Does the Bible Forbid the Pronunciation of God's Holy Name?

 

ABHIR - The Mighty One of Jacob

We find that the Bible uses the Hebrew word often transliterated as "Abhir" in the following verses:  Genesis 49:24; Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 132:2, 5; Isaiah 1:24, 49:26, 60:1.

Here are the instances as found in the Darby translation:

Genesis 49:24
But his bow abideth firm, And the arms of his hands are supple By the hands of the Mighty One [ABHIR] of Jacob. From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:
Psalm 132:2
How he swore unto Jehovah, vowed unto the Mighty One [ABHIR] of Jacob:
Psalm 132:5
Until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One [ABHIR] of Jacob.
Isaiah 1:24
Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One [ABHIR] of Israel: Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.
Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with new wine. And all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One [ABHIR]  of Jacob.
Isaiah 60:16
And thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

The word transliterated as Abhir (or, Abir) is Strong's Hebrew #46, and it has the basic meaning of "strong". It is not a noun, but it is an adjective, and it is used as an adjective in all the verses given. Nevertheless, as an adjective, it is understood as being descriptive of a noun or pronoun, and thus, as in the Darby translation above, the pronoun "one" is supplied, and thus we have the entire phrase as the "Mighty One of Jacob" or the "Mighty One of Israel". Some may supply the noun "God". However, without adding a noun or pronoun, it could be rendered as the "strength of Jacob", or the "strength of Israel". Still, however, it is Jehovah who is being spoken of.

Abhir appears to be a close synonym to forms of the Hebrew word often transliterated as EL (Strong's 410), which is usually translated into English as "god" or "God"; however, the basic meaning of EL is that of strength or might, very similar to Abhir. In the KJV, forms of the Hebrew word EL are rendered as "power", "great", "mighty", "angels", and "exceeding", as well as by "idols", "god" or "God".
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/el.html
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/elohiym.html

ABHIR is only applied to Jehovah in the Bible. As a descriptive title, one could say that ABHIR is a "name" of Jehovah, but it is never given as being God's Holy Name. The Bible speaks of only one "Holy Name" of God, and it shows that "Holy Name" to be, as it is often given in English, "Jehovah" or "Yahweh". As such, both the English/Latin form "Jehovah" and the English/Latin form "Yahweh" are variations of the same one Holy Name found in the Hebrew Bible.

See also our study:
One Holy Name

Advocate - Is God Our Advocate?

Many often present a long list of "names" that often thought to be "names of God". One of the alleged names of God is often given as being "Advocate". As we have shown elsewhere, the Bible reveals only one name as being God's Holy Name. The Bible never speaks of "names" [plural] of God.

One of the scriptures given relative to this is 1 John 2:1, which reads: "My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous."  (World English) The assumption appears to be that Jesus is the Supreme Being, and thus, since it is assumed that Jesus is the Supreme Being, then one of the alleged "names" of the Supreme Being is Advocate. Of course, in reality, Jesus spoke of his God and Father as being the only true God, the only true Supreme Being, and by stating that the only true God had sent him, Jesus denied being the Supreme Being. (John 17:1,3) Thus, "Advocate" is not a "name" of the only true God.

Another scripture sometimes given is John 14:26, where the spirit of truth is referred as "Counselor", "Comforter", or "Advocate" (depending on which translation is used). Evidently, it is thought that God's Holy Spirit is a person of God, and wholly and fully God, and thus God is being referred to as "Advocate". Of course, trinitarians and some others believe that Jesus is Jehovah, and thus that Jehovah, the Son of Jehovah, is our advocate before Jehovah, the Father of Jehovah. The scriptures, however, reveal no such concept.

The Bible, however, never presents Jesus as being the God and Father of Abraham, the "one God" from whom are the all, nor is God's Holy Spirit ever presented as being a person of God, or as being "wholly and fully God [Supreme Being".

See our study: Jesus is Not Jehovah

Advocate is often listed as being a "name" of God. The word "advocate" is not actually a name, at least not in the sense that we speak of "Jesus", "Joshua", "Elijah", etc., as being names. The word "advocate" is a "name" in a more general sense, as we might say that the word "apple" designates the name of a certain fruit. This word, as applied to Jesus and God's Holy Spirit, could better be termed a "title" rather than "name".

However, the Bible reveals only one name as being God's "Holy Name". This Holy Name is often presented in English as "Jehovah" (based on Masoretic Hebrew) or "Yahweh" (based on a Greek rendering of the Holy Name). 

The word "advocate" is often confused with the word "mediator"; they do not actually mean exactly the same thing. The word mediator signifies one who seeks to reconcile two parties who are not in harmony with each other. Before one becomes a child of God, one is estranged from God, and thus, in need the mediator by which to be reconciled to God. Thus, to become a child of God, one who receives Christ and has faith in the Jesus' sacrifice for our sins, becomes reconciled to God, and also becomes a new creation, separated from the old creation that remains under God's wrath. (John 3:36; Romans 5:10,12-19; 8:1,17-22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:5,6) The new creature in Christ, being a child of God, is without sin, and thus no longer needs a mediator.  In 1 John 4:1, John is not speaking to the world estranged from God, but rather he is speaking to sons of God, those who have already been united with God and who are thus no longer 'dead through their trespasses", but who have been 'made alive with Christ'. -- Ephesians 6:5.

An advocate is one who appears before a judge in their defense. Jesus is, in effect, the lawyer who serves as the counselor or advocate for the sons of God. Since the new creature still has to contend with the sinful flesh, the new creature needs an advocate, someone who is like a lawyer, to appear on his behalf before the only true God. Nevertheless, this representation before God is still based on application of the blood of Jesus, which has been offered in sacrifice for us all. (Hebrews 9:24-26) In other words, for any sin attributed to the sinful flesh, Jesus does not offer a new sacrifice for that sin, but as the advocate of the new creature, he appears before God so that such a sin does not put the New Creature at enmity with God.

Below needs to be edited:

The world has no advocate with the Father, but "we have."

The consecrated household of faith is represented in heaven itself by him who redeemed the whole world. This is in accordance with our topic of last Sunday, which many of you have doubtless followed through the public press. We there showed that after our Lord had finished his sacrifice at Calvary, been raised from the dead on the third day, spent forty days with the disciples, establishing them and preparing them for the work before them, he then ascended up on high, there to appear in the presence of God on our behalf, as today's text declares, "to be our advocate." (Heb. 9:24)

The figure is a peculiar one. An advocate, an attorney, appears to answer for his client, not to answer for others; and so, although our Lord paid the ransom price for the sins of the whole world, or, as John 2:2 says, he was a propitiation [satisfaction] for the sins of the whole world, nevertheless he did not appear for the whole world at his first advent. The world has not retained him as an advocate. Only believers have come into this relationship, and consequently only for these did he appear, only for these has the redemption through Christ been applied; only these, therefore, have been brought into covenant relationship with the Father.

The same Jesus, on the basis of the same sin offering finished at Calvary, will in the next age take up the cause of the world – not as an advocate, not as appearing before the Father for them and having them justified through faith, but as a go-between, a mediator between God and man. God stands for his own justice. Mankind in general, the world, are in more or less of a rebellious attitude, lovers of sin, blind to their true interests. The Mediator undertakes a work on their behalf, to bring in reconciliation between God and these his rebellious subjects, and to recover the latter by opening the eyes of their understanding, by giving them valuable lessons and experiences respecting the blessings of righteousness and the undesirableness of sin, and thus to bring back as many as possible to fellowship with the Father, and to restore them mentally, morally and physically to the original likeness of God.

By the end of that Millennial age the Mediator will be ready to introduce the perfect members of the race to the Father, blameless and irreprovable – all those rejecting his ministries of reconciliation will have been cut off in the Second Death. Thenceforth there will be no more sorrow, pain, sighing, crying, dying, because all the former things will have passed away, the Mediator will have effected his grand work of destroying sin and bringing in everlasting righteousness.

How precious the thought that, while the world is mentally, morally and physically poisoned by sin and blind to it own best interests, the time shall yet come when they will be blessed with the opening of the eyes of their understanding and with all the assistances necessary for their recovery. And how the Lord's words resound in our ears, "Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear." (Matt. 13:16)

We may well thank God that the light of the knowledge of his goodness has shined into our hearts, and that we no longer need to wait for the Mediator's work to reconcile us, but now in advance turn to the Lord promptly, as soon as we have heard of his grace in Christ. And how gracious is his provision in all respects for our adoption into his family, our begetting of the Spirit to a new nature, that we may become heirs of God and joint-heirs with his Son in the glorious Kingdom which is to bless the world.

How blessed, too, is this special privilege which we are considering today, namely, that although in our imperfection we must concede that we are trespassers of divine grace and fail to come up to the terms and conditions of our covenant, nevertheless God has provided for us an advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous, whose righteousness has been imputed to us, by whose stripes we are healed, our blemishes covered and not counted to us, but counted to him who died for us on Calvary. Let us rejoice in this loving favor, and [NS360] more and more zealously strive to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, and to keep close accounts with the Lord, so that our consciences will be sensitive, and even slight violations of the law of love will appeal to us as contrary to our covenant and send us to the blood again, which makes and keeps us whole.

Does "Jehovah" Mean "Lord"?

 

* Pronunciation of YHWH

* Martini and Yohoua

* The Name of Messiah

ADONAI - Superior or Supreme Lord

The Holy Name in Matthew

In this study, we will endeavor to provide all the scriptures with the book of Matthew in which we believe that God's Holy Name was changed to other words. In most instances, we will find that God's Holy Name has been changed to a form of the Greek word often transliterated as KURIOS. However, at times God's Holy Name has been changed to other words, especially to forms of the words often transliterated as THEOS.

We will be using the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible as a basis.

All Hebrew and Greek words will be presented with transliterations into Latin characters.

