July 19, 2023
Would you address your spouse by a name that is not their own? Would your children like to be called by someone else’s name? If your friend called you by another name, would you be okay with that? Most of us want to be called by the name our parents gave us at birth. (Nicknames are a different matter, and many of us use nicknames.)
If you were invited to meet a business, religious, or political dignitary, would you call that person by anyone else’s name? That would be highly disrespectful, wouldn’t it?
A sign of intimacy and respect is using and pronouncing a person’s name correctly. If God is our LORD, shouldn’t we know His name and address Him by the name He uses for Himself? (I do not think that a nickname for God is appropriate, do you?)
Years ago, I remember a speech where the speaker recalled what his mother would tell him every time he left the house as a teenager. She would ask him to “remember your name.” A reputation is more valuable than money. Your name is worth protecting. A good name means something.
The value or significance of a name?
Some parents name their kids for superficial reasons. They like the sound of the name or the way it is spelled. The meaning of the name is not essential to them. On the other hand, some parents name their children based on the meaning of the name or in honor of someone they loved or respected.
In scripture, a name carries deep significance. Often, a name reflects the character or calling of the individual. Names can reveal much about a person. We named our five daughters after godly women from the Bible, in gratitude to God for His many blessings and our prayers for our children to live godly lives, just like their namesakes.
What follows is a very brief overview of the names of God in the Bible. I used a book by Nathan Stone, “Names of God,” for much of this short overview.
Elohim (God)
In the Book of Genesis, it is written, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. In the beginning, Elohim or God created the heavens and the earth. Elohim is used 32 times in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis.
Essentially, this term denotes the creative and sustaining power of God, who created everything in the universe and upholds it by the word of His power. This word also designates the authority and power of God to enter into a covenant. This word describes His natural attributes or His glory, such as the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, creator of the universe.
While not the most used word for deity, Elohim is used over 2,500 times in the Bible. It is a plural form and may particularly represent the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jehovah (LORD)
This word is used to describe the perfect moral qualities of God: His righteousness, His holiness, His justice, His mercy, and especially His love. Elohim revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush as Jehovah, their God. When Moses asked what he should tell the children of Israel on his return to Egypt. Who shall I say sent me to redeem them from the house of bondage? God said Moses was to tell them that “I am, that I am” and “I am” sent me. This denotes the absolute self-existent nature of God. He is the God who was, the God who is, and the God who is to come. He was not created. He is the one and only eternal creator and has life in Himself. This name, Jehovah, conveys God’s moral attributes and Elohim his natural attributes. Both of which speak of His glory.
“Whereas the term Elohim assumes a love toward all creation and creatures as the works of His hands, the name Jehovah reveals this love as conditioned upon moral and spiritual attributes. The name Jehovah, as we have already noted, does not appear until Genesis 2:4.” Page 24 of a book by Nathan Stone, Names of God, page 24.
Jehovah is used in the Old Testament close to 7,000 times. It is the name most used for Elohim (God). However, the translators of the King James Version of the Bible translated it LORD in all but seven (7) instances, where it is Jehovah and not LORD. When you read your Bible and see the word LORD, all in capital letters, you know it is the word Jehovah, according to the author.
The first two English letters in the word Jehovah are identical to those in other words and carry the same pronunciation, as seen in Jerusalem, Jericho, Jeremiah, Jesus, and so on.
“I am Jehovah (LORD), the Elohim (God) of Abraham thy father, and the Elohim (God) of Isaac…” Gen 28:13
So why is it that most contemporary Christian leaders use the name of Yahweh for God instead of Jehovah?
Yahweh (yah-way)
It is most common today to refer to God as Yahweh, rather than Jehovah. Most current Christian scholars, the academic world in general, and Christian leaders maintain that these two words for the name of God are interchangeable and refer to the same God; however, Yahweh is considered the more precise name. In my observation, most Christian leaders and pastors today refer to God by the name Yahweh, and not Jehovah. But is this the case that the two names are interchangeable? And why didn’t the KJV 1611 use the name Yahweh instead of Jehovah?
“And God (Elohim) spake unto Moses, and said unto him I am the LORD (Jehovah): And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.” Exodus 6:2-3.
In Part 2, we will examine this further. Is Yahweh the name of God?
