--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like most ancient names, YHWH had a…" description: "\"“Like most ancient names, YHWH had a meaning. It seems to have meant ‘I am who I am’ or ‘I will be who I will be.’ This God, the name suggests, can’t b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/n-t-wright-1173_meant-god_like-most-ancient-names-yhwh-had-a-meani_423430.png" --- # Like most ancient names, YHWH had a meaning. It seems to… ![“Like most ancient names, YHWH had a meaning. It seems to have meant ‘I am who I am’ or ‘I will be who I will be.’ This God, the name suggests, can’t be defined in terms of anything or anyone else. It isn’t the case that there is such a thing as ‘divinity’ and that he’s simply another example, even…” quote by N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/n-t-wright-1173_meant-god_like-most-ancient-names-yhwh-had-a-meani_423430.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/n-t-wright-1173_meant-god_like-most-ancient-names-yhwh-had-a-meani_423430.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/n-t-wright-1173_meant-god_like-most-ancient-names-yhwh-had-a-meani_423430.png) > ““Like most ancient names, YHWH had a meaning. It seems to have meant ‘I am who I am’ or ‘I will be who I will be.’ This God, the name suggests, can’t be defined in terms of anything or anyone else. It isn’t the case that there is such a thing as ‘divinity’ and that he’s simply another example, even the supreme one, of this category. Nor is it the case that all things that exist, including God, share in something we might call ‘being’ or ‘existence,’ so that God would then be the supremely existing being. Rather, he is who he is. He is his own category, not part of a larger one.”” [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The name YHWH signifies a self-existent, self-defining deity beyond human categories, emphasizing divine uniqueness and incomprehensibility. **In simple terms:** God’s name shows He is unique and beyond definition. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of human definitions of the divine. Themes theology divine identity philosophy language religion ontology Mood contemplative thought‑provoking Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - religious study - philosophical debate - interfaith dialogue - personal reflection Key Concepts self-existence inequeness transcendence semantic limits Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect worship? - Can we ever know the divine fully? A Different Perspective Human language may never fully capture divine nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existence God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-god/) [God Supremely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-supremely-1333929/) [Meant God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-god-334626/) [Names Yhwh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names-yhwh-3748005/) [Yhwh Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yhwh-meaning-3748006/) ## Related quotes > [“I once gave a lecture in which I publicly denied the existence of God. I said: “I want to emphatically affirm today that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul-2/i-once-gave-a-lecture-in-which-i-publicly-denied-the-existence-of-god/) [R.C. 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Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-rose-ii/women-was-meant-to-be-god-s-gift-to-a-man-its-hard-to-find-that-gift/) [Johnnie Rose II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-rose-ii/) > [But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/but-all-at-once-i-realized-that-it-was-not-my-success-god-had-used-to/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [“Yeah but Father, is that what you meant by God being a paradox? How he was so pleased to get a chance to nail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sladek/yeah-but-father-is-that-what-you-meant-by-god-being-a-paradox-how-he/) [John Sladek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sladek/) > [If two souls were meant to be then God would never let that love perish. Even if they separate the love between them will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-two-souls-were-meant-to-be-then-god-would-never-let-that-love/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Man was never meant to be a god, but he is forever trying to deify himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/man-was-never-meant-to-be-a-god-but-he-is-forever-trying-to-deify/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [If you love someone pray about it. If it's meant to be God will lead you to them. He will never lead you down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-love-someone-pray-about-it-if-it-s-meant-to-be-god-will-lead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by N.T. Wright > [“This means that the church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/this-means-that-the-church-the-followers-of-jesus-christ-live-in-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The very mention of crucifixion was taboo in polite Roman circles, since it was the lowest form of capital punishment, reserved for slaves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-very-mention-of-crucifixion-was-taboo-in-polite-roman-circles/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Sunday, kept as a commemoration of Easter ever since that event itself (a quite remarkable phenomenon when you come to think about it), is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/sunday-kept-as-a-commemoration-of-easter-ever-since-that-event-itself/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The point of trying to understand the cross better is not so that we can congratulate ourselves for having solved an intellectual crossword puzzle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-point-of-trying-to-understand-the-cross-better-is-not-so-that-we/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“there is no such thing as a god’s-eye view (by which would be meant a Deist god’s-eye view) available to human beings, a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-god-s-eye-view-by-which-would-be-meant-a/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The “goal” is not “heaven,” but a renewed human vocation within God’s renewed creation. This is what every biblical book from Genesis on is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-goal-is-not-heaven-but-a-renewed-human-vocation-within-god-s/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“having a hard enough time explaining to his disciples that he had to die; they never really grasped that at all, and they certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/having-a-hard-enough-time-explaining-to-his-disciples-that-he-had-to/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“If we are talking about the victory over evil and the launch of new creation, it won’t make much sense unless we are working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/if-we-are-talking-about-the-victory-over-evil-and-the-launch-of-new/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The personal message of Good Friday, expressed in so many hymns and prayers which draw on the tradition of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-personal-message-of-good-friday-expressed-in-so-many-hymns-and/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“To recognize that the Psalms call us to pray and sing at the intersections of the times--of our time and God's time, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/to-recognize-that-the-psalms-call-us-to-pray-and-sing-at-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Successful resistance to temptation may result in an increase of moral muscle, but that is because one is going to need it. A temptation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/successful-resistance-to-temptation-may-result-in-an-increase-of/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours” (Matt. 5:3) doesn’t mean, “You will go to heaven when you die.