Matthew 1:20 

But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

The phrase rendered as "angel of Jehovah" in the Old Testament of the American Standard Version is found many times in the Hebrew scriptures. In most instances, in the Hebrew text, the phrase is without the definite article, which means that it could be rendered as "an angel of Jehovah" rather than "the angel of Jehovah". Nevertheless, the ASV usually adds "the" before each occurrence. In Matthew 1:20, the Greek text is likewise lacking the definite article before the Hebrew word for angel.

The addition of the definite article "the" in the Old Testament of the ASV and many other translations is probably due to the extra-Biblical teachings that there is only one "angel of Jehovah". The doctrine would have it that "the angel of Jehovah" or as many often would claim "the angel of the Lord", is Jesus, the alleged second person of a triune God, who evidently could be seen while the alleged first person of the triune God cannot be seen, etc. The usage in the New Testament, however, would not fit that concept, since it is obvious that the angel in Matthew 1:20 is not Jesus. Thus, the ASV does put "an" before the expression rather than "the".  This angel of Jehovah who appeared to Joseph was probably Gabriel as spoken of in Luke 1:11,19,26.

We should note that indefinite KURIOS of Matthew 1:20 has been rendered into English in the definite form "the Lord", that is, the definite article "the" has been added by the translators.

Nevertheless, it should be obvious that God's Holy Name has been changed to and anarthrous from KURIOS in Matthew 1:20, and thus that it would be proper to restore the Holy Name in this verse.

Reference
Bible Hub's analysis of Matthew 1:20

Matthew 1:22

Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through the prophet, saying, 

Matthew 1:23

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.

We have included verse 23 in order to complete the sentence and to show what is being referred to in verse 22.  The quote in verse 23 is from Isaiah 7:14.

He who spoke through the prophet Isaiah is Jehovah (Yahweh) as can be seen from Isaiah 7:3, Isaiah 7:7 and Isaiah 7:10. This is the same one person who is "God" in Hebrews 1:1,2, who spoke through the prophets of old and who now speaks through his Son. 

It should be obvious that God's Holy Name has been changed to an anarthrous form of KURIOS in this verse, and thus it would be proper to restore that Holy Name.

*** More to be added later, God willing.

{Matthew 1:24} Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of Jehovah commanded him, and took his wife to himself;

{Matthew 2:13} Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of Jehovah

appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the young child

and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you,

Matthew 2:14} He arose and took the young child and his mother by night,

and departed into Egypt, {Matthew 2:15} and was there until the death of Herod;

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Jehovah through the

prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

{Matthew 2:19} But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of Jehovah

appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, {Matthew 2:20} "Arise and take

the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for

those who sought the young life of the boy are dead."

{Matthew 3:3} For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the

prophet, saying,

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

   make ready the way of Jehovah.

   Make his paths straight."

{Matthew 4:4} But he answered, "It is written, 'Man must not live by bread

alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Jehovah.'"

{Matthew 4:7} Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, 'You must not test Jehovah, your God.'"

{Matthew 4:10} Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, 'You must worship Jehovah your God, and you must serve him only.'"

{Matthew 5:33} "Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time,

'You must not make false vows, but must perform to Jehovah your

vows,'

{Matthew 6:33} But seek first the Kingdom of Jehovah, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

{Matthew 15:6} he will not honor his

father or mother.' You have made the commandment of Jehovah void because of

your tradition.

{Matthew 19:24} Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Jehovah."

{Matthew 21:9} The multitudes who went before him, and who followed kept shouting, "Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah! Hosanna in the highest!"

{Matthew 21:31} Which of the two did

the will of his father?"

   They said to him, "The first."

   Jesus said to them, "Most certainly I tell you that the tax

collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of Jehovah

before you.

{Matthew 21:42} Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,

'The stone which the builders rejected,

   the same was made the head of the corner.

This was from Jehovah.

   It is marvelous in our eyes?'

{Matthew 21:43} "Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of Jehovah will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit.

{Matthew 22:31} But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read that which was spoken to you by Jehovah, saying, 

{Matthew 22:32} 'I am the

God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' Jehovah is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

{Matthew 22:37} Jesus said to him, "'You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

{Matthew 22:43} He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, {Matthew 22:44} 'Jehovah said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet?'

{Matthew 23:39} For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of Jehovah!'"

{Matthew 28:2} Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of Jehovah

descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the

door, and sat on it.

Did Tyndale Invent Jehovah?

The Holy Name In The Original Hebrew/Greek

Does The Holy Name Mean “The Eternal”?

Martini and the Vowel Points

(Please note that many links are provided to other sites; we do not necessarily agree with all conclusions presented on those sites.)

Raymundus Martini was the author of the work called Pugio Fidei, which was not written in English, but rather in Latin. He also authored some other works. He lived about 300 years after the Masoretes had completed their work on the Hebrew text. The Masoretic text has the vowel points long before Martini was alive. The English forms Jehovah, Yehowah, Iehouah, etc. (depending on whose transliteration method is being used), are definitely transliterations from the Masoretic text corresponding to the vowel points that the Masoretes used in the Holy Name long before Martini was born.

As far as we know, Martini's original works in Latin are not online, and as yet I have not been able to examine them. From what we can determine, he challenged the form presented by the Masoretes, and presented the Holy Name as "Yohoua." We still have not been able to determine how he came up with this pronunciation, nor have we found anything about why he rejected the Masoretic forms of the Holy Name. Oddly, when his work was published after his death, the Holy Name was presented as "Jehova", which does appear to conform closely to the Masoretic text, although it drops the last consonant. Martini definitely did not take vowel points from the Masoretic words ELOHIM and/or ADONAI to form "Jehovah," despite the false claims that he did. Such simply does not conform with the historical facts. The Masoretic text had the vowel points in the Holy Name long before Martini was born.

However, the most common claim is that the Masoretes took vowel points from other words to create the form from which Jehovah is rendered. As best as we can determine, the first to suggest that the Masoretes substituted vowel points they supplied for ADONAI and/or ELOHIM was Wilhelm Gesenius. Gensenius lived from 1786-1842, about 700 years after the Masoretes completed their work. As best as we can determine, he was also the first to suggest that "Yahweh" was the original pronunciation, based on sounds attributed to a Greek form of the Holy Name. The form referred to is often transliterated as IAUE, and given Latin sounds, and placing those sounds with a transliteration of the tetragrammaton as YHWH, results in Yahweh. The reconstruction, however, depends on a lot of theory and assumptions, and although the theories and assumptions may be presented as being fact, they are still theories and assumptions. The reality is that the form Yahweh depends more on theories and assumptions than do the forms found in the Masoretic Hebrew. Nevertheless, as Wikipedia states, "The consensus among scholars is that the historical vocalization of the Tetragrammaton at the time of the redaction of the Torah (6th century BCE) is most likely Yahweh." Again, this is based on the assumption that the Masoretes substituted vowel points they supplied to form the Masoretic word often transliterated as ADONAI and/or ELOHIM.

As to theory, the whole study of linguistic history, as far as sounds, is based on theories. No one on earth today knows for a certainty even what English sounded like four hundred years ago, not to mention the many variations of English. We have theories, but written works suggest that there were many different dialects of English, lacking the uniformity we are used to today. Scholars, however, most often present their theories as being fact, although scholars often disagree with each other. No one on earth knows what ancient Hebrew actually sounded like, nor even the Koine Greek of the New Testament, despite the often detailed explanations of sounds that some scholars often present.

And then there is the study of the Masoretic text itself and the sounds often attributed to both the consonants and the vowels. It is obvious that the Masoretes sought some standardization of sounds, and thus it is possible that in doing so, they neglected sound variations of various consonants as well as the sounds attributed to their vowel points. In other words, where the Masoretes usually promoted one sound for each consonant, this may not actually reflect all the original Hebrew sounds.

There is some evidence that some copies of the Hebrew Old Testament may have had some kind of written vowel system before the Masoretes. There is no evidence, however, that the Masoretes used any earlier manuscripts with written vowels, however, in the creation of the Masoretic text.

In the Wikipedia article on "Names of God", we find the assumption presented as being fact:

The Masoretic Text uses vowel points of Adonai or Elohim (depending on the context) marking the pronunciation as Yəhōwāh (יְ הֹ וָ ה, [jăhowɔh] (About this sound listen)); however, scholarly consensus is that this is not the original pronunciation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism#YHWH
(Much of the wording in this article presents a lot of opinions and assumptions -- both historical and otherwise -- as through fact.)

However, the fact that most scholars agree on an opinion (consensus) does not necessarily make the opinion correct.

References:
(We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions given by these authors)

The Myth That Jehovah Was Pointed with the Vowel Markings of Adonai

Debunking the Myths of Sacred Namers

More may be added to this later... R. R. Day.

Did A Catholic Monk Invent “Jehovah”?

Many assertions are often made concerning the English form “Jehovah”; such assertions are often presented as being fact, although in reality much of what is presented is inaccurate historically. Most of the statements we are referring seem also be based on the assumption that “Jehovah” is a separate “name” from the Holy Name as it appears in Hebrew. Most of these also seem to assume that if God’s Holy Name is not pronounced exactly as it is in Hebrew, that it is a false “name”.

One makes the claim: “The term ‘Jehovah’ was the invention of a Catholic monk (Raymundus Martini) in AD 1202.” 

Another states: “We can trace the name Jehovah to the first person to use it, a Roman Catholic monk from the 1200’s.” 

Another site states: "The first recorded use of this spelling [Jehovah] was made by a Spanish Dominican monk, Raymundus Martini, in 1270."

Surrounding this claim are theories of how  "Jehovah" was formed. These conflicting theories are often presented as being historical fact.

One claims: "About the 13th century the term 'Jehovah' appeared when Christian scholars took the consonants of 'Yahweh' and pronounced it with the vowels of 'Adonai.'"  This appears to assume that the form "Yahweh" is the correct name while Jehovah is incorrect. The reality is that the the vowel points were added by the Masoretes long before the 13th century.

