Divine Names Theology

Further thoughts on Parashat Shemot

by John J. Parsons
www.hebrew4christians.com

Every once in awhile I get an email from someone who wants to correct or challenge
understanding regarding the Name of the LORD. Usually I am told that YHVH ( )
pronounced some particular way or another, and some even go so far as to claim tha
pronounce the Name according to their preferred transliteration, I am literally a "lost
vey... This sort of "holier-than-thou" thinking really angers me, since it is divisive an
on the deadly mixture of ignorance and pride.

Learn Hebrew
This week's Torah portion (the first of the Book of Exodus) is called Shemot (,, "
because it begins with a list of the "names" of the descendants of Jacob who came to
the land of Goshen:







,

/ "These are the names o
of Israel who came to Egypt" (Exod. 1:1). Now while it's true that the Torah here list
various names of the sons of Jacob, this portion of Torah more importantly refers the
(plural) of the LORD God of Israel Himself.

Learn Torah
To see this, let's consider the central story of this portion of Torah, namely, the comm
of Moses at the Burning Bush (see Exod. 3:1-20). Note that the Torah states that it w
Angel of the LORD (i.e., Malakh Adonai:

) who appeared to Moses ,




/ "in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush" (Exod. 3:1-2). But then the Tor
to say that the LORD ( )saw Moses drawing near to the bush while God (i.e., Elo


) called out to him. God (i.e., Elohim) then commanded Moses to remove his s
identified Himself as the "God of Abraham (i.e., Elohei Avraham:




) , the
Isaac (i.e., Elohei Yitzchak: (


) , and the God of Jacob (i.e., Elohei Ya'akov:
(
) ." In this short and dramatic account we have several Names of God presente
Angel of the LORD, the LORD, God (Elohim), and the "God of Abraham, the God of Is
the God of Jacob" - all of which refer to the One true God!

When God commissioned Moses to be His shaliach (

) - His emissary - to go befo
and lead the children of Israel back to the Promised Land, he objected that he was u
task. He protested that he was kevad peh - "heavy of mouth" and kevad lashon, "he
tongue," and therefore unable to speak on behalf of the LORD (Exod. 4:10). God rem
that He was the Creator of the mouth: "Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or
not I, the LORD?" (Exod. 4:11).

Perhaps it was because Moses was "heavy of mouth" that he continued to object to G
decision to send him to to Egypt. After all, what would Moses say if he were asked w
Name was? Perhaps Moses couldn't speak well enough to properly enunciate the Na
revealing to understand the LORD's reply:






/ "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh ('I
what I will be'); and He said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM (


) has sent
you.'" Then God (i.e.,

) went on to "spell it out" for Moses: "Say this to the pe
Israel, 'The LORD ( ), [namely] the God of your fathers, [namely] the God of Abr

) , [namely] the God of Isaac ( (


) , and [namely] the God of Jac
(
) , has sent me to you.' This is my name forever (



) , and thus I am
remembered throughout all generations" (Exod. 3:14-15).

Now I included the Hebrew text here to make it explicit that the distinct Names of Go
passage (i.e.,

,

,, and so on) all refer to the One true LORD Go
Maker of Heaven and earth. Indeed, the Torah makes it clear that the Name of the L
( )is associated with the phrase ehyeh asher ehyeh (rendered as "I AM THAT I A
KJV), which derives from the Qal imperfect first person form of this verb hayah (


