When is it I am and when is it I AM?

[Guest Josip]

In the New American translation, when Jesus says “I am” why is it sometimes capitalized and sometimes not? For example in Jn 8:28 it is capitalized I AM, but in Jn 4:26 it is “I am he” with a note saying it can easily be translated as I AM, the same self-designation God gives to moses. Mark 14:62 he says I am to a question of “are you the messiah”. Are all responses to be understood as I AM, or some to be understood as I am, the way we use it in English, and some “I am”s to be understood as “I AM”?

thanks
Josip

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='Josip' date='Oct 21 2005, 08:30 PM']In the New American translation, when Jesus says “I am” why is it sometimes capitalized and sometimes not? For example in Jn 8:28 it is capitalized I AM, but in  Jn 4:26 it is “I am he” with a note saying it can easily be translated as I AM, the same self-designation God gives to moses.  Mark 14:62 he says I am to a question of “are you the messiah”. Are all responses to be understood as I AM, or some to be understood as I am, the way we use it in English, and some “I am”s to be understood as “I AM”?

thanks
Josip
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it is capitalized when it is absolute and emphatic, or when the grammatical form is the same as the "I AM" that the Lord gave to the Israelites as His very name in the Old Testament (cf. Exodus 3:14). it is "absolute" b/c it exists w/o a predicate attached, and "emphatic" b/c it includes the pronoun "I", even tho this isn't necessary in Greek grammar. since the phrase written this way is essentially the name of the Lord, it is capitalized to separate it from other times where we find "i am" statements that aren't in this form.

i think the phrase in the absolute emphatic form exists only in John's gospel. we see it in the following verses:[list][i]To the Samaritan Woman at Jacob's well near the town of Sychar:[/i]
[b]4:26[/b] le/gei au)tv= o( ¹Ihsou=j, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi, o( lalw½n soi.
-- Jesus said to her, "[b]I [/b]who speak to you [b]am[/b] (he)." [lit.: "I am, the one speaking with you."]

[i]To his disciples in the boat while Jesus is walking on the Sea of Galilee:[/i]
[b]6:20[/b] o( de\le/gei au)toiÍj, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi, mh\ fobeiÍsqe.
-- but he said to them, "[b]It is I[/b] (lit. "I Am"); do not be afraid."

[i]To "the Jews" in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles:[/i]
[b]8:24 [/b]eiåpon ouÅn u(miÍn oÀti a)poqaneiÍsqe e)n taiÍj a(marti¿aij u(mw½n: e)a\n ga\r mh\ pisteu/shte oÀti e)gw¯ ei¹mi, a)poqaneiÍsqe e)n taiÍj a(marti¿aij u(mw½n.
-- "I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that [b]I am [/b](he)."

[b]8:28 [/b]eiåpen ouÅn [au)toiÍj] o( ¹Ihsou=j, àOtan u(yw¯shte to\n ui¸o\n tou= a)nqrw¯pou, to/te gnw¯sesqe oÀti e)gw¯ ei¹mi, kaiìì a)p' e)mautou= poiw½ ou)de/n, a)lla\ kaqwÜÜj e)di¿dace/n me o( path\r tau=ta lalw½.
-- So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that [b]I am [/b](he), and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me."

[b]8:58 [/b]eiåpen au)toiÍj ¹Ihsou=j, ¹Amh\n a)mh\n le/gw u(miÍn, priììn ¹Abraa\m gene/sqai e)gwÜÜ ei¹mi¿.
-- Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, [b]I am[/b]."

[i]To his disciples at the Last Supper in Jerusalem:[/i]
[b]13:19 [/b]a)p' aÃrti le/gw u(miÍn pro\tou= gene/sqai, iàna pisteu/shte oÀtan ge/nhtai oÀti e)gw¯ ei¹mi.
-- "I tell you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that [b]I am [/b](he)."

[i]To the soldiers and guards who come to arrest Jesus in the Garden in the Kidron Valley (Gethsemane): [/i]
[b]18:5 [/b] a)pekri¿qhsan au)t%½, ¹Ihsou=n to\n NazwraiÍon. le/gei au)toiÍj, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi. ei¸sth/kei de\kaiìì ¹Iou/daj o( paradidou\j au)to\n met' au)tw½n.
-- They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "[b]I am [/b](he)." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.

[b]18:6[/b] w¨j ouÅn eiåpen au)toiÍj, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi, a)ph=lqon ei¹j ta\ o)pi¿sw kaiìì eÃpesan xamai¿.
-- When he said to them, "[b]I am [/b](he)," they drew back and fell to the ground.

[b]18:8[/b] a)pekri¿qh ¹Ihsou=j, Eiåpon u(miÍn oÀti e)gw¯ ei¹mi: ei¹ ouÅn e)me\ zhteiÍte, aÃfete tou/touj u(pa/gein:
-- Jesus answered, "I told you that [b]I am [/b](he); so, if you seek me, let these men go."
[/list]for more on this see the following article:

[b]"I AM" Sayings in the Fourth Gospel[/b]
[url="http://www.catholic-resources.org/John/Themes-IAM.htm"]http://www.catholic-resources.org/John/Themes-IAM.htm[/url]

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[Laudate_Dominum]

That's phat phatty. My fave is Kata Ioannen 8:58, "eipen autois Iesous, 'Amen amen lego umin, prin Abraam genesthai ego eimi'".

I despise transliteration.

[phatcatholic]

my favorite is this one:

18:6 w¨j ouÅn eiåpen au)toiÍj, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi, a)ph=lqon ei¹j ta\ o)pi¿sw kaiìì eÃpesan xamai¿.
-- When he said to them, "I am (he)," they drew back and fell to the ground.

they [i][b]fell to the ground[/b][/i] at the sound of his Name!!!!!

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Oct 22 2005, 05:29 AM']my favorite is this one:

18:6 w¨j ouÅn eiåpen au)toiÍj, ¹Egw¯ ei¹mi, a)ph=lqon ei¹j ta\ o)pi¿sw kaiìì eÃpesan xamai¿.
-- When he said to them, "I am (he)," they drew back and fell to the ground.

they [i][b]fell to the ground[/b][/i] at the sound of his Name!!!!!

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[cmotherofpirl]

Stupid question:
Since I am hampered by speaking only English and some French, when Jesus is saying [i]I am[/i] is He actually using God's name?
or is He saying "its me"?