 An author on another site (actually this statement appears on several sites) states: "The word 'Jehovah' comes from the fact that ancient Jewish texts used to put the vowels of the Name 'Adonai' (the usual substitute for YHVH) under the consonants of YHVH to remind people not to pronounce YHVH as written." Actually, what is being called here "fact" is simply somebody's theory; what ancient Hebrew texts are being referred to is not given. The first Hebrew text to supply vowel points was the Masoretic text which was completed sometime before the tenth century. One could call that ancient, although usually "ancient" is used of earlier manuscripts than the Masoretic text. The author continues: "A sixteenth century German Christian scribe, while transliterating the Bible into Latin for the Pope, wrote the Name out as it appeared in his texts, with the consonants of YHVH and the vowels of Adonai, and came up with the word JeHoVaH, and the name stuck." We could not confirm anything stated in this sentence. .We know, however, that the vowel points that provide the rendering of "Jehovah" were already in the Masoretic text long before the sixteenth century.

One asks: "The version Jehovah was invented by a Catholic monk in the middle ages–so, the question is, how can a word made up by a Catholic monk centuries later possibly be God’s name?" The term "middle ages" is vague, but evidently this is referring to the inaccurate claim being circulated that Raymundus Martini created the form "Jehovah." It is even often claimed that he supplied the vowels from Adonai and/or from Elohim, etc., to create the form "Jehovah."

It is claimed that “Jehovah is a false name” “made up by a Catholic monk”.  It is claimed that Jews do not believe in saying the “name of the Lord” Another asks: "How can 'Jehovah' have the same meaning as 'Yahweh' when it is a different name."  Evidently, the assumption is that Jehovah and Yahweh are not variations of the same name, but that the two forms are two totally different names.  Oddly, the author makes no assumption regarding the use of "Jesus", although the English form "Jesus" is definitely NOT the way the name was originally pronounced in ancient Hebrew. The author goes on to say: "'Jehovah' was made up by putting the vowels of  'Adonai' into the Tetragrammaton, which Hebrew experts (I have quoted 3 in my study) say is an impossible form." Hebrew so-called "experts" have to work from various theories and assumptions; these "experts" were not alive several thousand years ago so as to be able to be able to verify their theories. We need to be careful in putting trust in theories of men, no matter how "expert" they may appear to be.

Nevertheless, arguments that place a lot of emphasis on the original pronunciation as being the only actually name of the Creator are actually all irrelevant to usage of the form "Jehovah" to represent the Holy Name in English, or similar forms in other languages. All of these arguments would have meaning ONLY IF such are supported by a scripture saying that the Holy Name has to be pronounced as it was originally pronounced in ancient Hebrew or else it is a false name. God has not given any command that his name or any other Hebrew name has to be pronounced in other langauges as it was originally pronounced in ancient Hebrew or else it is not His name, or that it is another name. Furthermore, the assumption would demand that every language have the sounds of every Hebrew name in each language; more than likely many languages would not have the same sounds as anceint Hebrew. Most scholars agree that the many Hebrew names found in the Koine Greek of the New Testament are not pronounced as they were in ancient Hebrew. On top of that is the fact that no one one earth today knows for a certainty how God's name, or even His Son's name, was originally pronounced in ancient Hebrew. Further, no one on earth today knows for a certainty what the Koine Greek sounded like. All we have are the various theories that many promote about this and that upon which this or that pronunciation is thought to be correct, etc.

A side note: One in Texas claims to be have received divine revelation as to the correct English pronunciation and spelling. He has so many odd English spellings of Hebrew names and other words in his writings it is sometimes difficult to read what he writes. This man makes claims for his group similar to claims that Joseph Rutherford made for the Jehovah's Witnesses organization that he, Rutherford created, and called "Jehovah's visible organization." The governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses today continues to make the same claims, often even greater, claims for authority, denouncing an eternal doom on all who do not come to them for salvation. The focus on the Holy Name taken to extremes, and especially on some certain form of pronunciation of the Holy Name, often becomes a smokescreen Satan makes use of to turn one's attention from the glad tidings of great joy that will be for all the people.

As to the English form "Jehovah": it is actually based on the major form of the Holy Name as found in the Masoretic Hebrew text. The idea of insertion by Christians later of the vowels of Adonai and/or Elohim is simply someone's theories. The usual charge, however, is that the Masoretes themselves inserted vowels into the tetragrammaton to form Jehovah (or, Yehowah); this also, however, is an assumption that has been repeated so many times that it has become accepted as fact. Some scholars, however, have claimed that this assumption is not true; that the Masoretes did not take vowel points they supplied from other words to create the form from which "Jehovah", "Iehouah", "Yehowah", etc., are derived. So far we have found no evidence that the Masoretes did take the vowel points they supplied to form ADONAI or ELOHIM to use in the Holy Name.

Some authors like to to point out the Holy Name in the original Hebrew had no vowels, and they make many claims because of this. Many even seem to think that the lack of vowels is peculiar to the tetragrammaton of the Holy Name. The reality is that the original Hebrew has no written vowels at all for any name or any word whatsoever. The vowel sounds were spoken, however.

Nevertheless, the vowel points for the Holy Name were not originally provided by any Catholic monk, nor any Christian; they were provided by the Masoretes long before any Monk provided a transliteration of the Holy Name from the Masoretic Hebrew text. The Masoretes provided at least two different variations of the Holy Name, evidently depending on its contextual usage. This indicates that the Holy Name may not have had just one pronunciation, but at least two, depending on the context.

Nevertheless, if one should get all upset, or claim that one should not pronounce the Holy Name in English because we do not know for a certainty how it was originally pronounced, then, to be consistent, we should not pronounce the name of the Messiah, either. Definitely we should not pronounce the Holy Name as "the Lord" or "God". If the correct pronunciation of the Holy Name is the issue, then we know for a certainty that the Holy Name was not originally pronounced as "the LORD", "GOD", HaShem, ADONAI, ELOHIM, KURIOS, etc. "Jesus" is an English pronunciation which certainly is not the same pronunciation as the original Hebrew, and no one knows for a certainty how the name of the Messiah was originally pronounced in the original Hebrew. Most who get all upset about the pronunciation of God's name as "Jehovah" seem to have no qualms about pronouncing the name of God's Son as "Jesus."

On the other hand, the Jews who claim that oral pronunciation of  the Holy Name is not appropriate, do not, in fact, refrain from pronouncing the name, but they often will indeed orally pronounce the name as being Adonai (Lord), Elohim (God), HaShem (the name), or as something else. If they would not actually say the Holy Name at all, they would have to read Deuteronomy 6:4 as “Hear, Israel: — is our God; — is one,” which, of course, ends up being nonsense. If a Jew reads aloud Deuteronomy 6:4 from the Jewish Publication Society translation, he will be saying, “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” In effect, he will still be attributing the Holy Name to being “the LORD”, and pronouncing, saying, the Holy Name, as being “the LORD”. The ancient Hebrew pronunciation of the Holy Name, however, is most definitely NOT “the LORD”. Deuteronomy 6:4, in the World English, reads, “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one.” In the American Standard, it reads, “Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.” Either of these latter two translations are definitely much better than totally changing the Holy Name to “the LORD”, which does not mean the same thing.

Indeed, we do not know of any person, when reading the Bible aloud, who does not pronounce the Holy Name with some kind of oral expression. We do not know of anyone who simply skips the Holy Name so as not to pronounce the Holy Name, despite their claims of not pronouncing the Holy Name by pronouncing the Holy Name as "ADONAI," “the LORD” or “GOD”, or whatever else.

For more of our studies related to Holy Name, see the listing of this site:
https://nameofyah.blogspot.com/p/on-this-site.html

Links to various sites in this study does not mean that we agree with the views presented on those sites.

Ronald R. Day, Sr., Restoration Light (ResLight, RlBible) Bible Study Services.

Did Pietro Colonna Galatino Invent the Form "Jehovah"?

Malachi 2:1,2 - Give Glory to My Name

Malachi 2:1-2 - And now, O priests, this command is to you.[2] If you will not hear, and if you will not set it on your heart to give glory to My name, says Jehovah of Hosts, then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed it, because you are not setting it on your heart. -- Green's Literal.

This was a direct command to the priests of His covenant people, Israel. The principle holds true, however, with the common priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) of those who belong to Christ in the covenant made with Abraham. (Galatians 3:17,18,26-29) Such should indeed, seek to glorify the name of the God and Father of their Lord Jesus both in word and deed. 

On the other hand, there are "priests" who profess to be Christian who claim authority over fellow believers. Such generally pursue a course similar to the servant Jesus describes in Matthew 24:48-50; Luke 12:45. It is not for us to judge these, however, although we can judge that their actions are not in harmony with the Bible. These often, in some way or other, claim a lordship over others, similar to the Gentiles that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 20:25; Luke 22:25. Even the use of the Holy Name can be misused as a point to beat fellow believers into subjection. Indeed, such often by their teachings and authoritarian practices bring discredit to the name (reputation) of the One whom they claim to be glorifying.

Related:

The Parable of the Four Servants

Nevertheless, it still should be recognized that the Holy Name should not be changed to other words, such as Adonai, Elohim, Lord, the Lord, God, etc. Not only does doing this mean that one is adding to and taking away from the God's words, but it presents many verses throughout the Bible with a lie. God did not say that His name is the LORD, as many translations read in Isaiah 42:8, thus to change the Holy Name to other words in such scriptures actually represents a lie.

Did God's People in the Old Testament Times Utter the Holy Name Aloud?

By Ronald R. Day, Sr.

One claims that we cannot produce one manuscript where Moses wrote the name completely in Hebrew.

