His Name Is

As is Your name, O God,
 So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
 Your right hand is full of righteousness. Psalm 48:10 English NASB (Hebrew Bible 48:11)

As is Your name – “The concept of personal names in the [Old Testament] often included existence, character, and reputation (I Sam 25:25). Often the plural form of šēm is rendered as ‘persons,’ (e.g. Num 1:2, 18, 20; 3:40, 43; 26:55). Further ‘to cut off the name’ was equal to liquidating the person himself (Deut 7:24; 9:14; I Sam 24:21 [H 22] etc.). The name chosen for a child was often descriptive of the parent’s wishes or expectations for the personality that was to mature. This is particularly evident in the renaming process, e.g. Jacob becoming Israel (Gen 35:10). One of the favorite devices (found in seventy-nine passages) was the use of word play; observe this literary form in Jer 1:11–12; Mic 1:10–15; Hos 1:4–5, etc. The same device is found in the Egyptian Westcar Papyrus, a story about the birth of triplets and how they were named and then a pun on each name was recorded!”[1]

Pay particular attention to Kaiser’s comment about the Westcar Papyrus. Notice that the Hebrew idea of word play names and identity is found in the Egyptian culture. Does that give you pause? What of all those stories in Genesis where names are so significant and where changes in names are purposeful reorientation of lives? Do you suppose that Moses’ recounting of these events drew on Egyptian ideas? Don’t you think that the children of Israel would have been familiar with the importance of name changes as a result of spending hundreds of years under Egyptian influence?

And now jump ahead eight or nine centuries. What about the name “Yeshua”? It is also an obvious word play in Hebrew. Bob Gorelik said, “Re: the name Yeshua – it DOES mean ‘salvation.’ It is just the masculine form of the Hebrew word for salvation, y’shuah (accent on the last syllable) which happens to be feminine. In Mat 1:21, it says: ‘(Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins.’ – NOT ‘the LORD will save his people from their sins.’ By the way, the Greek word used to transliterate the name ‘Jesus’ is Iesus – it happens to be the Greek word used to translate the name Joshua in the Septuagint. Perhaps that is why so many people are so enamored with the idea that Yeshua’s name is Joshua – but it isn’t. Joshua (Yehoshua) means the ‘LORD is salvation’ or the ‘LORD saves.’ It combines two Hebrew words, the name of God and the word for salvation. The idea that the ‘Hebrew word for “salvation”… is very similar to Messiah’s name, but … spelled differently both in Hebrew and in English’ would be funny, if it wasn’t so sad.”[2]

In other words, YHVH instructs Miriam (“Mary”) to name the child Yeshua because of the play on words in Hebrew with the verb “to save, to deliver.” He knows his name and it is the purpose God intends for him. Anyone who knew his name would marvel at the idea that he was named as the one who saves.

Because names are usually arbitrary phonetic sounds in our culture, we don’t understand the complexity or the power of names in the Bible. We live in a different world. It interferes with our appreciation of God’s orchestration. With the emphasis on names in the Semitic cultures of the ancient Near East, you might ask yourself if you know God’s name. Yes, you know the consonants—YHVH. But do you know the meaning, the purpose, the fullness of His name? And I am not talking about shouting out something in prayer. “Oh, God!” “Oh, Father!” “Oh, Lord.” Or “Oh something” is not knowing His name. Next time you are tempted to use His name, ask yourself first if you know whom you are speaking about.

Topical Index: name, shem, Psalm 48:10, Yeshua, word play

 

[1] Kaiser, W. C. (1999). 2405 שֵׁם. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (934). Chicago: Moody Press.

[2]Robert Gorelik in private correspondence

A Note on Paleo-Hebrew: Sometime around the first of August the study of the Paleo-Hebrew Ten Commandments will be available on the web site. The lectures were given in Virginia Beach and Phoenix and after several days, we only made it to the fourth commandment. The material is rich and deep. The work will be available only as a PDF download because it contains so many images of Paleo-Hebrew terms. It is about 150 pages. I’ll make a brief announcement when it is ready.

