Archive for September, 2014
Something to think about: יהוה (YHVH)
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
What is God’s Name?
Jewish Publication Society Translation (JPS):
Exodus 3:14 “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 3:14 “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 in the Hebrew text:
NOTE: Hebrew is written right-to-left.
14
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה — אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה = ‘Ehyeh’ = ‘I AM’ (I Am Who I Am)
These three words are the words that God used to describe Himself:
אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה ( Brown–Driver–Briggs Hebrew English Lexicon [BDB] ) היה “be; become; happen; occur; niphal: be; occur; flee” code: vqi1cs Hebrew, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular ‘I am’
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ( BDB ) אשׁר “who; which; that” code: Pr Hebrew, particle, relative
אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה ( BDB ) היה “be; become; happen; occur; niphal: be; occur; flee” code: vqi1cs Hebrew, verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular ‘I am’
Exodus 3:13 in the Greek Translation (Septuagint – LXX):
14 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν καὶ εἶπεν Οὕτως ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ Ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέν με πρὸς ὑμᾶς – LXX
Ἐγώ εἰμι = ‘I am’
εἰμί ( LEH ) “to be, exist” code: v%pap%nms%9xx verb, present, active, participle, nominative, masculine, singular
So Why Did He Call Himself “I AM”?
The Israelites named themselves using names that described them and that captured their nature and essence in one name.For example, “Noah”, means “Comfort”.
“And he called his name Noah, saying, ‘This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.’” (Genesis 5:29 NKJV)
“Emmanuel” means “God with us”. The Hebrew is “Emma” (with)+“nu” (1st
Person Plural) + “el” (God). (With Us God). In Matthew 1:23, “Behold,
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name
Immanuel (which means, God with us).” This is a quotation from Isaiah 7:14.“Isaiah” means “the salvation of the Lord”
The main point: It is impossible to sum up God’s nature and essence in one word. Hence, the name “I AM”.
So, God’s first response to Moses’ question was “I AM”.
In John 8:56-59, Jesus said,
“Before Abraham was, I AM”.
The Jews who heard Jesus say this knew exactly what “I AM” meant and their reaction was to want to kill him.
John 8:56
56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
So, what about YHVH?
Interestingly, God then continues in Exodus 3:15:
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the
people of Israel, ‘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 thus I am to be remembered throughout all
generations.” — (ESV)
Exodus 3:15 “And God said moreover unto
Moses: ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: The LORD, the
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob, hath sent me unto you; this is My name for ever, and this is
My memorial unto all generations.’” — (JPS)
Exodus 3:15 in Hebrew:
15
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כֹּֽה־תֹאמַר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ע֨וֹד אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה כֹּֽה־תֹאמַר֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק וֵאלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם זֶה־שְּׁמִ֣י לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃
יְהוָ֞ה = YHVH
Exodus 3:15 in Greek (LXX):
15 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πάλιν πρὸς Μωυσῆν Οὕτως ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ Κύριος
ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν θεὸς Αβρααμ καὶ θεὸς Ισαακ καὶ θεὸς Ιακωβ
ἀπέσταλκέν με πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοῦτό μού ἐστιν ὄνομα αἰώνιον καὶ μνημόσυνον
γενεῶν γενεαῖς
In the Greek translation (the Septuagint [LXX]), which was done in the second century BC, יְהוָ֞ה (YHVH) is translated as Κύριος (Lord).
The first occurrence of YHVH in the Torah is in Genesis 2:14.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
4 אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃
The words in bold type are: “YHVH elohim”.So why did the Jews, when they translated the Hebrew text into Greek (known as the Septuagint [LXX]) use Κύριος (Lord) in place of YHVH? They knew that the reason that they had been exiled to Babylon was because they had not kept the Law, which includes Exodus 20:7. They did not want ever again to risk taking “the Lord’s name in vain” even accidentally, so they substituted Κύριος.
Even today, observant Jews do not even spell out “God” but use “G-D”, or refer to Him as “The Name” (Ha Shem) or as “Adonai” (Lord).
What does YHVH Mean?
The current Hebrew alphabet is derived from the Aramaic script. There was a more ancient Hebrew script based upon pictographs.
Ancient Hebrew Pictographic Alphabet
Ancient Hebrew Pictographic Alphabet,with the Aramaic Alphabet below.
(Both are written right-to-left).
There is only one person in the Bible that these words apply to — “Behold the hand, Behold the nail”.
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