The Most Confusing Name on Earth (Corrected)
Our faithful reader, Brett R., pointed out that I (yes, even I) missed the complete Paleo-Hebraic spelling of the name. Here is my correction (in case you’re keeping track). Thanks, Brett.
And God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM;” and he said, “Thus shall you say to Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14 Hebrew World translation
I AM THAT I AM – It is fairly well understood that “God” is not the name of the Hebrew deity. “God” is more or less the category of the divine; most like a title or office than a name. In fact, the Hebrew divine being calls Himself El Shaddai when He is asked, although most translations change this to “God Almighty” (something it does not really mean, unfortunately). When pressed, Christians sometimes refer to this divine being as Jehovah, but that is a terrible bastardization derived from partly German and mostly Latin influences. What’s worse is that this conversation with Moses really doesn’t give us a name either. The Hebrew word is ‘eheyeh (spelled aleph-hey-yod-hey), a yiqtol imperfect form of the verb haya (to be, to exist, to come to be, to become, to come to pass). We typically see this expressed in Scripture as Y-H-V-H, but even a cursory glance shows you that when the divine being speaks this “name,” it isn’t spelled as it is in nearly all of the references to the divine being. Furthermore, our English translations are truly off base, attempting to capture some noun-like name in what is really a verb (click here for some discussion). So we can’t actually refer to “God” as if “God” were a name, we don’t really know what in the world the verb form ‘eheyeh is all about and we don’t know anymore what vowels were actually associated with the usual letters YHVH (occurring more than 5000 times). What a mess! What are we supposed to do?
Maybe we can get some hint of clarity about this conundrum by examining the pictographic image of the word. Here is the text in English, Hebrew and Ancient Paleo-Hebrew
The fifth word from the right following the number 14 at the bottom is the “name.” In Paleo-Hebrew, it is the sign of the bull (power, leader) + the sign of behold (to reveal) + the sign of the hand (to work, make) + the sign of behold again. What’s missing in this spelling is the usual opening yod, the sign of the hand (work, deed, to make) and the change from the middle Vav to Yod. But let’s just stick with the name that the Hebrew divine being gives Moses. It seems pretty clear that this “name” (remember it’s a verb) is something like “power, behold, to make, revealed.” Now isn’t that precisely what Moses asks for? Moses wants a “name” that will convince the Israelites to trust and follow him. The divine being gives him a “name,” in fact, a verb—an action—that speaks right to Moses’ need and the trust issue of the Israelites. Who is this divine being? He is the power to do, revealed to Moses. His name is the action guaranteed.
If He had given Moses the name YHVH, something essential would have been missing, namely, the aleph of power. YHVH replaces the sign of power (the bull) with a second “behold.” When we see the divine name-verb YHVH, it is as if Hebrew places an exclamation point at the beginning and the end of the thought, much like Spanish punctuation. It is “¡ hand that makes secure !.” But Moses requires a display of power to defeat Pharaoh and YHWH provides it—a name fit for the occasion. We might summarize this name as “Behold !! the power to do.”
We stumble around trying to translate this “name” without realizing, perhaps, that it can’t be translated. It isn’t a name. It’s an action—an act of promise keeping. Remember how Moses will know that YHWH’s promise is true? When he brings the people to the mountain. In other words, after the act is over, then he will know that the promise was real. But until then, trust the “name.”
The “God” of Israel gives a “name” of who He is. He is the trustworthy one, the maker of covenants, the “maker” of the universe. The “name” fits the need. Perhaps it is the same for us. What is His name? What is your need?
Topical Index: YHVH, name, Exodus 3:14, Paleo-Hebrew
Skip, thanks I was waiting for your insight. This is the only name that count and I thank ABBA for teaching me his name daily praise to YAH!!!!!! daniel south africa
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..
Ah, the Name! That beautiful Name, that wonderful Name..- that Blessed Name is Jesus.
And a sign was written and placed above His head, – This is Jesus – King of the Jews. – And the Divine Mystery continues.. The Word, (the Logos) became flesh- and lived among us. Who was He? More to the point.. – Who is He? Who is this King of Glory?
Carl, are you saying that Jesus is YHWH?
Thomas, there is no quick and easy answer to this question: Is Yeshua HaMaschiah, – YHWH? And I dare not “share” what I think.. The plumbline of Amos (and our plumbline) is the word of God (only). We must ask this question (unhesitatingly)- “What do the scriptures say?”