 

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HSB

Skip: regarding the four consonants in YHWH the name of God, Josephus, himself a Jewish priest, informs us in Wars 5.5.7… “golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name (of God); it consists of four vowels.” There are four Hebrew consonants which also serve as vowels (aleph, yod, vav, hey) Three of those constitute the sacred name (yod, hey, vav, hey) Interesting that in Exodus 3:14 where God refers to His own self as “I am” we have aleph, hey, yod hey, thus including the aleph. In school we learned that unlike consonants which are “guttural stops”, vowels have “life” and continuity. I am sure with your linguists background you can share much more completely on this topic. My point is that the four letters of the Tetragrammaton do not need to be “vowelized”, they are already vowels themselves. Something like eeee, ahhhh, oooo, ehhhh four vowel sounds for the YHWH name, or as we would write it probably… Yahweh, with the w sounding ooooo.
Regarding the name of Yeshua, I recall that Abraham and Sarah were renamed by adding a letter hey to their names, while Hosea had a yod placed at the front by Moses. Both hey and yod are letters from the name of God. Thus Hosea (redeemer) becomes Yehoshua …”Yah(weh) redeemed”. Which brings us to the “renaming” of Jesus/Yeshua in Philippians 2: 9,10. After the resurrection we learn in verse 9 that “God exalted him (Yeshua) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess…” Now we already know from Isaiah 45:23, 24 that “every knee will bow, and every tongue confess” refers to YWHW, God the Father. Paul himself informs us in Ephesians 3:14 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father”. I suggest that the apparent confusion can be easily resolved if Philppians 2 describes a “renaming” of Yeshua. Clearly he is given a new name according to the passage. His name was Yeshua in earlier verses. I suggest He was renamed by adding a hey to his name. Thus Yeshua becomes Yehoshua …Yah(weh) saved. Yeshua does not effect salvation on his own. Rather YHWH/Yahweh effects salvation THROUGH Him. If we recognize this fact the relative roles of Father and Son become far clearer. Sadly in the Greek both Yeshua and Yehoshua come over as the same name Iesous/Jesus so this distinction in the actual Hebrew names is lost.

carl roberts

Who am I? The Story of My Life

I know none of you have ever met me.. but allow me to introduce myself. But before I do, I must say this: “none of this is about me..” or my name. There is another Name that we must know (yes, experientially!) This is the Name that is above every name. This is the Name Isaiah introduced and wrote about millenia ago. But even Isaiah didn’t know “the rest of the story” (His Story) for you see, the One Isaiah wrote about had not yet been born in Bethlehem (the house of Bread). Oh, there are so many names written down in the Lamb’s Book of life, but all of these names (including my own) testify of the saving power, the authority of One Name.

~ As foretold/forecasted by Isaiah ~ And the child shall be called … “Pele-yoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom.” Even this Name, – though quite amazing in and of itself- is still not totally complete! – There is yet (even) more to tHis Name! Even the mighty prophet Isaiah didn’t know “the rest of the story!”

~ And the LORD descended in a cloud and was with him (Moses) there proclaiming the name of I AM ~ (Exodus 34.5) What was the swift response of Moses? The very same ours will be when God reveals Himself to each of us! ~ Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped ~ Yes. Face down- and on the ground!

But who am I? What is my name? My name is? (Hello!) It seems that my name too, is rather complex.. I am (it seems) a combination of Biblical characters.. I identify with so many saints who have gone before me.. – it seems (to me) the story of their lives is being repeated (again) in my own! Do you have your own “Job” story? Seen any trials or afflictions? Deliverance? What did God do for Job?- and for you? Or do you “identify” with Peter? Maybe suffer (as I do) from the affliction of “hoof-in-mouth” disease? Has God seen you (too) as He has seen “Hagar?”

Yes. My “new name” is a complicated combination of characters! I know that I know, and I also know that I don’t know! Would this be a good time for an interjection? (Oy!!) Lol!

But here is a name that I will adopt as my own for today.. If you’ve never met this man- this man is me. Our names- our stories are “oh, so similar!”

And you? – Have you ever met this man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNsLT1BxUto

Rich Pease

I know Him well! Thanks, Carl.

carl roberts

May our Father grant unto us (each and all) the desire of our hearts and may we delight ourselves in His Presence, knowing He is always near. (Philippians 3)

Donna R.

I have learned that in the Paleo Hebrew our Father’s name is YaHuWaH & Yeshua is Yahushuwa.