What Is The Name of God. Part 2.

As important as the name of God is, there is even something of equal or more importance. It is in the fulfillment of the promises of God that we know His character and His holiness, not His name.

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy holy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word (or promise) above thy name.” Psalm 138:2, KJV emphasis added.

            Not everyone believes that the Word of God is exalted above His name, as this passage seems to indicate. Some say God exalts His promises according to His name and character. Later in this article, I will reference Earle Paul, who makes this claim to underscore the use of the only proper name of God, which he claims is Yahuah. (See the appendices in Part 3). In other words, “God has not magnified His word above His name.” Earle claims they are of equal importance and value. That is because he thinks that using the proper name and pronunciation of God’s name determines a great deal about our walk with God. See Earle Paul@earlepaul3133. See this site: name-above-every-name.com.

Before 400 AD, the church fathers’ comments on this verse were rare. Origen in the 3^rd century seems to emphasize that the Word is supreme, as Christ is the Word of God. Eusebius of Caesarea (early in the 4th century) applies this to the divine logos and states that Christ’s position is exalted above revealed divine names. Athanasius, in the 4^th century, sees this as a reference to God’s decrees and the Son. He suggests that God’s promises (word) prove His faithfulness more than even His name alone, since the fulfillment of His word shows His character. The Cappadocian Fathers (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus) often link the “Word” of God with Christ, emphasizing that through the Son we know the Father’s name. These examples agree with the plain meaning of the passage, God has magnified His word above His name.

King David declared that God has magnified His word above His name. That is very profound, considering how sacred the Jews thought the name of God was. At times, the Jews refrained from even speaking His name. (More on this later.) In any case, they highly revered the name of God. In this passage, David attests to the reliability and authority of God’s word. He will fulfil all of His promises for He is always faithful. His word is even more holy and sacred than His name. Keep that in mind.

This is somewhat how the Eastern Orthodox Church views the name of God, but they lean away from Jehovah and even Yahweh. They use the word Kyrios, meaning Lord. However, that is a title, not a personal name. This article is about the personal name of God given to us in scripture.

If you ask your typical pastor, theologian, or seminary professor what the personal name of God is, they will most likely tell you God’s name is Yahweh and not Jehovah. They will probably claim that Jehovah was a mistake, and we now know His name is Yahweh. The idea that the KJV Bible was mistaken on such an important topic is challenging to accept. We shall see if that is true.

Is the Bible the inspired and inerrant word of God Almighty?

In the 1800s, unbelieving and godless German higher critics of the Bible were not only:

• questioning the authorship of the books of the Bible,
• the miracles of the Bible,
• the dates and history of the books of the Bible,
• the inspiration of the Old Testament,
• and the overall accuracy of the Word of God;
• They were also attacking the name of the Hebrew God.  

Remember what Satan, in the garden, said to Eve, “Hath God really said?” These critics, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, were used by Satan to put doubt into the minds of Christians about the character and name of God Almighty. To do so, they questioned everything about the written word of God in an attempt to undermine its trustworthiness and authority. They have been very successful for many decades.

These learned men, these theological scholars, stated that the real name for God is not Jehovah but Yahweh, and it should be pronounced as such. To these unbelieving critics, the Israelite God was nothing more than a representation of the pagan deity, Yaho (Yahu or Ya-ve), used by Babylonians and Canaanites, their neighbors and captors, according to author Gail Riplinger. To use her name is to invite criticism. Many scholars and evangelical Christian leaders probably view her as a quack of sorts with limited actual theological and linguistic credentials.

But what about the scholars who have given us such confusion about the Bible itself? Should they be trusted? Many of these scholars have academic qualifications but are not genuine believers. Who do we trust? Godless scholars or individuals who love God and have spent much time seeking the truth? And when the scholars attempt to prove that the Bible is not a divinely inspired word from God, do we then believe them instead of the written word of God?

How did we get the name of Yahweh (yah-way)?

Gail quotes the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, which “admits that in the older system of transliteration, Jehovah was the name of God” (page 415) in her book, In Awe of Thy Word. It states, “In the Masoretic text, the usual form would give the pronunciation Yehowah (pronounced Jehovah in English)”. According to Gail, this name is mentioned in the writings of several commentators from the 13th, 14th, and 17^th centuries. (See her book, page 416. See also the appendix titled Jehovah as the name of God in Part 3.)

Therefore, according to these critical guides, the use of the name Jehovah for the last few hundred years was a mistake. How many other mistakes do we have in the Word of God? The promise of Scripture, as given in Psalms 12:6-7, that God will preserve His word forever, was that also a mistake or a lie?

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalms 12:6-7. Please take note that His word is purified 7 (seven) times. We will come back to the number 7.

This verse is an excellent example of the fruit of higher criticism of the Bible and the rotten fruit of newer translations of the Bible. (See my article on why the KJV is the better Bible.) Bibles produced from the Westcott and Hort New Greek Testament have been based primarily on the use of two corrupt manuscripts, which they consider to be older and therefore superior to the KJV Greek text, to rewrite portions of the Old Testament, not just the New Testament. The fruit of their work is that this Psalm 12 no longer tells the reader that God has promised to preserve His word. That opens the door to the higher critics of the Bible to demonstrate to the entire world that God has not and can’t ‘preserve’ His word. Who should we believe, the scholarly critics of the Bible or the humble individuals who give their lives to knowing and sharing the Word of God with the world?

Ask ChatGPT and you will find this: “Many Hebrew scholars and modern translators render verse 7 (of Chapter 12 of the Psalms) as referring to people, not words. The context of Psalm 12 is a prayer about the oppression of the poor and the boasting of the wicked (see verses 1-5).” It is assumed by ‘scholars and modern translators’ that God has promised to preserve the poor and needy, but not His word or His promises. Newer translations say something like this about verse 7, “You, O LORD, will keep us; you will guard us from this generation forever.”