The truly reliable source of knowledge and of wisdom and of understanding are the written words of God, contained within the Book God wrote. Yes, our Bible was written by man, but consider- so were the Ten Commandments! Written first by God, then inscribed again by Moses, – a man. God always speaks to a human heart- through a human heart.
Consider all of the men of the Bible. Women too, for that matter! Consider the creation: God spoke, and ? – it came into being. “It was so..” – and ? – “it was good!” (tov)
Consider the prophecies (all of them) concerning (the) coming Anointed One (or Christ). There was a baby, born in a barn in Bethlehem who “happened(?)” to fulfill every single one of them. The announcement of the angels to the shepherds (why shepherds?) was this: “for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is? “Christ the LORD” (Luke 2.11), (-our Shepherd/King!)
Consider the manner of His (miraculous) birth. There was no other one in the history of all mankind who was born in this way, – Yes, – “great is the mystery of godliness!” I agree with Mary, – “how can these things be?” (Wonder #1?) The incarnation. The dividing line of history and the centerpiece of the cosmos: The Virgin Birth. Is this (even) possible? Friend, – (again) – “what do the scriptures say?” (Remember ?)
(Hallelujah!) Remember these three words: “it is written..” and remember also this: “YOU do err, not knowing the scriptures- nor the power of God!” (Selah)
Now this- (drives me next to crazy!!).. “The Jews require a sign.. – and the Greeks seek after wisdom” Call me crazy, but “here’s your sign!” (HOW MANY (signs) DOES IT TAKE?)
When was this written? -and when was this “sign” fulfilled? (Hello..)
~Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel ~ (Isaiah 7.14)
And so.. should none of us (creatures) be left to wonder about this “Name,” we are also given the interpretation of it: Imanu EL – God IS with us! (Hallelujah!)
And furthermore.. (ha!) Is there more? – SO. MUCH. MORE!!!
And the Child shall be called … “Pele-yoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom”
~ For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders and He will be called (named) Wonderful Counselor-Mighty God- Everlasting Father-Prince of Peace ~
~ Who is this King of glory? ~ Look no further, – the (long promised Messiah has come!
Consider (the miracle) of His life- from His first breath to His last- not one sin, (ever!)- not one transgression of the Torah!- No. NOT. ONE!! I (too) find no fault in Hiim!! He (and He only) lived “the” perfect life! – Which of us may say this? ~ Which of you convinces me of sin? ~ (Please, don’t look at me!)
The miracle of His birth, His life and then? The miracle of the crucifixion- The manner of the death of the Messiah. A-m-a-z-i-n-g Love.
I love the confession of Peter: “You are the Christ- the Son of the Living God,” – and with this confession, Yeshua was well-pleased! But to this confession, I would add my own words- You are the Christ the Son of the Living God and You are the Christ, the Anointed, God,- the resurrected and now reigning Living Son! (for He ever lives to make intercession for us!)
~ Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in (blood-covenant) union with the Messiah Yeshua:
~ Though He was in the form of God,
He did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
~ On the contrary, He emptied Himself,
in that He took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
~ And when He appeared as a human being,
He humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake (the tslav) as a criminal! (Philippians 2.5-8)
Amazing Love, – how can this be?
Consider the confession of Thomas (the doubter).. “My LORD and my God!”
Thank you, Carl, for your reply and obviously heart-felt words.
I am no scholar of Hebrew or Greek, but I gave my all to God 40 years ago. “Take me, and use me.” Since then, I have aimed to follow Torah.
In my opinion, when Thomas (the doubter) said, “My Lord and my God,” Thomas was awestruck by the recognition of God the Father and His Son, Yeshua, the Lord…Thomas’ Lord, and ours.
Additionally, the word originally used for “God” can just as well refer to a recognition of someone with divine authority. So Thomas could have been assigning to Yeshua two titles of honor.
Yeshua was made “lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9). God is not lower than the angels.
Yeshua told His disciples they would do “greater works” than He did (John 14:12). Surely we cannot do greater things than God does.
“My Father is greater than I,” Yeshua said in John 14:28. By saying Yeshua is another “Person” in the Godhead, are we assigning a kind of weird hierarchy to God?
To say Yeshua is the Son of God in no way takes away from the honor and worship due Him.