Actually, we don't know of any Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament that does not at all produce the Holy Name completely with all four of the Hebrew letters that represent the Holy Name; those letters are usually referred to as YOD HE WAW HE or JOD HE VAV HE. Therefore, we assume that by writing the name completely is meant with the vowels. The original Hebrew had no written vowels, but the vowels were spoken when the words were uttered. The commonly used Masoretic text produced after Christ not only has the four letters but also the added vowel points, which have been added, not just to the Holy Name but to each and every word in the Hebrew Old Testament, since the original Hebrew had no written vowels at all for any word.

In a comparatively few instances, God's Holy Name is presented in its shortened form with two letters YOD HE HE, usually rendered into English as YAH or JAH. However, in most instances, the fully Holy Name has all four letters.

Nevertheless, one has argued that the four letters of God's Hebrew name are shortened from the full name expressed in Exodus 3:14 as "I AM WHO I AM". The reality is that "I AM WHO I AM" is the first first-person expression of the Hebrew active verb meaning "to be". Jehovah gives his name in the first person as "I AM WHO I AM", signifying that He cannot deny himself -- He cannot deny who He is -- and he cannot deny His promises. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was indeed proclaiming His name to be EHJEH ‘ASHER EHJEH (transliterated from the Masoretic text), or, to use the short form, EHJEH (transliterated). In Exodus 3:15, we find the third person singular form of the verb JEHOVAH (transliterated), which the World English renders as Yahweh, which has the basic meaning of "HE IS", which, in turn, is short for HE IS WHO HE IS. Thus, Jehovah (Yahweh) is short for HE IS WHO HE IS, or HE WILL BE WHO HE IS. He cannot deny Himself; what He says will be — His promises are certain. This is similar to what is said of Jesus in 2 Timothy 2:13,“he remains faithful — he can’t deny himself.”

We have been told to look to the Hebrew scriptures and the Tanakh for no Jew ever would utter the name of God out loud for fear of taking his name in vain and thereby breaking the commandment.

"Tanakh" usually refers to the Masoretic Hebrew text. We find no evidence at all in the Tanakh that no Jew would utter the name of God out loud, rather we find the very opposite. Let's examine a few verses from the Jay Green's Literal Translation of the Tanakh.

Exodus 3:13 - And Moses said to God, Behold, I shall come to the sons of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they will say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them?

God responded:

Exodus 3:14 - And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.
Exodus 3:15 - And God said to Moses again, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial from generation to generation.

Exodus 3:16 - Go, and gather the elders of Israel and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, visiting I have visited you and have seen what is done to you in Egypt.

Is it true that Moses could not possibly obey the command of God, since he could not utter the name?

God spoke to Moses:

Exodus 4:22 - And you shall speak to Pharaoh, So says Jehovah, My son, My first-born is Israel.

Did God give Moses a command that he could keep, because he could not utter the Holy Name aloud?

It is recorded that Moses and Aaron stated to Pharaoh:

Exodus 5:1 - And afterward Moses and Aaron came in and said to Pharaoh, So says Jehovah the God of Israel, Send away My people, and they shall feast to Me in the wilderness.

Did they actually state the Holy Name to Pharaoh? That they actually did utter the Holy Name can be seen in Pharaoh's response:

Exodus 5:2 - And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah that I should listen to His voice to send away Israel? I do not know Jehovah, and I also will not send Israel away.

Here it records a non-Hebrew as speaking the Holy Name.

Further, we read that David said to Goliath:

1 Samuel 17:45 - And David said to the Philistine, You are coming to me with sword, and with spear, and with javelin. But I am coming to you in the name of Jehovah of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have reproached.

Did David simply pass over the Holy Name, so as to say, "I come to you in the name of of Hosts"? It should be obvious that David did indeed utter aloud the Holy Name to Goliath.

We also read:

1 Kings 10:1 - And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon as to the name of Jehovah, and she came to test him with hard questions.

How did the queen of Sheba know of the name of Jehovah, if the Jews did not utter that name out loud?

Elijah stated to the Baal worshipers:

1 Kings 18:24 - Call you on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the God who answers by fire, let him be God. All the people answered, It is well spoken.

Did Elijah not utter the name, in effect, actually saying: "I will call on the name of --"? That would make no sense. If he did not utter the name, that would mean that he did not actually identify whose name he would call upon.

When David spoke to the princes of Israel, did he not utter the Holy Name out loud?

1 Chronicles 22:18-19 - Is not Jehovah your God with you? Yea, He has given you rest all around, for He has given into my hand the inhabitants of the land, and has subdued the land before Jehovah and before His people. Now give your heart and your soul to seek to Jehovah your God, and rise up and build the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, to the house that is to be built in the name of Jehovah.

If David did not utter the Holy Name out loud, then he would have said:

1 Chronicles 22:18-19 - Is not your God with you? Yea, He has given you rest all around, for He has given into my hand the inhabitants of the land, and has subdued the land before and before His people. Now give your heart and your soul to seek to your God, and rise up and build the sanctuary of God, to bring in the ark of the covenant of, and the holy vessels of God, to the house that is to be built in the name of ---.

He would not have completed the sentence with any word to show in whose name the house was to be built.

We could go on with many more quotes similar to this, but this proves the point. Yes, the Tanakh does indeed give us every reason to believe that God's people of Old Testaments times did indeed utter God's Holy Name Aloud. The idea that God's Holy Name is not utterable comes from man, not from God. God never gave anyone any command to not utter his Holy Name or to change and thus pronounce his name with other words that do not even mean the same, such as ADONAY, ELOHIM, etc.

Exodus 6:2,3 - The Holy Name in Genesis

Exodus 6:2-3 - And God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am Jehovah.[3] And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, and by My name JEHOVAH I have not been known to them.

Part One
Various Theories of Exodus 6:2,3

Many, by reading Exodus 6:2,3, have concluded that God first revealed his name to Moses at the time spoken of in Genesis 6. In other words, it is concluded from the above that no one had ever heard the name of Jehovah before, and that this was the first time it had ever been spoken. According to this theory, none of the servants of God spoken of in Genesis had ever heard of the name of Jehovah.

Yet when we read the book of Genesis we do find that God’s name appears there many times. Eve evidently spoke it. (Genesis 4:1) Noah spoke it. (Genesis 9:26) Abram (Abraham) spoke it. (Genesis 13:4; 14:22; 15:2,8; 22:14) Sarai (Sarah) spoke it. (Genesis 16:2,5,13) The servant of Abraham spoke it. (Genesis 24:12,35,40,42,44,56) Laban spoke it. (Genesis 24:50,51; 30:27,30; 31:49) Isaac spoke it. (Genesis 26:22,25; 27:20) Abimlech spoke it. (Genesis 26:28,29) Jacob spoke it. (Genesis 27:7; 28:16,21; 32:9; 49:18) Leah spoke it. (Genesis 29:32,33,35) Rachel spoke it. (Genesis 30:24) This fact may not be apparent in many translations of the scriptures, because the Holy Name has been replaced with the title, “the LORD”, making it appear that God’s name was “the LORD”. The following translations are a few that do not substitute the Holy Name in Genesis: American Standard Version, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible, Young’s Literal Translation, World English Bible, New World Translation, New Jerusalem Bible.

Many atheists, agnostics, deists and others point to this scripture, claiming either that it is a contradiction to the record of Genesis, or it is claimed that the record of Genesis is inaccurate, being a forgery of Moses or some later writer, and that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob actually worshipped the gods of the heathen before this, especially one purported to have the name of “El” (which literally means, strength, might, or mighty one). Thus it is important to arrive at a satisfactory understanding concerning this matter, not only because of the accusations of those who oppose the Bible, but because it does involve the most important name in the universe, that is, the name of our Creator, Jehovah.

Coffman states concerning Exodus 6:3: “This passage must be hailed as one of the most difficult in the Bible, the difficulty being in the statement that, ‘as Jehovah’, God was unknown to the patriarchs. Whereas, it is a fact that the patriarchs most assuredly DID know God by that name! We may be certain that this apparent contradiction is due to some kind of human error. It is simply inconceivable that Moses, the author of Exodus, could have stated what is recorded here, unless some meaning beyond what seems to be said is intended.”* Therefore, we really need to take a closer look.

=========

*Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Exodus 6”. “Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament”.

http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=ex&chapter=006.

Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

But if Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were acquainted with the Holy Name, then why is it stated in Exodus 6 that this name was unknown to them? Exodus 6:2,3 reads from the King James Version: “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” Let us also realize that the King James Version has added the phrase “by my name” before “God Almighty”. This gives a false impression concerning the verse, since it would seem to place the term “God Almighty” as another personal name for the Creator. Strictly speaking, God Almighty is not spoken of as the personal name of God. It is a title, and as such it is a titular name, but it is not his personal name. Most translations read similar to the World English Version: “God spoke to Moses, and said to him, ‘I am Jehovah; and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them.'” Notice that “God Almighty” is not referred to as his name, but rather it is used as a descriptive title, thus two personal names are not being spoken of, but a title — God Almighty (El Shaddai) and then the Holy Name, Jehovah, is added. There are at least four different ways of interpreting the latter part of verse 3.

Viewpoint One: Josephus interpreted Exodus 6:3 to mean that no one had heard of the name Jehovah before God spoke this name to Moses. This has been the conclusion of many others. However, this conclusion does raise the question: How did the tetragrammaton get into the book of Genesis and in the earlier part of the Book of Exodus? If we reason that Moses simply wrote the name in by adding it into the text, then we are left with more questions: What name was being called upon by the various ones spoken of in Genesis? (Genesis 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 14:22; 16:13; 21:33; 24:7; 26:25) What name did Abraham actually have his servant swear by? (Genesis 24:3) What name did Abraham actually call the mountain in Genesis 22:14? What name did God actually identify himself by in Genesis 15:7; 28:13? What name was originally given as the God of Shem (Genesis 9:26); the God of Abraham (Genesis 24:27,42,48; 26:24); the God of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 28:13)? Many who accept Jospehus’ claim that when Moses wrote the book of Genesis, claim that he did it from hindsight and thus inserted the Holy Name into the mouths of the speakers. But in view of the way many of the scriptures are worded we do not find it plausible to think that EL SHADDAI or some other unknown reference was originally used in these scriptures and that Moses later added the name of Jehovah into these statements. We will present all places where the Holy Name does appear in Genesis later.