A few points need to be addressed. How many genuine Christians have been poor, needy, and died in that state over the centuries? How many Christians have experienced horrible deaths at the hands of others? If this is a promise not about preserving the Word of God but about caring for the poor and needy, it represents a terrible failure.  And that would rightfully give rise to questioning the divine inspiration of the text.

Let us say that the scholars are correct and the KJV is wrong in Psalm 12. How can we trust that any portion of the Bible is accurate? Years from now, other scholars may determine that different portions of the Word of God are in error. There is no end to this scholarly manipulation of the Word of God. The Bible is not like any other ancient manuscript. It is a supernatural book that can only be understood by spiritually minded individuals, not godless scholars.

Check out this YouTube channel, Truth is Christ (@TruthisChrist). This is just one example of the remarkable nature of the KJV of the Bible. How many times is Jesus mentioned in the Bible? That depends on whether you look at singular or possessive mentions. Upper-case mentions of Jesus (970 of these) or possessive mentions of Jesus’ (10 of these) for a total of 980. If you look at all upper-case mentions of God in the KJV: God, Jehovah, Jah, I am, LORD, there are 6790 mentions. Divide that by 7 (God’s number of perfection and completion) and you get 970.

 970 upper-case mentions of Jesus plus the 10 possessive mentions = 980. All these, plus the other upper-case names of God, yield a total of 7770 occurrences in the KJV. Add to that the different upper-case mentions of Jesus as King (5) and Branch (2) times, the total mentions of Jesus or God = 7777. Extraordinary. Back in the 17^th century, it was not feasible for the translators of the KJV to have devised such a translation.

Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that the number 7 is a very special number used by God. Seven in the Bible is the number of rest, ending, completion, and perfection.

• In the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, God created all things in 7 days, and He ceased or rested on the 7^th day.
• Lamech was the last man born before the great flood, who would not pass over into the new world. He lived 777 years. His son, Noah, was given a 7-day warning before the flood came. Clean animals entered the ark in 7s. The ark landed in the 7^th month. Noah sent out the doves in 7-day periods.
• In the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation we see the following pattern: 7 churches, 7 Spirits, 7 candlesticks, 7 stars, 7 lamps, 7 seals, 7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 angels, 7 trumpets, 7 thunders, 7 crowns, 7 plagues, 7 vials, 7 mountains, 7 kings, 7 thousand men slain, and 7 heads of the beast.
• And in between the first and last books of the Bible, the number 7 appears constantly.

The host of this site, Brandon Peterson, offers other fascinating videos worth considering. In one, he talks about the number of fish that the apostles pulled out of their nets, 153, and he analyzes how God uses this number in the KJV. Paul and Peter are mentioned 153 times each in the New Testament. Both Paul to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews took a lead role in fishing for men after Jesus returned to heaven. You will be amazed by this and many other pieces of evidence that he provides. His book, Sealed by the King, is available on Amazon. See also the appendices, specifically Elton Anomaly (7 to the 7^th power), page 35 in Part 3, for an outstanding example of God’s work in preserving His word in the KJV.

Maybe all this is simply coincidental. That might even be the greater miracle than merely believing God superintended the translation of the KJV. The KJV of the Bible is the best-selling and most widely disseminated book of all human history. Think of all the nations and peoples who speak English. Check out ChatGPT, Wikipedia, Giuness World Records, and History.com to verify this truth about the influence and reach of the KJV of the Bible.

 The Word of God in Psalm 119:89 declares that God’s word is settled in heaven. In Psalm 119:160, it is written, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” And then there is Isaiah 40:8, which reads, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of God shall stand forever.”

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11. See also the New Testament, Matthew 24:35, John 10:35, 1 Peter 1:23-25, and Revelation 22:18-19. Even if Psalm 12 is not about God’s promise to preserve His word, there are, at least for now, other passages that scholars have not contested yet. But for how long will the scholars be content to leave these promises intact?

 In early King James Bibles, the name of God was thought to be Jehovah, but it was spelled as Iehovah. (See the addendum mentioned earlier.) However, since that time, for at least two hundred years, but probably closer to three hundred years, the name of God as Jehovah had been undisputed, until these higher critics sought to correct the Church of Jesus Christ and the Word of God Almighty. These higher critics of the Bible did not believe the Old Testament was given to us by God. They thought the Jews borrowed these stories and names from pagan cultures around them. (Author Gail explains in detail how the critics have altered the proper name and pronunciation of the name of God despite the evidence to the contrary. See pages 418-435.)

A man by the name of Gilbert Genebrard (Genebrardus in Gail’s book, page 417) may have been the first to suggest Yahweh as the correct pronunciation (and spelling) of the name of God. But 19th-century German critics, primarily Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842), a German Hebraist who made it generally accepted in most Christian expressions. Today, it is everywhere and used more often, in my observation, than the name of Jehovah or any other name. What is not disputed is the fact that the name Jehovah was used almost universally, if not universally, until the 19^th century. Some Christians believe that many scholars are so arrogant that they think they were put here on earth to correct the Word of God and His name.

John Gill, an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian in the 1700s, demonstrated that the pronunciation, and therefore the vowel sounds of the Hebrew Bible, must have been given to Moses by God. He documents their use, century by century, going back to 277 BC, confirming that they were “delivered at Sinai”. And according to most ancient Jewish authorities, “all our wise men, with one mouth, affirm and profess that the whole law as pointed (vowelled) and accented, as it came out of the hands of Moses the man of God (pp. 253)-255) See Mr. Stones book.” The author goes on the argue that if the vowels were not present at the beginning, then it would have been a flagrant violation of the law of God (Deut. 4:2), which stated that no man should add to the word of God. “The word Jehovah has seven letters, four consonants and three vowel-points, not two vowels, as in Yahweh.”  It is claimed that Hebrews wrote with only consonants and no vowels. Vowels were added later. JeHoVaH (JHVH) or YaHWeH (YHWH).