be." In other words, there is a direct connection between the Name YHVH and Being
Reality itself. YHVH is the Source of all being and has being inherent in Himself (i.e.,
necessary Being). Everything else is contingent being that derives existence from Him
name YHVH also bespeaks the utter transcendence of God. In Himself, God is beyond
"predications" or attributes of language: He is the Source and Foundation of all possi
utterance and thus is beyond all definite descriptions.
In Jewish thought, the numerous names of God revealed in Scripture (Elohim, Shadd
the King of Israel, etc.) are thought to reveal different aspects or attributes of God's
and will to us. They function as "short hand" for descriptions of His essence - revelat
hidden mystery and glory of the LORD. Since taking the name of the LORD "in vain"
the Ten Commandments, certain conventions are used to restrict the use of any of th
of God. These conventions derive from Jewish law (halachah) that requires that seco
(,
- "fences") be placed around a primary law to reduce the chance that the mai
be violated. For example, it is common practice to refer to God as "Hashem" (the Na
deliberately alter the sound or spelling of a divine name. The name Havayah ( )i
sometimes used to refer to YHVH, which is formed by transposing the letters of the
Tetragrammaton.

According to Maimonides, one of the greatest Jewish theologians of the Middle Ages,
various names and titles of God with the possible exception of YHVH ( )are a
that denote the Divine attributes. There is only one God revealed within Scripture an
multiplicity of names refers to different aspects of revelation rather than supposing t
a multiplicity of deities. This idea also finds expression in the designation of God as E
)(, a theological term used to express that the essence of God is "without end" or
The revealed names of God therefore all represent some aspect of the divine nature
language that we can apprehend.

Some people seem to be preoccupied with finding out how to pronounce or utter the
Name of the LORD (i.e., ), though Jewish tradition maintains that the Divine Nam
entirely ineffable and therefore intrinsically mysterious. Indeed, attaching a name to
"labels" it and claims authority over it (e.g., when David put his name over a conque
Since the LORD is utterly unique, without rival, the Creator and LORD who is answer
one, He cannot be named. The Jewish mystics say (surely as a form of hyperbole) th
proper Name of the LORD is all the letters of the Torah sounded at once -- without in
This is called the "304,805 letter Name of God." That is, string together all 304,805 l
the Torah - from the first letter of Bereshit (Bet) through the last letter of Devarim (L
and "read" this as a single "Word." Of course the point here is that no one can do thi
the Angel of the LORD asks, "Why do you ask my name, seeing it is incomprehensibl
(Judges 13:18).

There are quite literally hundreds of names, titles, metaphors, similes, allegories, an
given in the Hebrew Scriptures. Though YHVH is God's special Name, it is clearly a p
verb "to be" (hayah). We do not "invoke" the Name like a magician might utter a "di
God is near to us -- He's in the wind, in the heavens and earth, as close to you as yo
heart (Deut. 30:14; Rom. 10:8). The really hard part is to love and obey the LORD -
learn how to say His incomprehensible Name. Indeed, what good would it be to know
properly pronounce the Sacred Name of the LORD if you do not love and obey Him?
want to call upon the Name of the LORD, seek first His kingdom and His righteousne
6:33).

The Hebrew word for "name" ( )refers to more than sound made with the lips, bu
refers to truly understanding someone's reputation, character, and so on. The Name
LORD ( ) represents the LORD God of Israel's glory, reputation, character, an
deeds of salvation for His people. Knowing His Name means understanding His glor
Savior of the world (


) . Indeed, personally knowing the Name of the LOR
inwardly accepting that He has valliantly acted on your behalf by saving you from the
bondage of your shame and sins through Yeshua, the revealed Angel of the LORD. I
knowing who Yeshua is and what He has done for you is to know the Name of the LO
10:13; Phil. 2:10-11). You simply cannot know the "Name of the LORD" without kno
Name of His Son (John 5:23; Prov. 30:4).

Postscript: The point of all this is to demonstrate that the "Name of the LORD" is no
than Yeshua (or Jesus). Yeshua = YHVH. Compare Isa. 45:22-23 with Phil. 2:10. The
"Name" means more than mere phonetics; it has to do with the deeds, acts, power,
and glory of God. Those who do not honor the Son do not honor the Father who sent
5:23). Denigrating Yeshua by even hinting that He is less than God Almighty is to de
Name of God -- i.e., to engage in Chilull Hashem () .

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