Viewpoint Two: The second way of interpreting this verse is offered by a few*, which would render the phrase “was I not known to them” as a question: “By my name, Jehovah, was I not known to them?” This rendering could be, but most scholars do not accept it since the interrogative in Hebrew is usually shown by an interrogative pronoun, or by adding the letter “He” as the first letter to the sentence. Neither appear here, so the sentence is not usually viewed as interrogative, although there are some fairly good arguments as to why this should still be viewed as interrogative even without such.

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*John Gill states: “by reading the words with an interrogation, the clause will appear more plain, ‘and by my name Jehovah was I not known to them?’ ” — Gill, John. “Commentary on Exodus 6:3“. “The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible”.

Viewpoint Three: John L. Ronning of the Bible Institute of South Africa, proposed another rendering. He states*: “We propose instead the following translation, which involves reading the preposition wl in place of the negative particle al: ‘… and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai; but as for My name YHWH, by it I had been known to them.’ In more idiomatic English, this could be rendered, ‘When I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai, I was already known to them by my name YHWH.'” Evidently he is saying that there is a copyist error and that by changing one letter the whole meaning is different.

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*Ronning, John. L. Exodus 6:3 and Patriarchal Knowledge of the Name “YHWH”, copyright 1986

The above quote was obtained from:

http://www.ibri.org/RRs/RR029/29ex63.htm

Viewpoint Four: The fourth way of interpreting this verse does so by taking into consideration how the word “know” is used in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew word translated “known” is yada’ (Strong’s Hebrew #3045). It has various shades of meaning, and its usage in Exodus 6:3 does not necessarily mean that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not aware of the name. For one illustration of this, we point to Genesis 4:1, where we read that Adam knew [Hebrew, yada’] his wife. It does not mean that he did not know his wife before as a person, but it means that he knew his wife more intimately in the sexual bond. Similarly, in Exodus 6:3, God was revealing his name in a manner different than it had been known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The usage of “yada'” can be also seen by its similar usage in connection with the Holy Name in Exodus 6:7; 7:17; 8:10,22; 9:14,29; 10:2; 11:7; 14:4,18; 16:6,8,12; 18:11; Deuteronomy 29:6; 1 Kings 20:13; 20:28; Isaiah 49:26; Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 6:7,13,14; 7:4,27; 11:10,12,15,16; 12:20; 13:9,14,21; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 20:12,20,38,42; etc.

This is further attested to if one looks at the name in the causative rather than simple present tense. Some believe this to be the earlier Jewish view* of the meaning of the name, but the usual meaning given to this word is something like “He is,” or some claim it means “The Eternal”, although the latter does not actually express a verb, and it leaves the verb in static sense of existence only. (See the study, “Does the Holy Name Mean ‘The Eternal‘?”) “Jehovah”, in Hebrew, is a verb, and as such is the third person singular of the Hebrew verb hayah (to be or become). In Exodus 3:14, Jehovah gives Moses a different variation of his name in the first person, which has been translated as meaning: “”I AM WHO I AM” (World English) or “I will be what I will be (Ehyeh’ asher’ ehyeh’).” (Revised Standard Version – footnote) The King James Version renders this “I AM THAT I AM.” From this theory developed the idea that the Holy Name — Jehovah — means “Eternal One”, although the present tense does not refer to eternal past at all. Thus this idea is actually read into the meaning of “EHJEH.” Others claim that it means Jehovah exists outside of time, and give the word “eternal” the meaning of a realm in which time does not exist, that is, the absence of time. This is a human philosophical theory, which may be true, but the idea itself cannot be found in the scriptures. There are some good works that refute the idea that Biblical eternity means absence of time.* But the proponents of this view do not give a good explanation as to why God’s revealment of such an idea to enslaved Israelites at this time would have had any meaning to their suffering condition.

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*See:

Time and Eternity, by G. T. Stevenson. This book is online at:

http://www.tentmaker.org/books/time/

Also see:

Understanding God: God and Time, by Jack Cottrell, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Fall 2002

This report can be found online at:

http://evangelicalarminians.org/?q=Jack-Cottrell.Understanding-God.God-and-Time

However, some claim that the earlier Jewish view was that the Holy Name is causative; this would give the Hebrew phrase Ehyeh Asher Eyeh of Exodus 3:14 the meaning of “I cause to be what I cause to be,” rather than “I am who I am.” It would give the name Jehovah the meaning of “He [who] causes to be”, rather than simply “He is.” Nevertheless, most today who accept that the Holy Name is in the causative look upon this as only meaning Creator, in the sense of the One who created all things, “he creates”, which we still do not believe would be very meaningful as far as any kind of revealing in Exodus 6:3. In other words, simply the idea of God’s being the creator would not have offered much comfort or encouragement to an enslaved. Rather, if we should accept that the Holy Name is causative, we should see something more meaningful to the situation at hand, that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not just the Creator, but that He is the Causer of events according to what he had promised. It would be in this latter sense that we find meaning to the revealing of the Holy Name in Exodus 6:3 (as well as many other scriptures as referred to earlier), that is, that, although Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew of the name Jehovah, they did not know that name in its fuller meaning, as the One who accomplishes the covenant promises.** God made the covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but now he was about to start fulfillment of those promises by delivering Jacob’s people from Egypt. Thus this is our preferred understanding of this verse, if the the Holy Name was meant to be understood in the causative.

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*”Yahweh (ya’we). The Hebrew tetragrammaton (YHVH or YHWH) traditionally pronounced Jehovah (q.v) is now known to be correctly vocalized yahwe. New inscriptional evidence from the second and first millennia B. C. point toward this fact. The old view of Le Clerc, modernly propounded by Paul Haupt and developed by W. F. Albright, has commended itself in the light of the phonetic development and grammatical evidence of increased knowledge of Northwest Semitic and kindred tongues. This thesis holds Yahwe to be originally a finite causative verb from the Northwest Semitic root hwy ‘to be, to come into being,’ so that the divine name would mean ‘he causes to be, or exist,’ i. e.,w ‘he creates.’ Amorite personal names after 2,000 B. C. lend support to the Haupt-Albright view, demonstrating that the employment of the causative stem yahwe “he creates” was in vogue in the linguistic background of early Hebrew.” — Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger, 1957, Moody Press, Chicago, Page 1177

Also see F M Cross, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, pg 60-71; W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan, pgs 147-149.

**Some have read into our statement that we are saying that Abraham did not have faith that God would fulfill his promises. This, of course, is not our thought at all.

Nevertheless, the meaning “He is”, or "He will be", we believe holds the greatest merit, but only if one moves away from the traditional idea that it refers only to the existence of God. “I am who I am”, or "I will be who I will be" in the third person is “He is who He is”, or "He will be who He will be". Thus, the name “Jehovah” signifies that He is who He is, that is, that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob cannot deny who HE IS. It is stated in the New Testament of Jehovah's Son, that “he can’t deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Likewise, with Jesus' God: He cannot deny himself; thus he is faithful in all his promises. Abraham had faith in God's promises, but he never saw the fulfillment of those promises which are backed up by God's Holy Name. In Exodus 6:3, God's name was about to be revealed as He was about to begin the fulfillment of those promises. This would really have meant something to those children of Israel enslaved in Israel, in that the God of their forefathers had not forgotten the promises made to Abraham. However, Abraham did not live to see the fulfillment of those promises, and thus, in this sense, the name “Jehovah” (HE IS), was unknown to Abraham.

Part Two

Where Did Moses Get His Information?

Before we examine the usage of the Holy Name in Genesis, let us discuss the method by which Moses received the information concerning Genesis. There are three general theories as to how Moses received the information that he put into the book of Genesis. One theory is that Moses received the information directly from God himself. Another is that he received it orally as it was passed down from generation to generation; the other theory is that Moses had earlier documents that had been written by various personages in Genesis that were somehow preserved through the generations, and that Moses simply compiled, and possibly edited, these various documents. As far as verbal inspiration is concerned, any one of these methods would be acceptable.

Nevertheless, neither of the first two theories has a parallel anywhere in the canon of Scripture. “Visions and revelations of Jehovah” usually have to do with prophecy that reveals something of the future (as we find in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation, etc.). Jehovah did speak directly to Moses and told him what to write, but this is only stated concerning the recording of specific laws and ordinances (such as the Ten Commandments, the book of Leviticus, etc.) What we find in the book of Genesis, however, is entirely in the form of narrative records of historical events. Other Biblical books that parallel to Genesis are Kings, Chronicles, Acts, and so forth. We have no reason to think that any of these historical books were given by direct revelation, but rather that the writers either collected previous documents and edited them (e.g., I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles), or else recorded the events which they had either seen themselves or had ascertained from others who were witnesses (e.g., Luke, Acts).

It is also noted that in all the instances where the book of Genesis is quoted or alluded to, not once do any of the New Testament writers refer to the written record as being written by Moses. Yet Moses is mentioned at least 77 times in the New Testament; in about 25 instances Moses is named as the author for references in the other books of the Pentateuch, but never is he mentioned regarding any reference to the book of Genesis. From this we can learn that Moses was the author of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, but we do not have such definitive proof of the authorship of Genesis. This supports the theory that Moses was not the direct author, but that he compiled (and possibly edited) the accounts from earlier documents, probably by written accounts that had been kept on stone or slab, or some other means not yet known to us. Nor did Moses need to have the original autographs of each author, for certainly they could have been copied over by various ones so that the writings could remain readable even if earlier copies may have worn away.