Je-sus and Je-hovah are divinely connected. Jesus and Yahweh have no connection whatsoever, except in the minds of unbelieving critics. (material taken from the book, In Awe of thy Word, by Gail Riplinger). See also the ChatGPT appendix on the name of Jesus. The Hebrew spelling and pronunciation are Yeshua, while the English is Jesus. How did that come about? See ChatGPT appendix. The name of God is Jehovah.

If Gail is accurate, I wonder what the one true God thinks about His new name, possibly fashioned after pagan deities and unbelieving and likely unsaved “Bible scholars”. If any being in the universe deserves to be called by His given name, it is Jehovah. But is that His real name? Does anyone really know with absolute certainty what God’s name is and how to pronounce it?

Let us dig a bit deeper into this subject: Yahweh or Jehovah

The consensus among scholars today is that the name for God in Exodus 3:14 and 15, as well as elsewhere, is Yahweh, not Jehovah. However, not everyone believes that is true. No surprise there. If you are interested, please refer to the appendix for ChatGPT’s insights on Yahweh and Jehovah.

Thus far, we have briefly considered Dr. Gail Riplinger’s thoughts on the name of God. She believes it is Jehovah and most definitely not Yahweh. This is the minority position. Most academicians believe God’s name is Yahweh. You will have no trouble finding a mountain of evidence supporting that position. This article is about the minority position. Is it reasonable, historical, and Biblical? I will now examine a few other dissenters who reject the name of Yahweh.

Joseph Dearing

The following comes from a YouTube video produced by Joseph Dearing. He claims that the name of God is Jehovah and not Yahweh. He argues that over one thousand Hebrew manuscripts have been found, dating back to 895 AD. All of these have the Hebrew name of God, including the vowels. (This was an older video, and apparently, the number of manuscripts has increased to over 2,400.) And these are not the vowels in Yahweh, but are the vowels in Jehovah. Therefore, we have the correct spelling and pronunciation of Jehovah. Like Gail Riplinger, he claims that in the 1800s, German Bible critics changed the three vowels in Jehovah into the two vowels in Yahweh, and they did this without any manuscript evidence. He says they did this so that they could claim that the God of the Jews was a modified version of pagan gods. In addition, the letter W was pronounced like the letter V. Therefore, Yahweh was pronounced Yahveh.

A YouTube video by Sam Adams, RedeemedKJV. Yahweh is NOT God’s Sacred Name.

Not surprisingly, we find that those who favor the KJV Bible are the most reluctant to change the name of Jehovah to Yahweh. Many of these folks are KJV-only believers. Years ago, I switched from the NASB to the KJV because I studied the subject and came to the conclusion that the KJV is the better Bible for several reasons. (See my article, Why I use the KJV of the Bible if you want specifics.) I came to Christ, not using the KJV but using the NASB. Newer versions of the Bible may be flawed, but God still uses them as a means of communication. I think the KJV is the better Bible.

Sam Adams spoke against the switch from Jehovah to Yahweh. The Bible is under attack. And this name change is part of the church’s apostasy. He says the name Yahweh is linguistically and theologically incorrect. Hebrew Roots and Sacred Name Movements also corrupt the name of God. He claims that the higher critics, who do not believe we have a supernatural book, believe that the name the Jews used was a derivation of Egyptian and or Canaanite peoples and the names of their gods. Academics (Bible critics) claim there are no vowels in the Hebrew text, so no one knows what the name and pronunciation of God actually are. He says this is a lie, for in the Masoretic text, the name of Jehovah (or Yehovah) is plainly indicated.

His purpose is to support the use of Jehovah in the KJV. He is no Hebrew scholar. Dr. John Henton, as cited in the King James Bible page, AV Publications, is his primary source. Dr. Hinton is a well-qualified scholar, an expert in several pertinent languages, and is fluent in multiple relevant languages. His article, “Ridiculous KJV Bible Corrections: Who is Yahweh?” Additionally, “In Awe of His Word,” by Gail Riplinger, is another excellent source, according to Sam.

Dr. Hinton refutes the idea that the Hebrew text doesn’t include vowels and is therefore subject to wide-ranging interpretations. Not only would this lack of vowels open the door to give God any name the scholar believes is best, but it also opens the door to interpret much of the Old Testament in any way they choose. Changing the pointing or diacritic marks is folly, according to Dr. Hinton. Dr. Hinton says there is no way to arrive at Yahweh from the consonants given in the text, YHWH. (See Appendix Hinton for more information.)

If we were Jewish, we would call God Yehovah, but we are English and pronounce God’s name Jehovah. We speak English, and all Hebrew words in our Bibles are translated into English. Those of the sacred name group apparently want us to talk in Hebrew for the name of God, but all other Hebrew words can be in English. (See the appendix for the details on the name of God in various languages.)

Dr. Hinton insists that the name and pronunciation of the name of God, Jehovah, existed before Christ. He also warns about using the wrong Hebrew text, such as the one by R. Kittle. Many scholars, even today, cite Kittle as a great scholar. Apparently, Kittle was an atheist and a Nazi. He used a different Hebrew text than the translators of the KJV. This is similar to using modern-day Bible translations that are based on the flawed work of Westcott and Hort.

Just where did the name Yahweh come from? Hinton says Kittle was a believer in the “storm God theory”. Yahweh comes from the name of a weather god or weather gods worshipped by pagans, Yaho, etc.

Yea hath God said? This question remains the rallying cry of the higher critic. Today, the higher critics even question what is attributed to Jesus in the gospels.

There are other examples of those who do not adopt the name for God as Yahweh. For instance, Dr. Gene Kim believes the name of God is Jehovah, but the vast majority of scholars say God’s name is Yahweh, not Jehovah. If you are looking for the majority opinion, you have it in Yahweh.

