The question of the name of God has long been resolved in theology. Researchers of various directions in the field of religion agree that several Divine names are presented in the Bible.
This position is questioned only by representatives of some religious communities (for example, "Jehovah's Witnesses"). According to them, there is only one true name of the Lord - Jehovah. Other names, they claim, are just titles. Such a position does not stand up to criticism, as it contradicts the sacred texts.
Names of God in Christianity
These are the names of the one God, and each of them reveals different aspects of His many-sided nature. They are endowed with a sacred, sacral meaning and status. Throughout the Bible there are several Divine names at once.
In the Tanakh (Old Testament), the names of the Lord reflect His divine essence. These include:
- Sabaoth;
- Existing;
- El Shaddai;
- Elohim;
- Adonai.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, the Son and messenger of God, comes to people. His purpose on Earth is the salvation of mankind in the face of the reunification of two principles - divine and human. The first part of the name of Jesus Christ (Jesus, or Yeshua) is interpreted as "Salvation from Jehovah." The second part (Meshikha, or Machines) means "Messiah", "Anointed".
Christ Himself called:
- Son of God;
- Son of Man;
- Teacher;
- good shepherd;
- Referee.
In addition, Jesus Christ is called:
- In a word;
- Savior of the world;
- the Lamb of God;
- Nazarene;
- carpenter
- great High Priest.
According to Christian traditions, believers revere the Holy Trinity, which consists of three hypostases: God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. All three hypostases are united by the name "Yahweh". Under this name, Jesus Christ appeared to the prophets even before his incarnation.
It is interesting: Trinity is one of the 12 main holidays in the entire Orthodox religion. In accordance with the biblical description, Christ foretold the descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth. And when this miraculous phenomenon happened, the trinity of God received irrefutable proof. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the basis of the Christian religion.
The concept of "Trinity" was introduced into the Christian language in the 2nd century by Saint Antioch, and this word has no biblical origin at all. The dogma of God's trinity was given in Revelation, but for the human mind it is incomprehensible. It can only be taken on faith.
El Shaddai
Translated into Russian, this nominal phrase means "God Almighty." The letter combination shad- is translated as "strength". In the literal sense, this concept is deciphered as follows: "full of power, might, fortress."
There are several other interpretations of El Shaddai. However, they are considered less reliable. For example, there is an opinion that the root of the word "Shaddai" comes from the ancient Akkadian "Shadu", which translates as "mountain". In this case, the expression itself can be interpreted as "God of the mountain."
According to another point of view, "Shaddai" in Hebrew means "the breast of a nursing mother." This allegedly traces a connecting parallel, where the mother's breast is a symbol of God.
It is worth noting: such an interpretation was quite common in ancient times and was quite consistent with the old beliefs, but it clearly does not coincide with the interpretation of the Torah and other Scriptures.
Names of God in the Bible and their meaning
The Bible often talks about the Most High, but His name is not mentioned at all. A careful study of Scripture reveals that God is designated by three words: el, eloah, elohim. All of them are united by a common root, the meaning of which is ambiguous.
It is assumed that the root el- is translated as “to be strong”, “to be ahead”. Along with the form el, clarifying definitions are usually used (used in the singular). Elohim (plural) is a more common form, the ambiguity of which is reduced to the concepts of "God", "a certain god", "deity", "certain gods".
On a note: the name "Elohim" has a Hebrew common noun (in plural sounds like "Eloah" or "El", which denotes a deity among the Semites). It is found in the Old Testament Scriptures, often used together with other names of God - Yahweh, Adonai and others. Its meaning is reduced to the idea of the justice of the Lord.
It is noteworthy that in the Tanakh the word God is attributed additional definition. Together, an expression is formed that indicates a certain relationship between God and:
- face (“God of Abraham”, “God of Isaac”, etc.);
- the place where the revelation took place (“the God of Israel”);
- people chosen by him ("the God of Jacob").
Along with the above concepts, in the Old Testament there is also a proper name - Yahweh. On the pages of Holy Scripture, it was depicted with the letters YHWH (the words denoting vowel sounds were completely absent in the word).
In the Old Testament, it was read as "Adonai", which meant "Lord." When letters denoting vowels appeared in the Hebrew alphabet, then word Y-X-V-X was supplemented with letters. In connection with the peculiarities of the pronunciation of vowel sounds, instead of “Yahweh”, the reading was established, as well as the spelling “Jehovah”.
Until now, a similar variation can be heard in church hymns, as well as read in ancient translated sources. Due to the fact that the name "Yahweh" has acquired a hidden form in the form of the word "Lord", where the phrase "Lord Yahweh" is used in Semitic writings, researchers use various variations in order to avoid unnecessary repetition.
Summarizing briefly, it should be pointed out that the tetragram YHWH (YHWH) means "Lord." Another pronunciation is "Jehovah", but it is extremely rare in Russian biblical texts.
In the New Testament, instead of the name Yahweh, the concept "curios" is used, which also means "Lord."
In the Old Testament portion of Biblical Scripture, God is revealed in His name. God becomes Father.
In addition to proper names, the list of names of God also includes other designations:
- Almighty (means supreme power);
- Holy of Israel (expresses holiness and greatness, opposition to the sinner);
- The Lord of hosts (means "army" - presumably the troops of the Israelites, or angels, or stars; the name means unlimited power over all things);
Note: the concept is found in both Jewish and Christian traditions, is mentioned in the Tanakh and in the New Testament. This name, in comparison with others, especially vividly puts forward the idea of omnipotence, dominion over all the powers of the earth and heaven. In Russian Orthodoxy, since the 16th century, icons depicting God the Father have been signed with this name.
- Redeemer (in this sense, is a relative of all the people of Israel, redeeming their debt).
