Bob Prichard

Topic(s): God's Sovereignty

Names are important. It is difficult for us to conceive of things apart from their names. The many different names for God in the Bible describe and demonstrate His character. “Jehovah” (usually indicated by “LORD” in the King James Version) appears often in the scriptures. Jehovah means “the Eternal One, the Unchange-able One, the One Who was, and is, and is to come.” When Moses met God in the burning bush, he asked “when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exodus 3:13-14). God spoke as Jehovah, the self-existent God.

The Hebrew people came to consider one particular name of God His personal name. Scholars call this name, derived from four Hebrew letters, the “tetra-grammaton” (from “tetra,” meaning four, and “gram,” meaning letter). The Jews were so concerned about using this name of God in vain that as they read the Bible text aloud they would not even pronounce the name. When they would come to this word, usually translated as Jehovah, they would substitute the word “Adonai,” meaning Lord. As a result of this, the proper pronunciation of the original Hebrew is unknown. Most scholars today say that “Yahweh,” or “Yahveh” is more likely to be the proper pronunciation, even though Jehovah has been the traditional pronunciation since the sixteenth century.

The Bible stresses the importance of respect for God by emphasizing the importance of the name of God. Solomon spoke of the power of the name of God, saying, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). The psalmist said, “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name” (Psalm 111:9). (We note that reverend refers only to God in the Bible, and never to man.) Isaiah records these words: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15). In the model prayer, Jesus told His disciples, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9).

The third commandment warns, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). Though this commandment is part of the old covenant, the need for respect for the Lord’s name continues. This includes the name Jehovah, or Yahweh, and all other names of God. Paul wrote, “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed” (1 Timothy 6:1).