Dr. Nehemia Gordon, a Jewish scholar

From another YouTube video by Nehemia Gordon Clips by Dr. Nehemia Gordon. The following represents my attempt to describe what he said in this video accurately.  He believes that the name of God is Jehovah or Yehovah (Yehowah according to author Gail Riplinger), as mentioned in Exodus 3:14 and 15. Scholars claim that the name Jehovah is an impossible hybrid name for God, derived from Adonia and the name in Exodus 3. He says that is not true. Nehemia claims that this hypothesis originates from a Christian named Pietro Colonna Galatino, who, in approximately 1515, provided the name and pronunciation for Jehovah in English. However, we have this name and pronunciation in Jewish sources that predate it, and Galatino was well-informed about that. Contrary to the scholars, he was not ignorant of it. This myth is not true, according to Dr. Gordon.

According to Dr. Gordon, the name Yahweh was introduced in 1699 by Gilbert Genebrard (Genebrardus, per Dr. Gail Riplinger). What did this guy base it on? He says it came from Theodoret of Ciro, dating back to about 450 AD. He also claims that the Samaritans might have also called God Yahweh to save themselves from persecution, and, like the Jews, don’t pronounce the name of God. Scholars contend that the name fits their theology, as it is the name of God in Exodus 3:14 and 15: “I am that I am.” God reveals His name, and in 3:15 God says His name is “I am”. Verse 14 provides the foundation, which comes from three sources: the Jews, the Samaritans, and Clement of Alexandria, according to Dr. Gordon.

What does the name Yahweh/God mean? Dr. Gordon says the meaning is God was, is, and will be. In 1699, a Christian named Genebrard believed that the name of God should reflect the fact that He is the Creator. How do we go from the God who was, and who is, and will be to the creator God?  This individual, Genebrard, altered the common understanding of the name’s meaning to include a connection to God the Creator and coined the term Yahweh, which was eventually adopted. He wanted the name to mean the creator, not just ‘He who was, is, and will be.’

According to Dr. Gordon, the name Yahweh is a theological construct. However, this is now the consensus among scholars, although some refer to it as a “scholarly guess” (as noted by Dr. Gordon).

The average Jew thinks the name of God is Yehovah (similar to Jehovah) and not Yahweh, according to Dr. Gordon. And that name is the Jewish name for God, as recorded in over 1,000 manuscripts, according to Dr. Gordon. (This was an old video, and as of 2020, there are over 2,400 Hebrew manuscripts with the name of God.)  In the academic world, the name of God is often associated with the Hebrew term Yahweh. (Even the ChatGPT appendices at the end of this article, in Part 3, refer to Yahweh, not Jehovah or any other name, because it reflects the scholarly consensus). But what if that consensus is in error?

In the KJV, Exodus 3:14 and 15, the name of God is “I am that I am” in verse 14 and “I am” in verse 15. Verse 15, God says His name is what was given in verse 14, “I am.” Verse 14 is the explanation of the name. The book of Revelation also reveals this. Dr. Gordon says these are his three witnesses to the proper name of God: the Jews, the Samaritans, and the New Testament, all of which attest to the name of God: God was, who is, and who is to come. The following New Testament passages reflect this.

“Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come” Revelation 1:4.

“The Almighty, who is and was and is to come” refers to Jesus in Revelation 1:8.

The four living creatures around the throne are quoted as repeatedly saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” Revelation 4:8.

In Revelation 3:11, Jesus says, “I am coming soon so that no one can take your crown.” In Revelation 22:7, it is written, “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps he words of the prophecy in this book.” In Revelation 22:12 and 22:20, repeat this saying, “I am coming soon.”

All these refer to Jesus Christ. Jesus and Jehovah are closely related while the name Yahweh is not. Yehovah is related to Yeshua (Hebrew name for Jesus).

Wilhelm Gesenius and the origin of the word Yahweh

Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842) was a German Hebraist. It is from him that the Christian world has adopted the name of Yahweh. He produced a Lexicon, which was later translated into English. His was the first systematic, critical Hebrew lexicon that combined philology, comparative Semitic linguistics, and textual analysis. This became the standard reference book throughout the 19^th century and influenced nearly all subsequent works, for example, the Brown-Driver-Biggs work.

Before Gesenius, most European scholarship and Bible translations used the name Jehovah for God. However, this man argued that the proper pronunciation was Yahweh, not Jehovah, based on his research. Eventually, it became the standard in evangelical Christianity to call God Yahweh and not Jehovah.

But based on what evidence did he (Gesenius) change the name of God?

His research and conclusion are based on just a few concrete bits of evidence, according to Dr. Gordon. He also toyed with an idea that the name Yahweh may be connected with Egypt/Jupiter, which he apparently abandoned. However, he mused that the name might be “of the same origin as Jovis, Jupiter, and transferred from the Egyptians to the Hebrews”. Later, he fully retracted that idea, according to ChatGPT (see appendix). I wonder what compelled him to do that?

This is what he claimed.

• Jehovah is a reading trick, not the original vowels. It was a combination of the word Adonay and the consonant YHWH, yielding the hybrid Jehovah. However, that assumes the vowels were not known and used before that time, which is unlikely, according to a few others, such as Dr. Gordon.
• Therefore, Jehovah can’t be the right name because it was built with the wrong vowels according to Gesenius.
• He cites findings from Diodorus and Theodoret, who referenced the Samaritans, and both of these, he said, match the Yahw vocalization Gesenius preferred.
• He also said that short forms and theophoric names line up with Yahw. Yah, as in allelu-yah, points to the name of God. Names that begin or end with similar letters, such as yahu/yah or begin with Yeho/Yo. These patterns make the most sense if the whole form were something like Yahweh, according to him.
• He also believes that the Samaritan tradition as reported by Theoret as labe, again pushing toward Yahweh.

In summary, Genesius argued for Yahweh based on the following, according to Dr. Gordon.

