Exodus 3:14–15, I AM THAT I AM. The name YHVH is Elohim’s memorial name forever. It reflects that fact that he is; that he is undefinable in human terms, and that he has always existed. This is the name by which he is to be remembered (not forgotten as is the case with the ineffable name concept of the rabbinic Jews whereby the names of deity or forbidden to be used).

14 And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM (EHYEH ASHER EHYEH YHVH RAT YHVH): and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM (EHYEH YHVH) hath sent me unto you. 15 And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, YHVH (YHVH) the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name (shem) for ever, and this is my memorial (zeker) unto all generations.

Here are some examples of how other translations translate the name of YHVH:

• I Am That I Am (KJV)
• I Am Who I Am (NAS, NIV, NKJV
• I Am That Which I Am (YLT)
• I Shall Be As I Shall Be (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach)
• I Will Be What I Will Be (The Gutnick Edition Chumash, JPS)
• I Will Be There Howsoever I Will Be There (The Schocken Bible)
• I Am the Being (LXX, Brenton)

Verse 15 states that YHVH is the Moses was to use when referring to I AM THAT I AM. Both the former and latter are forms of the Hebrew verb hayah meaning “to be.” YHVH instructed that YHVH was to be his memorial name forever. In other words, humans were to use YHVH to remember him by. There is no indication here that it was YHVH’s intention that his name was to be forgotten or hidden through euphemisation. The word memorial is defined as follows:

Strong’s H2143 zeker; from 02142; TWOT – 551a; n m; KJV – remembrance 11, memorial 5, memory 5, remembered 1, scent 1; 23; memorial, remembrance, memory