With this in mind, let us examine the Genesis record itself. We find that the record does indicate different writers, as can be seen by the expression: “These are the generations of”. The word “generations” as used in this expression is the Hebrew word toledoth, which means: “descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies.” Thus the word itself indicates descendants of the persons spoken of, not necessarily the history of the person being spoken of. We find at least twelve such divisions in the book of Genesis:

* (1) “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1

* (2) “This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and the heavens.” — Genesis 2:4.

* (3) “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God’s likeness.” — Genesis 5:1.

* (4) “This is the history of the generations of Noah.” — Genesis 6:9.

* (5) “Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” — Genesis 10:1.

* (6) “This is the history of the generations of Shem.” — Genesis 11:10.

* (7) “Now this is the history of the generations of Terah.” — Genesis 11:27.

* (8) “Now this is the history of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bore to Abraham.” — Genesis 25:12.

* (9) “This is the history of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.” — Genesis 25:19.

* (10) “Now this is the history of the generations of Esau (the same is Edom).” — Genesis 36:1.

* (11) “This is the history of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir:” — Genesis 36:9.

* (12) “This is the history of the generations of Jacob.” (Genesis 37:2)

Thus there is internal Biblical evidence that the book of Genesis was originally authored by different persons, and the writings of these persons were collected together to form the book of Genesis. However, there is disagreement amongst scholars as to whether the names given in the toledoth scriptures actually represent the author, and also as to whether the “history” being spoken of is in reference to the verses preceding or following the toledoth verse. In other words, many scholars agree that Genesis 1,2 are from two source documents, but the question is, does Genesis 2:4 apply to Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3, or does it apply to Genesis 2:5 through Genesis 4:26?

Most scholars claim that the toledoth verse applies to the material preceding it. To support this claim, it is noted that some ancient heathen writings seem to show a summation, called a colophon, at the end of documents. These colophons are similar to that of “toledoth” passages of Genesis. It is also claimed that “toledoth” — generations — means the history of the person spoken of, or the genealogy leading up to the person spoken of. The basic meaning of toledoth is: “descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies.” The desire to put a name of authorship to the various sections also seems to have a great influence upon many scholars to accept this explanation that the “toledoth” phrase refers to the scriptures preceding, not the scriptures following. Of course, a person could write about those who were his fathers, either from first-hand experience or by obtaining information from the older persons whom he knew, but he could not actually write about his descendants who lived after his death.

Nevertheless, there are several obstacles to this theory that the toledoth verses apply to the narrative before and not after the verse. Let us look at some of these obstacles.

In some instances, it would require a very odd break in the verses, and the narrative that follows would have a very odd beginning. For instance, the break in Genesis 2:4,5 would have to be made in this manner: “This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. [end of narrative, and start of new document follows:] In the day that Jehovah God made earth and the heavens, no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain on the earth.” While it is possible that the wordage beginning “In that day” could have belonged to another document than what had just been spoken of, it just does not appear to be so. Logically, it would seem that the final phrase would belong to the first part of the verse, not separate from it. But when we look at Genesis 10:1, we read: “Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.” The sentence “Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth” would be the ending of the book, and the sentence “Sons were born to them…” would begin the new book. It would seem very odd for another book to begin with reference to “them” in the book preceeding. (Of course, it is possible that Moses edited the earlier accounts to read this way.)

The final objection to the colophon theory is that it would leave the final part of Genesis without such a colophon. Genesis 37:2 would end the book with “This is the history of the generations of Jacob.” The last part of verse 2 would begin the new book with: “Joseph, being seventeen years old….” However, this would leave all the verses from Genesis 37:2b to 50:26 without such a colophon. Some claim that the first part of Exodus 1:1 provides such a colophon, but if one examines Exodus 1:1, it should be apparent that it is speaking of the list following, that is, those who came out of Egypt.

For these reasons we reject the colophon theory and view the “toledoth” verses as introductions to the history of the children of the one(s) mentioned in the verse. Thus Genesis 2:4 would belong with Genesis 2:4 to Genesis 4:26, etc. Assuming that this is correct, and we have found no solid reason to dispute it, then we will now examine the Genesis record with this in mind.

Part Three

Examining The Holy Name in Genesis

Genesis 1:1-2:3 — The verse that designates the title of the first section of Genesis is Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is not directly a “toledoth” scripture, since the word does not appear in the verse, but it does seem to serve the same purpose. Genesis 1:1 serves as a synopsis of the creative week about to be discussed. We know that the “beginning” spoken of here includes the entire creative week from Exodus 20:11 and 31:17. Thus the prelude is Genesis 1:1, with the details following.

We note that the author of this section uses “ELOHIM”* in reference to the Creator all the way through; the Holy Name “Jehovah” is not used at all. (This gives further evidence that Genesis 2:4a does not belong with this document.)

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*Although many scholars refer to the “Elohim” as a name of God, in reality it is a title. It is a “name” only it the sense that it is a titular name, not in that it is the personal name of the Creator.

We also note concerning this section that we have no name associated with it; a reasonable assumption is that the information concerning the creation was provided by God to Adam, or one of his sons, and the section could have been authored either by Adam, Abel or Seth. Another suggestion is that it was authored by God himself and somehow miraculously provided to Adam or one of his sons.

Genesis 2:4-4:26 – It could be that this section was written by Adam, or perhaps Abel or Seth. It gives another summary of the creation of the earth, with more detail concerning the creation of man and then his disobedience.

We first find the name “Jehovah" used in this document, sometimes alone and sometimes with ELOHIM attached, forming the phrase: “Jehovah God”; or as it appears in many translations: “Jehovah God”. Thus the first instance of the Holy Name in the Hebrew text is Genesis 2:4. At this point, we need to point out that in most Bible translations you will not find the Holy Name at all in the section (or any of the sections being discussed), because most translators change the Holy Name to the title “the LORD”. In most translations, one can recognize the places where the Holy Name occurs in the Hebrew because the letters are in all caps (LORD), whereas places where the Hebrew has “adon”, or “adonai”, only the first letter is capitalized, as in “Lord”, or it may not be capitalize at all.

The reason given by many scholars for the usage of “ELOHIM” in the first section and “Jehovah” added in the second chapter is because of the association of “Jehovah” with a covenant, or a promise. We note such a covenant was made with Adam and Eve, that they would live and could enjoy all that is in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To even touch this tree, Jehovah stated, would bring death. This was part of the origianal covenant that God gave to Adam. In effect, Jehovah told Adam: Abide by this covenant, and the promise of life, dominion and delight will be yours; disobey this covenant, and death will result.

The delineation of the usage of elohim and Jehovah becomes of even greater importance once we realize the full causative meaning of the name Jehovah, that is, “He causes to be”, and the basic meaning of the Hebrew word ELOHIM, meaning strength, power, might, etc. The first section is concerning the mighty acts of God in creation, whereas the second section is concerned with the covenant and promises of God, thus a relevancy to God’s sacred name.

Nevertheless, the sacred name of Jehovah is found in the Hebrew of this section in the following verses:

Genesis 2:4 – This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Jehovah God made earth and the heavens.

Genesis 2:5 – No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Jehovah God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground,

Genesis 2:7 – Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:8 – Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:9 – Out of the ground Jehovah God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15 – Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 2:16 – Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat:

Genesis 2:18 – Jehovah God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:19 – Out of the ground Jehovah God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

Genesis 2:21 – Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.

Genesis 2:22 – He made the rib, which Jehovah God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man.

Genesis 3:1 – Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Jehovah God had made. He said to the woman, “Yes, has God said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'”

Genesis 3:8 – They heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:9 – Jehovah God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”

Genesis 3:13 – Jehovah God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:14 – Jehovah God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above every animal of the field. On your belly shall you go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:21 – Jehovah God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.

Genesis 3:22 – Jehovah God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…”

Genesis 3:23 – Therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 4:1 – The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Jehovah’s help.”

Genesis 4:3 – As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Jehovah from the fruit of the ground.

Genesis 4:4 – Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat of it. Jehovah respected Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:6 – Jehovah said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

Genesis 4:9 – Jehovah said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Genesis 4:10 – Jehovah said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:13 – Cain said to Jehovah, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Genesis 4:15 – Jehovah said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.

Genesis 4:16 – Cain went out from Jehovah’s presence, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Genesis 4:26 – There was also born a son to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on Jehovah’s name.

Many will argue that Moses could have written the sacred name of Jehovah into the writings after learning of that name as recorded in Exodus 6. However, if we look as some of the scriptures in the section, we find such an idea to be highly unlikely. For instance, the first person recorded as actually using God’s name is Eve. (Genesis 4:1) The record states that Eve said: “I have gotten a man with Jehovah’s help.” Even if this is viewed an indirect quote, we have no reason to think that Moses added the Holy Name to Eve’s words. The only reason we see to think that Moses did add the Holy Name here would be to make this scripture conform to the theory that Moses did add the Holy Name to Genesis.

Even more so, we find the statement in Genesis 4:26: “Then men began to call on Jehovah’s name. (Or, call themselves by the name of Jehovah. — Scofield; see also margin of KJV)” We just cannot find any reasonable argument whatsoever that would give us any cause to think that the name Jehovah was not known amongst those who would be calling upon that name. And if they were actually calling upon some other name, what “name” would it have been? And why would Moses have replaced the original name with “Jehovah”? Thus the context and usage in these scriptures bear testimony that it is highly unlikely that Moses did indeed insert the Holy Name into these scriptures.