• The Masoretic qere system that produced “Jehovah”
• Greek spellings like IAO/IABE
• The short form Yah and theophoric name-patterns, and
• Samaritan testimony, all of which converges on Yahweh.

Dr. Gordon refutes or attempts to deny all or most of these points in his discussions.

Problems with using Genesius as the final word

Genesius ignores the fact that the Christian world used Jehovah for at least two or three centuries before his discovery or his conclusions. The Word of God claims that His Word is preserved forever (Psalm 12:6-7). No surprise that a higher Bible critic would 1) discount the promises of God or 2) use a corrupt new Greek text and the minority readings of primarily two early manuscripts and rewrite this passage from Psalm 12. (See my article on Why I use the KJV Bible for more specifics.)

If Genesius is correct, God did not promise nor did He preserve His word, and the Bible is not trustworthy. German higher critics and other higher critics of the Bible have done significant damage to the credibility and authority of the Bible over the many decades.

A couple of these guys claim, including Dr. Gordon, that we now have over 1,000 Jewish manuscripts dating back to the 800s, where the name of God has been handed down with vowels intact, and it is Yehovah or Jehovah. (See more current comments, which state that we now have over 2,400 manuscripts with the name of Yehovah.) Genesius apparently was not aware of the volume of these manuscripts, as they are recent discoveries. Hebrew witnesses would be of greater value, in my mind, than all the rest of his supposed evidence. Dr. Gordon is a key leader in the movement to make clear that the name of God is Yehovah.

One of Dr. Gordon’s most enthusiastic supporters is Keith Johnson. Keith produced a YouTube video that discussed another video, which featured the top 10 negative responses to Dr. Gordon’s claim that Yehovah exists. Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard produced that video.  I have highlighted some of the objections and Keith’s rebuttal. Watch the video if you want to review all of them. Refer to the appendices (Keith Johnson’s appendix) for more detailed information.

God’s Holy Name Explained by Project Truth Ministries, YouTube video.

Call only on the one true God, and do not let the name of other gods be on your lips; only those who call on the name of God, Yehovah, will be delivered. See Psalm 91:14-16. This is another group that believes the name of God is not Jehovah or Yahweh but Yehovah.

The authors remind us that the teaching of modern Hebrew, which are different from the Hebrew in scripture. The Tanakh should not be read through the language of modern Hebrew. Grammar is different today. They claim that some verb forms have become extinct over the centuries. To demonstrate this, they provide a chart showing the changes in Hebrew,

• beginning at 1,000 BC,
• then the 8th century BC,
• the 5th-4th century BC, and
• ending at the 1^st century BC.

At 1,000 BC, the Hebrew language did not contain vowels. Vowels and pronunciation marks (mater lectionis) were added by men over the following centuries.

For instance, let us consider the name of God in the consonants only. It is Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, or Yehovah (YHVH or, as it is commonly cited, YHWH).

Yod = a consonant with a “y” sound

Hey = a consonant with an “h” sound

Vav = a consonant with the “v” sound

Hey = a consonant with the “h” sound

“None of these consonants is mater lectionis; in other words, man added NONE of these letters to serve as a vowel sound. That means that Yehovah’s name cannot be Yehuah as some claim it is, which would make the vav an added letter and thereby a mater lectionis and a “u” sound. Modern Hebrew can’t be used for ancient Hebrew, is their contention.

What about Yahweh and Jehovah?

God’s name, Yehovah, is used in thousands of scriptures, 6820 times to be precise. For example, see the following verses: Psalm 18:26, Psalm 91:14, Isaiah 42:8, Psalms 113:1, Deuteronomy 6:13.

They cite the Exodus passage 3:14-15, where God identifies His name as “I am or Yehovah.” In the KJV, there are only seven places that use the name Jehovah. It is most often written as LORD. Why is that?

Why do Bible translations use the titles of God, Lord, and LORD instead of God’s personal name?

From the time of the Maccabean revolt, 167-160 BC, under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. From this source, Scholion on Megilat T’anit, 3^rd of Tishrei, “The Greeks made decrees to eradicate Israel, ordering them to deny the Kingdom of Heaven, to declare that they have no portion with the God of Israel, and not to mention the heavenly name on their lips.” To save themselves from further persecution, they (Hebrews) stopped using the name of Yehovah. Judah Maccabee and others revolted, and the ban was unsuccessful; however, we do have a record of the ban.

Moving from the Greeks to the Romans, we have the following. This comes from the Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 17b-18a. A Jew (Rabbi) was asked why he engaged in the study of the Torah. He told the Roman that God commanded him to do so. He was burned because he refused to stop pronouncing the name of Yehovah.  They burned him wrapped in a Torah scroll. The wood used for the fire was soaked in water to prolong the agony of being burned alive. This is well after the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. They said it was around 130-138 AD, I believe. The Romans imposed a ban similar to the Greek prohibition on using the name of their Yehovah. Consequences followed for all who violated the ban. There is a statue in Israel today that depicts this incident. To prevent more deaths, the Jewish Rabbis instituted their own ban on using the name. Tell the people that His name is too holy to be used in public, and the Romans won’t kill us all. Instead, they would give Him a title like Adonia and use hand signs and other gestures to refer to Him.

These are the origins of the ban on using the name of Yehovah, according to the authors of this video. But where did they come up with this ban on using the name of God? It came from Ba’al worship and its prohibition. Ba’al was not a name but a title, like God, LORD. Ba’al means Lord. The actual name for the Canaanite god that they worshipped was “Hadad”. Canaanite priests claimed that this name was too sacred to be used because it was an ineffable name. Only the Canaanite priest is permitted to use this name in special rituals. Everyone else must call their god, Ba’al. Very likely that the Jews learned this from them. They would use hand signs to say their god’s name.