Adonai (Lord)
This word is used in a few hundred instances in the Old Testament and refers to God’s lordship over the universe and humanity. It is translated as “Lord” in the Bible, not all capital letters as in “LORD”. This word occurs about 300 times in the Old Testament and is almost always in the plural form, confirming the triune nature of the Godhead. It speaks of God’s ownership of everything, but in particular, mankind. And as the owner and master or Lord, Adonai deserves and demands entire obedience and service from His subjects.
El Shaddai
El is a root of the word Elohim and denotes power, hence the meaning of this is Almighty God-God Almighty or El Shaddai.
Jehovah-jireh (yeer-eh)
God will provide. The reference is to the story about Abraham when God told him to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac. Abraham told his son, when Isaac questioned what the sacrifice would be, that “God will provide”. God did provide the animal sacrifice and was the deliverer of Isaac. Jesus is our Savior, our Deliverer, and our Sacrifice. Jesus is Jehovah-jireh.
Jehovah-rophe (ro-phay)
The word “rophe” appears about 60 times in the OT, and it means to restore, to heal, to cure, not only physically but also spiritually and morally. Healing in the Old Testament is conditioned on obedience. Jehovah-rophe is our healer of both body and soul. His name is Jesus.
Jehovah-nissi (nis-see)
Jehovah is my banner. Not only would Jehovah save the children of Israel from hunger and thirst, but he would also save them from their human enemies. In this case, the Amalekites (named for Amalek, a grandson of Esau, the twin brother of Isaac) were the enemies. They were very hostile to Israel, and God promised to eradicate them.
The banner was not necessarily a flag, but a rod, which was the symbol and pledge of Jehovah’s presence and His power to destroy the enemy. For the Jew, the word even meant miracle. The banner was a signal for the people of God to rally to Him, His purposes, and His promises. Because under His banner, there was deliverance and success. That is, if His people did as He commanded. The concept of deliverance encompasses both external enemies and internal corruption. Isn’t that beautiful?
“As Moses lifted up the serpent (on a banner) in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” John 3:14
Jehovah-M’Kaddesh (m-kad-desh)
Jehovah who sanctifies. “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Jehovah your God…I am Jehovah, which sanctify you.” Lev. 20:7
The children of Jehovah are not to be of the world, only in it. They are to be a peculiar people, set apart for Jehovah, not their pleasures. They are not to become polluted by the world around them. Jehovah is holy, and His people are to be holy.
In the case of Israel, the nation would utterly destroy the ungodly to inherit the promised land. That was a picture of what must also happen in their hearts, for sin must be slain, and they must utterly destroy the enemy within. Another beautiful picture for us to meditate on.
Jehovah-shalom (shal-lom)
Jehovah is peace. “It expressed the deepest desire and need of the human heart. It represented the greatest measure of contentment and satisfaction in life.” Page 113, Names of God. This word indicates every blessing, whether physical and temporal or spiritual and eternal. This name encompasses all that was lost in the fall of man by sin and disobedience. By our obedient faith, all this peace is restored.
Jehovah-tsidkenu (tsid-kay-noo)
Jehovah our righteousness. This righteousness is given to us by faith and assures us of Jehovah’s pardon for our sins. We are cleansed and set free by the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our righteousness.
Jehovah-rohi (ro-ee)
Jehovah is my shepherd. Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd.” The great shepherd feeds and watches over His sheep. The Lord of the universe came down from heaven and took responsibility for our well-being as our great shepherd, Jesus Christ. The humility and love of God – Jesus are seen clearly in this name.
Jehovah-Shammah (sham-mah)
Jehovah is there. “And the name of the city from that day shall be, Jehovah-Shammah.” Ezekiel 48:35. His ongoing presence is conditioned on our faithful obedience. Jehovah destroyed Shiloh and Jerusalem because the Jews did not meet the conditions of the covenant. Twice, He destroyed Jerusalem for unbelief or apostasy. Christians are the temple of Jehovah-Shammah based on their faithful obedience to Him.
Final comments
In addition to the name of God, His attributes are also essential. See my articles on Theism for a deeper dive into God’s attributes.
Part 1 provides a clear picture of the nature of the God of the Bible. In Part 2, we will dig deeper into the appropriate name of God. Is it Yahweh or Jehovah or some other name?