Genesis 5:1-6:8 – That this was originally a separate “book” can be seen by the usage of the Hebrew word *Cepher*, which means “book”. This word “Cepher” is used in reference to many of the books of the Old Testament, as well as to the “book of the covenant”, “book of the law”, God’s book, etc. (Exodus 7:14; 24:7; 32:32,33; 38:61; Joshua 8:31; 1 Samuel 10:25; 2 Samuel 1:18; 1 Kings 11:41; 14:19; 1 Chronicles 9:1; Jeremiah 25:13; Nahum 1:1; Malachi 3:16, etc.) The usage of this word does provide very strong evidence that this section was originally a separate “book”. The name of reference to this section is “Adam”. It is because of the desire to make Adam as the author that many wish to say that this applies to the section before and not the section afterward. Yet the section afterward does tell of “generations [or descendants] of Adam.” It evidently was not written by Adam, since it records Adam’s death as well as a few events after the time that Adam had died. It is not important “who” wrote this history, but if we were to speculate, we would probably say it was written by Noah, for the record ends with Noah. — Genesis 6:8.

Scriptures in this book that use the Holy Name are:

Genesis 5:29 – and he named him Noah, saying, “This same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah has cursed.”

Genesis 6:3 – Jehovah said, “My spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years.”

Genesis 6:5 – Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Genesis 6:6 – Jehovah was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.

Genesis 6:7 – Jehovah said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

Genesis 6:8 – But Noah found favor in Jehovah’s eyes.

The strongest verses in this section that would indicate that Moses did not add the Holy Name is the quote of Lamech’s words in Genesis 5:29 and the statement in Genesis 6:8 that Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. In both instances, it would be highly unlikely to assume that Lamech actually used another name than Jehovah when he spoke of the ground being cursed, or that the author would have done so in Genesis 6:8; again, if there was another name that was originally used, what was that name?

Genesis 6:9-9:29 – “This is the history of the generations of Noah.” This section tells the history of the Noah and his sons. Evidently one of the sons of Noah is the author of this section; the content itself indicates that Shem was the one who wrote this, since Shem, in effect, was given the greater blessing. (Genesis 9:26,27) This section records the preparation for the flood, a description of the flood, and the immediate postdiluvian events. This section has the prophecy of Noah concerning his three sons, and Noah’s death is recorded.

The Holy Name appears in this section in the following scriptures:

Genesis 7:1 – Jehovah said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ark, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:5 – Noah did everything that Jehovah commanded him.

Genesis 7:16 – Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Jehovah shut him in.

Genesis 8:20 – Noah built an altar to Jehovah, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:21 – Jehovah smelled the sweet savor. Jehovah said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done.

Genesis 9:26 – He said, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; Let Canaan be his servant.

The scriptures that most favor the idea that Moses did not add the Holy Name are Genesis 8:20 and especially Genesis 9:26. Genesis 8:20 refers to an altar built to Jehovah by Noah; Genesis 9:26 has Noah blessing the name of Jehovah. Again, we see no reason to think that Noah was pronouncing a blessing of some other name.

Genesis 10:1-11:9 – “Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Probably a better translation is that of the New American Standard: “Now these are {the records of} the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah.” Again, we cannot be certain of the authorship, but we speculate that it might have been written by either Shem or Terah.

The scriptures in this section that contain the Holy Name are:

Genesis 10:9 – He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Jehovah.”

Genesis 11:5 – Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

Genesis 11:9 – Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Jehovah confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Jehovah scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.

While there is nothing of impressive proof in any of these verses that would indicate that the name was not added by Moses, we do believe that it would be strange if some other name would have been used in Genesis 10:9 in the expression, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Jehovah.” From the context, we ascertain that this expression “before Jehovah” means that he was setting himself before Jehovah, that is, above Jehovah. While this hunting may have started out as hunting of wild beasts, the spirit of combativeness spread to the hunting of men, to enslaving men for their selfish benefit. So far had the people gone in opposition to Jehovah, that Jehovah confused their languages, and made them scatter abroad in the earth.

Genesis 11:10-11:26 “This is the history of the generations of Shem.” The following verses tell the history of the descendants of Shem up to Abraham. Abraham is thus probably the author of this section. This document is very brief, with only a genealogy of the Semitic lineage. It does provide an important link, however, regarding the lineage of the promised one who was to bruise the serpent’s head, that is, the Messiah. The Holy Name does not appear in any of these verses.

Genesis 11:27-25:18 “Now this is the history of the generations of Terah.” This section is rather long, and gives a lot of detail concerning the descendants of Terah: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This document could possibly actually end with verse 11 of chapter 25, for we also find in this section a brief record of the descendants of Ishmael, which could have been originally written as a separate document. (Genesis 25:12-18) For brevity, we include the two documents together.

The Holy Name is used in the document in the following places, as shown in the Masoretic text:

Genesis 12:1 – Now Jehovah said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:4 – So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken to him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Genesis 12:7 – Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” He built an altar there to Jehovah, who appeared to him.

Genesis 12:8 – He left from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Jehovah, and called on the name of Jehovah.

Genesis 12:17 – Jehovah plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

Genesis 13:4 – to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Jehovah.

Genesis 13:10 – Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

Genesis 13:13 – Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Jehovah.

Genesis 13:14 – Jehovah said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

Genesis 13:18 – Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Jehovah.

Genesis 14:22 – Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

Genesis 15:1 – After these things the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

Genesis 15:2 – Abram said, “Lord Jehovah, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Genesis 15:4 – Behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but he who will come forth out of your own body will be your heir.”

Genesis 15:5 – Jehovah brought him outside, and said, “Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He said to Abram, “So shall your seed be.”

Genesis 15:6 – He believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.

Genesis 15:7 – He said to him, “I am Jehovah who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”

Genesis 15:8 – He said, “Lord Jehovah, whereby will I know that I will inherit it?”

Genesis 15:18 – In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:

Genesis 16:2 – Sarai said to Abram,” See now, Jehovah has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 16:5 – Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and you.”

Genesis 16:7 – The angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

Genesis 16:9 – The angel of Jehovah said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.”

Genesis 16:10 – The angel of Jehovah said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude.”

Genesis 16:11 – The angel of Jehovah said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah has heard your affliction.

Genesis 16:13 – She called the name of Jehovah who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”

Genesis 17:1 – When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.

Genesis 18:1 – Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:13 – Jehovah said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’

Genesis 18:14 – Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18:17 – Jehovah said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

Genesis 18:19 – For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

Genesis 18:20 – Jehovah said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

Genesis 18:22 – The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah.

Genesis 18:26 – Jehovah said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.”

Genesis 18:33 – Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 19:13 – for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is grown great before Jehovah. Jehovah has sent us to destroy it.”

Genesis 19:14 – Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Jehovah will destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

Genesis 19:16 – But he lingered; and the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.

Genesis 19:24 – Then Jehovah rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Jehovah out of the sky.

Genesis 19:27 – Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah.

Genesis 20:18 – For Jehovah had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Genesis 21:1 – Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken.

Genesis 21:33 – Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.

Genesis 22:2 – He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah [meaning, ‘chosen of Jehovah’]. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”

Genesis 22:11 – The angel of Jehovah called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.”

Genesis 22:14 – Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. As it is said to this day, “In Jehovah’s mountain it will be provided.

Genesis 22:15 – The angel of Jehovah called to Abraham a second time out of the sky,

Genesis 22:16 – and said, “I have sworn by myself, says Jehovah, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son,

Genesis 24:1 – Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:3 – I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

Genesis 24:7 – Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

Genesis 24:21 – The man looked steadfastly at her, holding his peace, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not.

Genesis 24:26 – The man bowed his head, and worshiped Jehovah.

Genesis 24:27 – He said, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Jehovah has led me in the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”

Genesis 24:31 – He said, “Come in, you blessed of Jehovah. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”

Genesis 24:35 – Jehovah has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 24:44 – She will tell me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels.” Let the same be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master’s son.’

Genesis 24:48 – I bowed my head, and worshiped Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.

Genesis 24:50 – Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Jehovah. We can’t speak to you bad or good.

Genesis 24:51 – Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Jehovah has spoken.”

Genesis 24:52 – It happened that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Jehovah.

Genesis 24:56 – He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”

It is this section that we find the most positive proof that Moses did not add the Holy Name to the record by its contextual usage in several different scriptures. The scripture that shows this most strongly are Genesis 22:2,14. In the context, Jehovah told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah to offer his son on one of the mountains there. “Moriah” means “Chosen by Jehovah.” Some think that Moses simply inserted this name, but this idea has no defense, for there is no record that this land was called this in later times, although the mountain on which Abraham went to offer his son is thought to have been later called Mount Moriah. (2 Chronicles 3:1)

Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac, when the angel of Jehovah appeared, and speaking for Jehovah, said: “Don’t lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:12) In verse 13 we read: “Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” It is for this reason that Abraham gives the mountain a name, as recorded in verse 14: “Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, that Jehovah provides. As it is said to this day, ‘In Jehovah’s mountain it will be provided.'” Since this is the name of a specific place, and Abraham used the Holy Name as part of the name, this should be conclusive proof that Moses did not add the Holy Name to Abraham’s words, for it is indefensible to claim that Moses would have provided the Holy Name as part the name that Abraham used to designate this mountain. Additionally, this is the first reference in scripture to the mountain of Jehovah.

There are many more scripture in the section, however, that contextually do not support the idea that Moses added the Holy Name into the record. In Genesis 13:4 we read that Abram called on the name of Jehovah. Did Moses add the name here? If Abram was not calling upon the name of Jehovah, then what name was he calling upon? Did he actually call upon a title, and not the Holy Name, such as Adonai, or El, or ELOHIM? We find this hard to believe that he did. In Genesis 14:22, Abram says: “I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.” Did Abram actually use another word here rather than Jehovah? Again, we find it hard to believe that Abram did not use the Holy Name in this instance. Next, we look at Genesis 15:7 where Jehovah speaks to Abram, saying: “I am Jehovah who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.” It is inconceivable to think that Moses supplied God’s name in this statement. If Jehovah used another word, why would Moses change the words of Jehovah to make him say “I am Jehovah”? Such an idea simply doesn’t make sense.