Star Trek

I thought this was interesting. Spock, from the TV program and movies, Star Trek, used this hand sign (two fingers separated from the other two fingers). Leonard Nimoy was a Jew, and he saw his Rabbi using that hand sign when he prayed over the congregation. That is how it came to the TV series, Star Trek. Each time he did that, he was proclaiming the name of Yehovah.

Where does Yahweh come from?

In their video, they begin discussing Wilhelm Gesenius. An ordinary Jew in Israel would not use the name of Yahweh. It has no meaning.

Gesenius is the source of the use of this word. He cites two sources: Theodore of Sirus, circa 500 AD, and a list of names for God (16 names gathered by those who worked with him) from the Middle East. These are included in his 1833 dictionary. Of those 16 names, he chose the one given by the Samaritans, which was one they used. He declared that it is likely connected to the Egyptians and associated with Jupiter, which he thought would eventually be discovered in Egypt, but it was never found. Those who advocate for the name Yahweh claim he recanted this connection.

What about the Samaritans?

Josephus, Antiquities Book 12, Chapter 5, Section 5, about the Samaritans, “they had erected a temple at the mountain called Gerizssim, though without a name…let our temple, which at present has no name at all, be named the temple of Jupiter Hellenius.” Samaritans were strangers to the land and adopted some aspects of the Torah to suit their needs and fit in. The Romans conquered the land, and to maintain peace, unlike the Jews, their temple had no named god attached to it; instead, they would gladly name their temple after Jupiter, a Roman god. This proved their allegiance to Rome.

The Samaritan’s used the name Jupiter, “Yowehpiter,” and the short form was “Yoweh.” Pitor is the father, and Yowehipter is the father of Yoweh. The “O” in that word was also pronounced as “A” depending on dialect. This is how Gesenius arrived at Yahweh, according to these video producers.

They claim that Yahweh is Jupiter, the name of a Roman God. Does that mean everyone who calls the God of the Bible, Yahweh, is an idolater? No, it doesn’t, for they may not yet understand what the actual name of God is. But if you know but refuse, then you are in danger. The author of this video claims that other information also reveals that Yahweh is actually Jupiter. Interesting.

Yahweh is not a Hebrew word, but is a Samaritan word

As of December 2020, there have been ZERO Old Testament (Tanakh) manuscripts with the name of God recorded as Yahweh. Why are there no manuscripts?

As of December 31, 2020, there are a total of 2,441 Hebrew manuscripts with the name of God as Yehovah. (The older videos used 1,000, but many additional discoveries have more than doubled that number.) The meaning is He Was, He is, and He Will Be. Yehovah has always existed.

Jerome and the Vav. In 384 AD, Jerome wrote a letter, Dunand, Papyrus Grecs Bibliques, p. 47, ftn. 4. “The ninth (name of God) is the Tetragrammaton, which they (the Jews) considered, that is unspeakable, and it was written with these letters, yod, Hey, vau, Hey. Certain ignorant ones, because of the similarity of the characters, when they would find it in the Greek books, were accustomed to read PIPI.”

Rabbis across the centuries passed on the name of God. “Sages transmit the four-letter name to the disciples once in seven years.” Babylonian Talmud, Kidushin 71a Rabbath Bar Chanoh, c. 250-300 AD.

(“This is my name forever” Exodus 3:15). There is also a secret here received by tradition in the vowels of “this is my name forever (ie, “alam”) for they are the vowels of the Great Name…Its mnemonic is “who in heaven (shach” ak) Menachem Tziyori, 14^th Century.” They give another example from the 16^th century and state that the vowels received from Sinai are Sheva, Cholam, Kamatz, according to the Rabbis.

Another Rabbi in 1896 said that a time is coming when the name of God, Yehovah, will be written and spoken as it was at the beginning, as Jacob Bacharach. The name of God was used throughout the years and taught. The ban was for the public use of the name, but not its private or secret use, as it was used.

What about the name of God as Jehovah?

The “J” sound was invented by an Italian named Giangiorio Trissino (1478-1550), and he was the first to use the letter “J”. The letter “J” was recently added to the Italian Language in 1524. The letter “J” was a different shape from the letter “I”. From the Latin, the letter “J” was adopted by the Old French and subsequently by English scribes. The “I” and the “J” for English weren’t distinct until 1633, in the first English Language Book. Therefore, the KJV, also known as the King James Version of 1611, does not include the letter “J”. It is an “I”.

The same applies to the name Jesus; His given Hebrew name is Yeshua. It was Iesus in the first King James Bibles. For more information, please refer to the addendum, The Name of God is Jehovah.

The authors review the various Jewish groups, including European Jews, Kurdish Jews, Syrian Jews, Egyptian Jews, Persian Jews, Moroccan Jews, Algerian Jews, and others, using the Vav. While these groups use the Waw: Yemenite Jews, Baghdadi Jews, Libyan Jews, Tunisian Jews, and Atlas Mt. Jews. It is a mixture of how these vowels are pronounced because of their mother language. Arabic influence crept in. The Arabic vav is pronounced as waw, not vav. The academic world doesn’t recognize this, as they are committed to Yahweh. They don’t even consider this.

What about coinage? Coinage was very useful for Dr. Jay Smith in determining the time, place, and origin of Islam. See his books and videos if you are interested.

This video used the following as evidence of the name Yehovah. The Ducat of Denmark 1644/45. It has the missing vowel. Switzerland coins of 1600 and German coins all have the missing vowel. In 1700, a German artifact had the missing vowel. Jews knew how to pronounce the name of God.

Numerous books and videos refute Dr. Gordon’s beliefs. One such site is the Hebrew Gospel website. It appears to be a father-son ministry. I believe the son’s name is Justin J. Van Rensburd. Their position is that Yahweh is the name of God. (I sent requests to Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson for a rebuttal on the Hebrew Gospel position, which implies that Dr. Gordon is either ignorant or dishonest.)

