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Know, before we begin in earnest, that this article represents the first in a series. The issue being discussed herein is deep, often technical and bears a rather confusing and sordid history… Today’s article really only serves as a primer. Subsequent articles will delve much more deeply into the issue and explore some of the details therein.
This is a subject that’s been on my mind and heart for several years now. Though something I’d never given much thought to previously, once brought to my attention, it quickly became a subject of significant passion for me. It’s an issue that stands as a tangible example of something I believe the enemy has stolen and which bears out the prophets declarations as the Most High continues to go about the business of restoration.
It’s interesting when one considers how much time we’ve all spent reading, worshiping and learning about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – whether in a Church or a Synagogue – yet only ever referring to Him as “Lord” or “Adonai”, “God” or “Elohim”. When we stop to truly consider the issue, we find ourselves confronted with the fact that these are not what the scriptures say, because this is not what was originally written…
If you read through the front of your Bible, you’ll undoubtedly find a foreword (preface, preamble, [insert synonymous adjective here]) which contains a number of caveats; notable among them being a section addressing the text’s use (or more specifically, the lack thereof) of the name of God. Western theologians generally refer to this name as the “Tetragrammaton” (‘having four letters’) and this refers to the Hebrew characters; ‘Yud Hey Vav Hey’, or יהוה (YHVH).
If you did look in the front of your Bible, you likely found a statement that this name has been replaced throughout the text and that these substitutions are distinguishable by the use of “LORD“, in all (small) capital letters. Likewise, many translations originating directly from Hebrew (or seeking to return to a more Hebraic context) use the term “ADONAI” – also generally in (small) capital letters. You may have also noted that these replacements occur upwards of seven thousand times.
I just want to take a moment to let that sink in… the name, spoken by God to Moses has been replaced in our Bibles nearly seven – thousand – times.
Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ – what should I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘The Lord – 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 3:13 – 15
Note that in the preceding quotation from the book of the Exodus, “The Lord” is not what the text originally said. Furthermore, “The Lord”, though a fitting title for the God of the Universe, is decidedly not a name.
This practice of substitution is actually very, very old. There are numerous explanations for this tradition, but suffice it to say that it stems from a desire to preserve the sanctity and gravity of this name. If you recall the issue of blaspheming the name as recorded in Leviticus 24:10 – 16, you can likely understand why this approach was eventually adopted, but it is not without issue…
It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the Lord has promised; the remnant will be those whom the Lord will call.
Joel 2:32 (see also Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13)
It should not surprise you, given the prior, to learn that this was not how this passage was originally rendered. In fact, it’s not how it’s rendered in Hebrew even unto the present day:
וְהָיָה, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-יִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה–יִמָּלֵט: כִּי בְּהַר-צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם תִּהְיֶה פְלֵיטָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהוָה, וּבַשְּׂרִידִים, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה קֹרֵא.
Joel 3:5– Note that the Hebrew Scriptures are sectioned (and ordered) differently than English translations.
– Note also that Hebrew reads from right to left, top to bottom.
Understanding that the above is likely unintelligible to most readers (unless you’re fluent in Hebrew), I would draw your attention to the bolded portions – each of which are comprised of the four characters; ‘Yud Hey Vav Hey’, or יהוה (YHVH) . The dots and dashes surrounding the letters are vowel markings… you might call them “jots and tittles”…
Adonai, in Hebrew, is rendered אדונאיי, yet this passage and, in fact every passage in which we find the all-capitals “Lord” in our English translations, contains either יהוה or a shorter form; יה. I’m sure you can plainly see that neither יהוה (YHVH) or יה (YH) and אדונאיי (Adonai) are equivalent.
Wondering what’s going on? The name is undergoing a practice of replacement through which, in Hebrew, we arrive at “Adonai” and thus “Lord” in English – replacing the four character name spoken by God to Moses… Tradition varies, but essentially holds that in the absence of the proper vowel markings, the name cannot be adequately pronounced. Adonai is therefore used in its place as the only tenable alternative.
The problem with this assertion however, is that it isn’t true. It sounds reasonable… heck, many of the traditions associated with obfuscating the name sound reasonable: “it can’t be pronounced” – “these are ‘wind letters‘” – “it (the name) is too sacred to utter” – and on and on… but sounding reasonable isn’t the metric by which we are to discern truth.
If the Divine Creator and Sovereign King of the Universe, the Uncreated Creator, chose to identify Himself and gave a name by which He was to be called, then shouldn’t we aspire to do so? Did He hide this name from us to prevent our speaking it or is there more to the story? Did He proclaim to Moses, when asked “I will spell it out for you, but you can never pronounce it”?
I’ll leave you with following, just to drive the point home and illustrate why this matters…
God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘The Lord – 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 3:14 – 15
“The Lord” is not a name…
The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name.
Exodus 15:3
“The Lord” is not a name…
And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”
Exodus 33:19
“The Lord” is not a name…
“If you refuse to obey all the words of this law, the things written in this scroll, and refuse to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God…”
Deuteronomy 28:58
“The Lord” is not a name…
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Exalt the one who rides on the clouds! For the Lord is his name! Rejoice before him!
Psalm 68:4
“The Lord” is not a name…
I am the Lord! That is my name! I will not share my glory with anyone else, or the praise due me with idols.
Isaiah 42:8
“The Lord” is not a name…
The Lord has made a promise to Israel. He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by day and the moon and stars to give light by night. He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Jeremiah 31:35
“The Lord” is not a name…
You show unfailing love to thousands. But you also punish children for the sins of their parents. You are the great and powerful God whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Jeremiah 32:18
“The Lord” is not a name…
“I, the Lord, do these things. I, the Lord, form the plan to bring them about. I am known as the Lord.”
Jeremiah 33:2
“The Lord” is not a name…
But the one who will rescue them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Jeremiah 50:34
“The Lord” is not a name…
The Lord, who is the portion of the descendants of Jacob, is not like them. For he is the one who created everything, including the people of Israel whom he claims as his own. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Jeremiah 51:19
“The Lord” is not a name…
As for the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is the name by which he is remembered!
Hosea 12:5
“The Lord” is not a name…
For here he is! He formed the mountains and created the wind. He reveals his plans to men. He turns the dawn into darkness and marches on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, is his name!
Amos 4:13
“The Lord” is not a name…
But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion;he can turn the darkness into morning and daylight into night. He summons the water of the seas and pours it out on the earth’s surface. The Lord is his name!
Amos 5:8
“The Lord” is not a name…
He builds the upper rooms of his palace in heaven and sets its foundation supports on the earth. He summons the water of the sea and pours it out on the earth’s surface. The Lord is his name.
Amos 9:6
“The Lord” is not a name…
The Lord will then be king over all the earth. In that day the Lord will be seen as one with a single name.
Zechariah 14:9
“The Lord” is not a name…
To be continued…
שלום עליכם – Shalom Aleichem – Peace Be Upon You