To say Yeshua is God directly opposes the biblical statement, “The LORD is one.”
We can believe that Yeshua and God the Father are one in purpose and desire without insisting that they be two different “Persons.”
Ultimately, we have to ask why theology insists that Yeshua be God.
WORD PLAY
“Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the
governor asked Him, saying: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” Mat 27:11
IT IS
“Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’, but ‘He said,
“I am the King of the Jews. ” ‘ ” Jn 19:21
I AM
TRUSTWORTHY KING
Why wasn’t the Aleph used in the Hebrew script as seen in the Paleo?
Not sure what you mean. The Aleph does appear in the Hebrew script.
Thanks, I see it.
You sure titled this one right Skip. So much speculation and weirdness on “the Name” out there. You did kind of throw me off a little bit though. Maybe you could clarify for me.
You said the “pictographic image of the word”. I personally don’t think we can attach pictographic meaning to ancient Hebrew, as do the majority of linguistic experts (which I’m not by any means). And there’s a difference in the pictographic images, much like the Sumerian text and Egyptian hieroglyphics, versus paleographic script(ancient Hebrew), which is what you’ve shown a picture of. The pictographic images, weren’t syllabary or a alphabet, so couldn’t have been pronounced. And therefore I don’t think we could use it to try and get a pronouncement or even a meaning of the Name given in Exodus. Since we once again, really have no clue as to what was really meant by the pictographic images. We can’t insert some kind of meaning into each letter in the Hebrew, anymore the we could insert meaning into the English letters like an “a” or a “v”.
Could you clarify this for me please? Or was i just totally missing what you were saying?
Great message. Thanks Skip
Yeah, I know there is a lot of controversy about Seekins use of pictures in the original Paleo-Hebraic script. But Egyptian hieroglyphs were also pictures and somehow Egyptians communicated with them, so it can’t be true that they did not communicate phonemes and were unable to be pronounced. You might think of contemporary Mandarin. It is ideographic language but people have no problem reading or writing it. And we certainly have plenty of reason to believe that those pictures mean something. Your objection that we cannot assign meaning to current phonetic letters seems to miss the point. Our alphabets are not and never were ideographs. They communicate sounds which are used to construct words that are somewhat arbitrarily attached to referents. But ideographic languages don’t work that way, so why should be expect them to hold to the same standard?
Y – ultimate right hand of power and grace and mercy (loving kindness) reaching down from heaven…
H – mankind jumping with joy, hands thrown up into the air.
W – covenant cut / pegged.
H – mankind raising hands in worship.
from “NAME” to “IMAGE”
Shalom!
The Mission of the Messiah
What action, —what act of “promise keeping” does the Lamb of God (the Christ) crucified during the celebration of Passover “signify?”
– the Jews require a sign?? (1 Corinthians 1.22)
~ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt ~ (Exodus 12.13)
What was the message of John? ( only the Master Plan of salvation and central theme of all the bible!)- ~ Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world ~ (John 1.29)
(In His own words, -and from the lips of our LORD).. ~ for this cause came I into the world..~ (John 18.37)
I hope you will read Cross Word Puzzles. I don’t think John 18:37 is connected to John 1:29. The discussion about coming into the world is about establishing an eternal kingdom, not about taking away sin. Two events connected, but not as most people assume.
Skip, I love this teaching so much. You know, I had researched the name of “God” a while back, and it’s really troubling to me b/c there’s not a really good trail from which it came and yet is the most standard use of “Yahweh.”
Below the excerpt I found from one article, but many other sources say the same thing about the ambiguity of the origin of the word “god”: (Word origin) God – Our word god goes back via Germanic to Indo-European, in which a corresponding ancestor form meant “invoked one.” The word’s only surviving non-Germanic relative is Sanskrit hu, invoke the gods, a form which appears in the Rig Veda, most ancient of Hindu scriptures: puru-hutas, “much invoked,” epithet of the rain-and-thunder god Indra. (Source: http://www.bibleanswerstand.org/God.htm). I’d be interested what you think of the article as a whole, particularly the section “UNDERSTANDING THE WORD “GOD” FROM THE BIBLE.”
Isn’t it disturbing that we Westerners have just picked up some name from who knows where and used it to call Yhwh? Anyway, just my thoughts…THANKS FOR YOUR ARTICLE! It was really good! ~GAYNOR