This group attempts to refute most of Dr. Gordon’s primary positions. Their presentation and arguments are well done. I lack the technical knowledge to critique their propositions. Assume for a moment that they are nearly correct in all that they say. What then is the name of God? This group believes the name of God is not what Dr. Gordon believes it to be. They hold to the name and pronunciation of the majority, Yahweh.

Conclusions and Summary

            Because the scholarly Christian consensus holds that the name of God is most likely Yahweh, I wanted to include information from those brave souls who disagree and willingly go against the grain of the elite and evangelical consensus.

These are the reasons why I will not yet use the name Yahweh or any other name for God Almighty. And I am not sure that there will ever be sufficient evidence to remove all doubts about any of the proposed names for the “I am”.

• Scholars, many of whom are godless, are often self-appointed to correct the Word of God. Such is the case for the entire Bible as well as the name of God. Higher criticism of the Bible is a tool used to destroy confidence in the Word of God and its authority. It has been very effective.
• Christian scholars have almost destroyed confidence in the Word of God and the Christian faith. From Germany in the 1800s, the Christian world was told that the miracles of the Bible were not real and that there were many errors in the Bible.
• Typically, scholars agree that the work of Wescott and Hort in giving us a new Greek New Testament improved the Bible, whereas many of us disagree with this assessment. They made things much worse. The quality of the Bible is degraded, and these nominal Christian scholars have undermined the authority and credibility of the Bible, doing immeasurable damage to the cause of Christ.
• I still believe that the KJV of the Bible is the better translation. No other book has been as widely accepted and printed for such a long period of time worldwide. A great deal has been written about the KJV translation over the centuries. I recently came across a resource that I am just becoming familiar with. The site was mentioned earlier, Truth Is Christ, by Brandon Peterson. I was never much of a believer in the Bible code material, but this seems to be different and more credible. God’s fingerprints appear to be all over this revered translation, the KJV. (Refer to the appendix for more information about Brandon’s conclusions).
• The Word of God in Psalm 12:6-7 and other places promises us that God will preserve His word. If we are to believe the unbelieving scholars, then God did not preserve His word or even His name for, until the mid-1800s, Christians incorrectly called God Almighty, Jehovah, and not Yahweh or some other name.
• Maybe the name Jehovah (spelling and pronunciation) for the English-speaking people is not the issue. God has many names in the Bible. When and if I become convinced that Yehovah, Yahweh, or some other Hebrew name is the actual Hebrew name of God, in English, the Old Testament name is Jehovah. I do not believe that English-speaking Christians need to start calling Jesus, Yeshua, and I do not think that English-speaking Christians need to call “I am” by the original Hebrew name, whatever that is. If I am wrong, God will correct me. And I will welcome it.
• It seems that Yahweh is a recent development of the 19^th century.  
• And this name, Yahweh, carries a lot of baggage regarding its origin. Obviously, others disagree.
• A few believe that Yehovah is attested to by over 2,400 Hebrew manuscripts dating back to the 9^th century, which state that the name of God is Yehovah. Others disagree. Jury is still out on this for me. If I hear back from Dr. Gordon and he supplies me with a credible rebuttal to the video I mentioned, I will not be able to make a final decision on this name.
• Bible scholars in general, and praise God for the exceptions, have given us an apostate Christian church full of unsaved nominal Christians because they have destroyed confidence in the Word of God and introduced many destructive false teachings that have distorted most essential Christian doctrines. The Hebrew name of God is not a fundamental Christian doctrine in my mind. God will correct me if I am mistaken.
• It is hard for me to believe that Christian’s have had it wrong for 300-400 years, using Jehovah as God’s name, and that God has not preserved His name and His word.
• One expert believes strongly that the name of God is Yahweh. Even so, he doesn’t have high confidence that he has it right. Why?  The insertion of vowels, pronunciation, and spelling gaps in the record makes it difficult to be certain. But what he is sure about is that it is definitely not Jehovah.
• The Old Testament is written almost exclusively in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. And as I understand it, both of which were dead languages for a long time. The job of translators is to convert those Hebrew and Greek words into English words as accurately as possible. Those words will rarely be pronounced or spelled the same as the Hebrew. Take the name of Jesus, for example. In Hebrew, His name is Yeshua. And it is spelled and pronounced differently in other languages (See the appropriate appendix where this is made very clear).  But we are all referring to the same person, the Son of God. Is it any different with God in the Old Testament, the “I am?” Are we not all referring to the same person?
• The word “name” has several different meanings, as we all know. It can refer to the actual literal name of that person (e.g., Betty, Susan, Rachael, John, Peter, Paul). Name can refer to the character, attributes, reputation, fame, glory, power, honor, and authority of a person. The least important aspect of a person’s name is the spelling and pronunciation.
• I will end with one more resource, which sums up what I believe to be accurate regarding this issue of the Old Testament name of God.

From the video “What is the Real Name of God” by Alpha and Omega Productions.

God gave His name; no one else gave it to Him. He named Himself. We honor His name and never give it to anyone else, for that is idolatry. God is not His name. The word God is a title. In the Old Testament, His name was El. The meaning was that God was a supernatural power. That is the meaning of El. We use the word ‘God’ as a description. But which God do you believe in? What is the Name of your God? Moses, being an Egyptian, knew the Egyptians worshipped many gods. And when God Almighty sent him to rescue the Jews, Moses said ‘Who shall I say sent me?’ Then God gives Moses His name.

According to this video, no one knows His name today. Nobody does. His name is used over 6,000 times in the Old Testament, yet we are not familiar with it. God said, ‘My name is, ‘I Am that I Am.’ It is a 4-letter name, JHWH or YHWH (JHVH). The video declares that today, we don’t know how to spell it or pronounce it. Initially, the vowels were missing. And people have inserted vowels, and there is a variety of possible names. Yahweh is such a name, but there are several others, such as Yehovah. This is admitted to by some of the most ardent defenders of the name Yahweh.

