YHWH vs. YHWH (YHWH vs. YHYH): by Prof. Dr. Estiphan Panoussi is a linguistically driven theological study that reexamines the divine name YHWH in Exodus 3:14–15 through comparative Semitic grammar, historical linguistics, and philosophy. The document assembles AI-assisted scholarly discussions that culminate in a draft article intended for academic publication.
 
The core problem addressed is a grammatical anomaly: while Ehyeh (“I am / I will be”) is a first-person imperfect of the Hebrew verb H-Y-H (“to be”), its expected third-person counterpart (YHYH, “He is”) never appears in the biblical text. Instead, the proper name YHWH is used. The study argues that this deviation is intentional and semantically meaningful.
 
Panoussi proposes that YHWH derives not only from H-Y-H (“to be”) but also from an older Proto-Semitic root H-W-H meaning “to breathe,” “to blow,” or “to storm.” Under this reading, YHWH can be understood morphologically as “He breathes,” a meaning that naturally extends to “He lives” and thus “He is.” This interpretation reframes biblical ontology in dynamic, life-centered terms rather than abstract metaphysical existence.
 
The document concludes that the divine name YHWH is intentionally equivocal, simultaneously expressing being and living breath. Through comparative tables and scriptural examples (e.g., storm theophanies and breath imagery), the study contrasts Semitic conceptions of existence with Greek metaphysical traditions and argues that Exodus 3 preserves a uniquely Semitic theology of divine presence as living, active, and life-giving.