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/blessings-on-the-poor-in-spirit-the-kingdom-of-heaven-is-yours-matt-5/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“As C. S. Lewis regularly remarked, the chronological snobbery of the modern age (i.e. the assumption that anything that comes after around 1750 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/as-c-s-lewis-regularly-remarked-the-chronological-snobbery-of-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“The kingdom of God is, at its heart, about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with love and power, so that human beings, each made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/the-kingdom-of-god-is-at-its-heart-about-god-s-sovereignty-sweeping/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [“pre-Christian Judaism, including the disciples during Jesus’s lifetime, never envisaged the death of the Messiah. That is why they never thought of his resurrection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/pre-christian-judaism-including-the-disciples-during-jesus-s-lifetime/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) [Explore all 278 N.T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) ## More Meant God quotes > [If you love someone pray about it. If it's meant to be God will lead you to them. He will never lead you down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-love-someone-pray-about-it-if-it-s-meant-to-be-god-will-lead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man was never meant to be a god, but he is forever trying to deify himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martyn-lloyd-jones/man-was-never-meant-to-be-a-god-but-he-is-forever-trying-to-deify/) [Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [If two souls were meant to be then God would never let that love perish. Even if they separate the love between them will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-two-souls-were-meant-to-be-then-god-would-never-let-that-love/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Yeah but Father, is that what you meant by God being a paradox? How he was so pleased to get a chance to nail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sladek/yeah-but-father-is-that-what-you-meant-by-god-being-a-paradox-how-he/) [John Sladek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sladek/) > [But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/but-all-at-once-i-realized-that-it-was-not-my-success-god-had-used-to/) [Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/) > [Women was meant to be God's gift to a man. Its hard to find that gift. We have to provide and protect her. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-rose-ii/women-was-meant-to-be-god-s-gift-to-a-man-its-hard-to-find-that-gift/) [Johnnie Rose II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-rose-ii/) > [If by Godot I had meant God I would have said God, and not Godot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/if-by-godot-i-had-meant-god-i-would-have-said-god-and-not-godot/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [ “\[...\] the struggle of our lives was not a sign that there was still life. If you stopped struggling, that's when you needed to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-fabry/the-struggle-of-our-lives-was-not-a-sign-that-there-was-still-life-if/) [Chris Fabry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-fabry/) > [Klopstock was questioned regarding the meaning of a passage in his poem. He replied, 'God and I both knew what it meant once; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-lombroso/klopstock-was-questioned-regarding-the-meaning-of-a-passage-in-his/) [Cesare Lombroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-lombroso/) > [“My aunt touched my shoulder, I opened my eyes startled for a moment. She was smiling softly but I could see the tears sparkling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-robbins/my-aunt-touched-my-shoulder-i-opened-my-eyes-startled-for-a-moment/) [Harold Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-robbins/) > [“The Great God Science. It has failed us, because it was never meant to be a god, but only a few true scientists understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/the-great-god-science-it-has-failed-us-because-it-was-never-meant-to/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [The clipping said forgiveness meant that God is for giving, and that we are here for giving too, and that to withold love or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/the-clipping-said-forgiveness-meant-that-god-is-for-giving-and-that/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [God and I both knew what it meant once; now God alone knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-lombroso/god-and-i-both-knew-what-it-meant-once-now-god-alone-knows/) [Cesare Lombroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-lombroso/) > [“Why, he had once wondered, would a perfect God create the universe? To be generous with it, he believed now. For the pleasure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-doria-russell/why-he-had-once-wondered-would-a-perfect-god-create-the-universe-to/) [Mary Doria Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-doria-russell/) > [“The Newtonian God—the God who made a clock-like universe, wound it, and withdrew—died a long time ago. This is what Nietzsche meant and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-newtonian-god-the-god-who-made-a-clock-like-universe-wound-it-and/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) [Browse all 26 Meant God quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-god-334626/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Like most ancient names, YHWH had a meaning. It seems to have meant ‘I am who I am’ or ‘I will be who I will be.’ This God, the name suggests, can’t be defined in terms of anything or anyone else. 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