel

John includes nine powerful statements where Jesus uses the phrase “I AM” (EGO EIMI) without a predicate. These aren’t “I am the bread of life” or “I am the good shepherd”—those are metaphorical. What we’re looking at here are absolute “I AM” statements—deliberate echoes of God’s NAME in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In Greek, they are often stark and strange: EGO EIMI. In English, we’re tempted to make them smoother. But maybe they shouldn’t be smooth.

Consider these examples:

1. John 4:26 – First Revelation to the Samaritan Woman

After a mysterious exchange about worship and the coming of the Messiah, the woman says:

“I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”
— John 4:25

Jesus replies:

“I AM—the one speaking to you.”
(EGO EIMI ho lalōn soi)

This is Jesus’ first direct self-revelation in the Gospel of John—and he makes it not to a religious leader, but to a marginalized, Samaritan woman. The phrase EGO EIMI echoes the divine name from Exodus 3:14, making this a moment of both intimacy and cosmic revelation.

2. John 6:20 – Walking on the Water

As the disciples row across the Sea of Galilee, the wind picks up, and the waters grow rough. Then suddenly:

“When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.”
— John 6:19

But he says to them:

“I AM; do not be afraid.”
(EGO EIMI; mē phobeisthe)
— John 6:20

Jesus doesn’t just identify himself—he does so in the midst of chaos, over the deep, just as God appears in the Old Testament: hovering over the waters (Genesis 1), trampling the waves (Job 9:8), stilling the sea (Psalm 107:29). This is not comfort alone—it is a theophany, and the words match.

3. John 8:24, 28, 58 – The Temple Dispute

In a heated debate in the temple, the religious leaders press Jesus on his authority. Jesus warns them:

“You are from below; I am from above... If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
— John 8:24
(EGO EIMI)

They don’t understand. So Jesus presses further:

“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM.”
— John 8:28
(EGO EIMI)

And then comes the final blow. The crowd questions his age, confused by his talk of Abraham. Jesus responds:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
— John 8:58
(EGO EIMI)

The reaction is immediate:

“So they picked up stones to throw at him.”
— John 8:59

Why? Because they understood the claim. Jesus wasn’t just speaking cryptically—he was invoking the divine name. To them, this wasn’t metaphor. It was blasphemy, unless it was true.

4. John 18:5–8 – Jesus’ Arrest

In the garden at night, Judas arrives with soldiers and officials carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that would happen, steps forward and asks:

“Whom do you seek?”
— John 18:4

They answer:

“Jesus the Nazarene.”

He replies:

“I AM.”
(EGO EIMI)
— John 18:5

And then:

“When Jesus said to them, ‘I AM,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”
— John 18:6

He asks again:

“Whom do you seek?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
Jesus answered, *“I told you that I AM.”
— John 18:7–8

Even the armed soldiers and officials fall down at the sound of that name. This is not just identification. It is revelation. Something cosmic is breaking through the ordinary. God’s name echoes through the olive trees.

5. John 13:19 – Prediction of Betrayal

As Jesus gathers with his disciples on the night of his betrayal, he reveals that one of them will turn against him. But before it happens, he says:

“I am telling you now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that I AM.”
— John 13:19
(EGO EIMI)

This is not just foresight—it is divine foreknowledge. Jesus is claiming the prophetic voice of God Himself, just as spoken in Isaiah 43:10:

“So that you may know and believe me and understand that I AM.”
(EGO EIMI)

By echoing this verse, Jesus places himself in the very mouthpiece of Yahweh. He is not simply predicting betrayal—he is revealing divine identity.

Why We Miss It in English

Most English Bibles translate ego eimi in ways that make sense conversationally:

• “It is I”

• “I am he”

• “I’m the one”

But these lose the strangeness and power of the original Greek. The phrase ego eimi wasn’t just common speech—it was the phrase used for God’s self-identification in both Exodus and Isaiah:

• “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14)

• “I am the first and I am the last” (Isaiah 44:6)

• “So that you may believe that I am” (Isaiah 43:10)

When Jesus says ego eimi, he’s stepping into that sacred space. English should let him.

A Suggestion for Translators and Teachers

Let the reader feel the strangeness. Keep it literal. Keep it sacred. What may sound awkward in English is intentionally profound in Greek. Sometimes, preserving theology means disrupting grammar.

Here’s how these moments come alive when we refuse to smooth them over:

• John 6:20 – “I AM; do not be afraid.”

• John 8:24 – “…unless you believe that I AM…”

• John 8:58 – “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

• John 18:5 – “I AM.”

By translating EGO EIMI as simply “I AM”, we do more than preserve a phrase—we reveal what John was truly doing: unmistakably linking Jesus to the voice that spoke from the burning bush, the God of Israel.

Conclusion: Let “I Am” Speak for Itself

The Gospel of John is theological poetry. Every word is chosen for its weight. When Jesus says ego eimi, John is not just reporting speech—he’s revealing God.

Let’s give modern readers the chance to hear what the early readers likely heard: the divine voice, still speaking.

“That you may believe that I AM.”
(John 13:19)