Augustine in the Footsteps of Moses: On the History of Interpretation and Impact of Exodus 3:14a

This article compares the revelation of the divine name to Moses in Exod 3:14 and its counterpart in Augustine’s first vision in his Confessiones. The main aim is to elucidate the continuity and difference in Augustine’s relationship with, and thought regarding, the figure of Moses and the revelatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hoblík, Jiří 1966- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Verbum vitae
Year: 2025, Volume: 43, Issue: 2, Pages: 373-394
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Augustinus, Aurelius, Saint 354-430 / Augustinus, Aurelius, Saint 354-430, Confessiones 1-10 / Bible. Exodus 3,14 / Philo, Alexandrinus 25 BC-40 / Tetragrammaton
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
HD Early Judaism
KAA Church history
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
NBB Doctrine of Revelation
NBC Doctrine of God
VB Hermeneutics; Philosophy
Further subjects:B Augustine
B Philo of Alexandria
B God
B Moses
B Being
B Theophany
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Summary:This article compares the revelation of the divine name to Moses in Exod 3:14 and its counterpart in Augustine’s first vision in his Confessiones. The main aim is to elucidate the continuity and difference in Augustine’s relationship with, and thought regarding, the figure of Moses and the revelation Moses received. Methodologically, it is based on comparing the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin versions of the text, their relationship with the history of thought, and on juxtaposing it with selected relevant passages in Augustine’s work. It proceeds from the change brought about by the Greek text through its reception, with particular reference to Philo of Alexandria. The main part of this article focuses on the Ego sum qui sum as the content of Augustine’s visionary experience and as an object of interpretation in interrelation with the philosophical concept of being; the main finding is that Augustine does not define God, but interprets his self-identification with being as the starting point for Augustine’s own indirect reference to being and to humanity’s relationship with the incomprehensible but repeatedly revelatory God.
ISSN:2451-280X
Contains:Enthalten in: Verbum vitae
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.31743/vv.16349