But let us continue on. There are several verses in this section that refer to the “angel of Jehovah”: Genesis 16:7,9,10,11; 22:11,15. This expression is used later in other books of the Old Testament: Exodus 3:2; Numbers 22:22,24,25,26,27,31,32,34,35; Judges 2:1,4; 5:23; 6:11,12,21,22; 13:3,13,15,16,17,18,20,21; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Kings 19:7; 2 Kings 1:3,15; 19:35; 1 Chronicles 21:12,15,16,18,30; Psalm 34:7; 35:5,6; etc. It is not reasonable to think that in Genesis alone this phrase appeared as something else and that Moses inserted the Holy Name into it.

See our study: The Angel of Jehovah

In Genesis 16:13, we read that Hagar called upon the name of Jehovah. Again, does it sound plausible to think that Hagar actually called upon another name than Jehovah? Furthermore, we again of read of Abraham calling upon the name of Jehovah in Genesis 21:33. Is it reasonable to assume that Abraham actually called upon some other name, and that Moses replaced that earlier name with “Jehovah”? There is no real reason to assume such.

Another instance of concern is Genesis 22:16, where Jehovah speaks through his angel, saying: “I have sworn by myself, says Jehovah, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son.” Did that angel actually use a title here rather than God’s name? Again, such an idea just isn’t credible.

Furthermore, in Genesis 24:3, Abraham says to his servant: “I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.” Here Abraham is recorded as using the Holy Name to identify the God of heaven and the God of the earth. Did Abraham actually use some other word than the Holy Name? If he did, then why would Moses say he swore by Jehovah? Genesis 24:7 Abraham again identifies Jehovah as the God of heaven. Abraham’s servant also is recorded as using the Holy Name in Genesis 24:35,48. He says he worshiped Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, and uses this word to identify the God of his master, Abraham.

Genesis 25:19 – 36:43

This section deals with the history of Isaac and his descendants. It was probably written by Jacob, Isaac’s son. As with the last section, the final part of this section is probably two separate documents (Genesis 36:1-8 and Genesis 36:9-43), written sometime later by someone other than Jacob. For brevity, we consider the three documents together

With this section, we find references to “Jehovah” in the following scriptures:

Genesis 25:21 – Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren. Jehovah was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Genesis 25:22 – The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Jehovah.

Genesis 25:23 – Jehovah said to her, Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.

Genesis 26:2 – Jehovah appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Dwell in the land which I will tell you of.

Genesis 26:12 – Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year one hundred times what he planted. Jehovah blessed him.

Genesis 26:22 – He left that place, and dug another well. They didn’t argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, “For now Jehovah has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Genesis 26:24 – Jehovah appeared to him the same night, and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

Genesis 26:25 – He built an altar there, and called on the name of Jehovah, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac’s servants dug a well.

Genesis 26:28 – They said, “We saw plainly that Jehovah was with you. We said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,

Genesis 26:29 – that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.’ You are now the blessed of Jehovah.”

Genesis 27:7 – ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Jehovah before my death.’

Genesis 27:20 – Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because Jehovah your God gave me success.”

Genesis 27:27 – He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah has blessed.

Genesis 28:13 – Behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, “I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.

Genesis 28:16 – Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Jehovah is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”

Genesis 28:21 – so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Jehovah will be my God,

Genesis 29:31 – Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Genesis 29:32 – Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Jehovah has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.”

Genesis 29:33 – She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, “Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon.

Genesis 29:35 – She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, “This time will I praise Jehovah.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

Genesis 30:24 – She named him Joseph, saying, “May Jehovah add another son to me.”

Genesis 30:27 – Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Jehovah has blessed me for your sake.”

Genesis 30:30 – For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Jehovah has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”

Genesis 31:3 – Jehovah said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 32:9 – Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Jehovah, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good.’

We will now examine scriptures that indicate that Jehovah was indeed used by the original writers. In Genesis 26:4, we read that Jehovah appeared to Isaac, and identified himself as “Jehovah”, the God of his father, Abraham. Since this is an identity verse the idea that Moses would supply the name hear is untenable, for if Jehovah had identified himself by some other title or name, why would Moses have changed the words of Jehovah to read otherwise? Likewise in Genesis 26:5, Isaac called upon the name of Jehovah. While not as convincing as Jehovah’s own words in Genesis 26:4, this still gives us reason to think that Isaac actually did call upon the name of Jehovah, and not some other unknown name.

Again, in Genesis 28:13, Jehovah identifies himself to Jacob by the name “the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac.” This is another identity verse, and we find no justification at all to think that Jehovah did not use his name to identify himself on this occasion.

In Genesis 32:9, Jacob is recorded as using the name Jehovah to identify whom he is calling upon as: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac.” Did Jacob actually use some other title or name and then Moses substituted “Jehovah” in place of the other name? Not very likely.

Genesis 37:1 – 50:26

This is the final section of Genesis, pertaining to Jacob and his offspring. Verse one does not contain the toledoth verse, but begins with a statement concerning Jacob’s dwelling in the land of Canaan. In verse 2, we find the statement concerning the generations of Jacob.

Genesis 38:7 – Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. Jehovah killed him.

Genesis 38:10 – The thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he killed him also.

Genesis 39:2 – Jehovah was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

Genesis 39:3 – His master saw that Jehovah was with him, and that Jehovah made all that he did prosper in his hand.

Genesis 39:5 – It happened from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Jehovah blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of Jehovah was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.

Genesis 39:21 – But Jehovah was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Genesis 39:23 – The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Jehovah was with him; and that which he did, Jehovah made it prosper.

Genesis 49:18 – I have waited for your salvation, Jehovah.

This provides all of the places in Genesis where the tetragrammaton appears in the Hebrew “Masoretic” text. Having looked at all of these occurrences, we do not see reason to give credence to the idea that Moses supplied the tetragrammaton in Genesis.

Part Four

Examining The Holy Name in Exodus 3-5

I

f we examine chapters 3-5 of Exodus, we have even more evidence that the Holy Name was used before the statements made to Moses in Exodus 6:3. Jehovah appears as follows:

Exodus 3:2 – The angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 3:4 – When Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:7 – Jehovah said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows

Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

Exodus 3:18 – They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah, our God.’

Exodus 4:1-9 – Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Jehovah has not appeared to you.’ Jehovah said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it. Jehovah said to Moses, “Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail.” He put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand. “That they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Jehovah said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh. “It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”

Exodus 4:10 – Moses said to Jehovah, “Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

Exodus 4:11 – Jehovah said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Jehovah?

Exodus 4:14 – The anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

Exodus 4:19 – Jehovah said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

Exodus 4:21 – Jehovah said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

Exodus 4:24 – It happened on the way at a lodging place, that Jehovah met him and wanted to kill him.

Exodus 4:27 – Jehovah said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.

Exodus 4:28 – Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had charged him.

Exodus 4:30 – Aaron spoke all the words which Jehovah had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

Exodus 4:31 – The people believed, and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Exodus 5:1 – Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Jehovah, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'”

Exodus 5:2 – Pharaoh said, “Who is Jehovah, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

Exodus 5:3 – They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

Exodus 5:17 – But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.’

Exodus 5:21 – and they said to them, “May Jehovah look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Exodus 5:22 – Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

Exodus 6:1 – Jehovah said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land.”

What is important in these scriptures is that when God said to Moses to tell the Israelites that it was “Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”, that was sending him (Exodus 3:15), there is not any indication that the Israelites would not recognize Jehovah as the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Rather, it is plainly stated that Jehovah is the “God of the Hebrews”. (Exodus 3:18) In all the narrative of Exodus 4:1-9, there is no mention that the Israelites would not recognize the name, “Jehovah” as their God, but the emphasis is on whether they would know that Moses was sent by Jehovah. Exodus 4:31 reveals that the people did believe, but no mention is made that they were suprized by the name “Jehovah.” Rather the scriptures relate the opposite: that they readily recognized who was meant by the name “Jehovah.”

Furthermore, we have more to notice in Jehovah’s statement to Moses in Exodus 3:15: “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.” This indicates that Jehovah expects for his name to used by his people forever, thus discounting the later idea of not using his name, or the idea of some that the name “Jehovah” was meant to be just a temporary name, and that later it was to be replaced with titles.

In summary, we find that the scriptures in Genesis and the first few chapters of Exodus combine to provide evidence that the name “Jehovah” — as the personal name of God — was used before the words spoken to Moses in Exodus 6:2,3. We really have no reason not to believe that the Hebrew word for  “Jehovah”, as the name of the true God, was not spoken and used all through Genesis.

Appendix One

Some have claimed that no proper name is given in Genesis that contains any shortened form of Jehovah, but after Genesis 6 we find many proper names that contain some form of Jehovah’s name, and wondered why this is so if the name was being used by Abraham, Isaac, and others mentioned in Genesis. Again, this does not mean that the Holy Name was not used in chapters one through five of Genesis, but for some reason unknown to us, the Holy Name was not generally included in the personal names of peoples or places. In reality, there are at least two exceptions to this idea in Genesis: Genesis 22:2, where the land of Moriah is mentioned, and Genesis 22:14 where we read that “Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh.” There are some other possible instances, such as the name “Beriah” (Genesis 46:17), which some give the meaning: “Jehovah has created/cut down” or “a gift of Jehovah”. Another name is Ajah, but this word is usually given the meaning “falcon”. (Genesis 36:24) Some other names that could contain a form of the name of Jehovah are Jahleel (Genesis 46:14: Hoping in Jehovah); Jahzeel (Genesis 46:14); Jeriah [Jerijah] (Genesis 10:26). Regardless, there may have been some other reason that we do not know of that would account for the lack of the Holy Name in the personal names in Genesis, one of which may be similar to the lack of using the name “Jesus” as a personal name in English. It could have been that there was a general uneasiness about using the Holy Name as part of a personal name, even as most in the United States would not think of naming their son “Jesus”.

Psalms 30:4
Sing praise unto Jehovah, O ye saints of his,
And give thanks to his holy memorial name. 
American Standard Version