But for centuries, the Jews did not pronounce the name of God out of reverence and fear. Today, we rarely use God’s name. For the Jewish people, fear turned into a phobia, and so they never mentioned it. And by the time of Jesus, they never used God’s name, and even Jews couldn’t say it, according to this author.

JHWH, what does it mean? It comes from ‘hayah’, which means ‘to be’. It can mean: I am who I am, or I am what I am, or I will be what I will be. ‘I am’ is the name of God in the Old Testament. What does it mean? The video author says that His name must be understood by what it says and what it doesn’t.

What does the name of God say or mean

• God is unique
• God is sufficient
• God is unchangeable (This is true in His character and holiness, but it is not absolutely true that God never changes in any way. See my articles on Classical Theism. The God of the Bible often changes His mind based on our response or lack of response to Him.)
• God is holy
• God is eternal

God also declared His name by what He didn’t say.

As we all know, even in the Old Testament, God compounded His name. Most of us are familiar with names like:

• Jehovah-jireh,
• Jehovah-nissi, and
• Jehovah-shalom. (Refer to Part 1 for a complete list of compound names.)
• And in four places, the KJV gives us the name Jehovah, for a total of seven.

Today, many think that God’s name, Yahweh, is the name of God, but we don’t use it. We don’t really know His name, its spelling, or its pronunciation. Therefore, we call Him God, Lord, or LORD.

Let us look at the person and work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

This is most important. Jesus called God Father. Jesus did not call Him Yehovah, Jehovah, or Yahweh. Father is the name of God given to us by Jesus Christ. According to the video, this was new to the Jews, and they would never have said such a thing to call God Almighty their Father.

Jesus was asked to teach His disciples how to pray. Jesus said ‘When you pray, pray like this, ‘Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” What name did Jesus give us but Father? Jesus did not say Our Yahweh, or Our Jehovah, or our Yehovah, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Jesus said Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Why is that?

If you know your Bible, you know that Jesus called Himself Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yehovah. However, the word “Jehovah” is not found in the New Testament, and neither is the name “Yahweh” or “Yehovah” found in the New Testament. Pay close attention to this.  Seven (7) times (God’s number for perfection) in the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be “I am”.

Jesus said:

1. I am the bread of life in John 6:35, 48, 51
2. I am the light of the world in John 8:12; 9:5
3. I am the door (of the sheep) in John 10:7,9
4. I am the good shepherd in John 10:11,14
5. I am the resurrection and the life in John 11:25
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life in John 14:6
7. I am the true vine in John 15:1,5

When Jesus said these things, the Jewish religious leaders picked up stones to kill him. They knew that He was claiming to be divine.

Notice what Jesus didn’t say. He did not say that He was Yahweh, Jehovah, or Yehovah. Jesus claimed to be the ‘I am’ of the burning bush, and for this reason, the Jews killed Him. In addition to these seven instances, consider the following. In the following passages, Jesus makes an absolute claim using His Old Testament name, “I am,” from Exodus 3:14 and the burning bush.

• “…for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” John 8:24.
• “…then shall ye know that I am he…” John 8:28.
• “Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58.
• “…when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19.
• When asked, “Whom seek ye?” Jesus replies, “I am he,” and the soldiers fall backward. John 18:5,6.

In all these instances, Jesus said that He was the “I am” of the Word of God. That was His claim to be JHWH or YHWH or JHVH. The very God whose name they feared even to speak, yet they weren’t afraid to put Him to death. Imagine that. They pretended to fear misusing the name of the great “I am,” but they did not fear murdering Him. Repeated refusal to submit to God always results in profound blindness and great deception.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples went forth proclaiming the good news. This statement was made on the day of Pentecost. “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness (remission) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” see Acts 2:2:14-36. It is in this new name, the name of Jesus, that God is known, not by Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yehovah. The video makes this statement, which I believe is true:

“God has a Christian name, Yeshua (Hebrew/Aramaic), Jesus (English), and Iesou ‘ee-ay-soo’ or Iesous ‘ee-ay-soos’ (Greek)”, emphasis added.

In the first book of the Bible, the gospel of Mathew, we have the story about the incarnation of the Messiah. In Matthew 1:21, we are told that Mary is to name Him, Jesus, for He will save His people from, not in, their sins. Then in Matthew 1:22-23 it is written, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Jesus’ name is Emmanuel, God with us. The “I am” put on a body of flesh and became a man, God with us. Jesus (I am that I am) became a man.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:1,2.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18 That means all authority, right, and jurisdiction.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name (Jesus Christ) which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Emphasis added, Philippians 2:9-11.

 See also Ephesians 1:20-22, where it is stated that Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, far above all principality, power, and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in the one to come.

What then is the name of God?

Our creator has many names. But the only name we need to call on and submit to is the name of Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God the Father.

What does your name mean?

 We all have the opportunity to make our name mean something important. What will you do with your name? What will I do with my name? When people remember us, what will they remember? Do we want them to remember how rich we were? Do you want them to remember the fine house and car we owned? Do we want them to remember all the places we traveled to? Do we want them to remember our superficial faith and inconsistent integrity? Do we want them to remember your name when they think of those who couldn’t be trusted?

Most importantly, what will God think when He considers your name? What do you want Him to think of when He speaks your name? Someday, He will call for you and me by name. Your name is important; make it mean something.

Final Comments

Let me close with my opening. As important as the name of God is, there is even something more important.

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy holy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above thy name.” Psalm 138:2, KJV emphasis added.

King David declared that God has magnified His word above His name. That is very profound, considering how sacred the Jews thought the name of God was. The Jews refrained from even speaking His name. In this passage, David attests to the reliability and authority of God’s word. He will fulfil all of His promises for He is always faithful. His word is even more holy and sacred than His name. Keep that in mind. Jesus is the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Your word is more important than your name.

Let us make our name mean something worthy of Jesus Christ, the God who gives us life.