Conclusion
Thus, in Christianity, including Orthodoxy, there is a whole series of names of God, each of which is absolutely true and corresponds to all sacred writings. No matter how many of them are named, each of them reveals and reflects the power, holiness and greatness of the Lord.
What are the various names of God and what do they mean?
Answer: Each of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His multifaceted nature. Most famous names God in the Bible are as follows:
EL, ELOAH:“The Mighty God” (Genesis 7:1; Isaiah 9:6) – etymologically, the word “El” seems to mean “power, ability”, as, for example: “There is power in my hand to do you harm” (Genesis 31 :29, Synodal translation). "El" is associated with other qualities such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but power remains the core idea.
ELOHIM:“God the Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) is the plural form of Eloah, which confirms the doctrine of the Trinity. From the first sentence of the Bible, excellent nature God's power evident when God (Elohim) calls the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).
AL SHADDI:“The Mighty God of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 131:2, 5) speaks of God’s absolute power over everything.
ADONAI:"Lord" (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) - used instead of "YHWH", which the Jews considered too sacred to be spoken by sinful people. In the Old Testament, "YHWH" is more commonly used in God's dealings with His people, while "Adonai" is used when He dealt with the Gentiles.
YHWH / JEHOVAH:"Lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) - strictly speaking, the only true name of God. In some translations of the Bible, it is found as "LORD" (all capital letters) to distinguish it from "Adonai" - "Lord". The revelation of the name is first given to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). This name defines immediacy, presence. "YHWH" is present, available and close to those who cry out to Him for deliverance (Psalm 106:13), forgiveness (Psalm 24:11) and guidance (Psalm 30:3).
YHWH-IRE:“The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14) is the name immortalized by Abraham when God gave a ram to replace Isaac.
YHWH-RAFA:"The Lord heals" (Exodus 15:26) - "I am the Lord - your healer!". He is the healer of body and soul. Bodies - preserving and healing from diseases; souls - forgiving iniquity.
YHWH-NISSI:"The Lord is our banner" (Exodus 17:15), where the banner is understood as a gathering place. This name commemorates the desert victory over Amalek in Exodus 17.
YHWH-M "KADDESH:“The Lord is the source of holiness” (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that only He, and not the law, can purify His people and make them holy.
YHWH-SHALOM:“The Lord is our peace” (Judges 6:24) is the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him that he would not die as he thought when he saw Him.
YHWH-ELOHIM:“The Lord God” (Genesis 2:4; Psalms 59:5) is a combination of the unique name of God “Yahweh” and the general “Lord”, meaning that He is the Lord of lords.
TO YHWH-TSIDKEN:"The Lord is our justification" (Jeremiah 33:16) - as with "YHWH-M"KADDESH", only God provides righteousness to man in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us, "to make us, in unity with Christ, the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
YHWH-ROHI:“The Lord is our shepherd” (Psalm 22:1) – after David has considered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realizes that this is the relationship God has with him and says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I will not want anything” (Psalm 22:1, NT).
YHWH-SHAMMA:“The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35) is a name that referred to Jerusalem and the temple, indicating that the glory of the Lord that had departed (Ezekiel 8–11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1–4).
YHWH-SABAOTH:“Lord of Hosts” (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 47:7) – The word “hosts” means “hordes, crowds, hosts” of both angels and men. He is the Lord of the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the Earth, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, masters and slaves. This name expresses the greatness, power and authority of God and shows that He is able to do what He chooses to do.
EL-ELION:"Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) - comes from Jewish root words for "up" or "ascend" therefore means that He is the highest. "El Elyon" means exaltation and speaks of His absolute right to rule.
EL-ROI:“The Seeing God” (Genesis 16:13) is the name attributed to God by Hagar, who was alone and desperate in the wilderness after Sarah drove her away (Genesis 16:1–14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized that she had seen God Himself. She also realized that "El Roi" saw her in distress and showed that He is a God who lives and sees everything.
EL-OLAM:“The Eternal God” (Psalms 89:1–3) – God's nature has no beginning and no end, is free from all limitations in time, and He is the cause of time itself. "From everlasting to everlasting You are God."
EL GIBHOR:“Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) is the name used to describe the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in this prophetic portion of the book of Isaiah. As a strong and mighty warrior, the Messiah - the Mighty God - will destroy the enemies of God and will rule with an iron rod (Revelation 19:15).
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Crucified on the cross, Jesus exclaims: “Either, Or! lama savakhfani?” (Matthew 27:46). Through the eyes of an Arabist, the meaning of what the God-man said is seen as follows: “Il is mine! Il mine! Why did you shed my blood (or: dishonored me)? To die at the hands of mortals, people - isn't that a shame for a demigod?
There are, however, some roughness in this version of mine. In order to correspond one hundred percent to the Arabic language, it would have to sound “Or, Or! Lima safakhtani? However, such roughness is more than justified by a number of good reasons.
Christ spoke not in Arabic, but in Aramaic (Syriac) dialect. Although it is very close to modern Arabic, it is still a different, special language.
The words of Jesus have come down to us in transmission through ancient Greek language, which inevitably led to some distortions. Not all who heard these words understood them, since they themselves spoke other languages. Among them is the apostle Matthew, who spoke Hebrew. Not understanding and not knowing the Aramaic language, they inevitably had to distort their exact sound in their transmission. In the transmission of the Apostle Mark, who spoke colloquial Aramaic, the same words already sound like “Eloi, Eloi! lama savahfani? (Mark 15:34). Thus, the truth is that none of the listed languages (Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic) explain with 100% accuracy this saying of Christ, which has come down to us in such a somewhat distorted form. And this is quite natural because we received it through transcription in another, ancient Greek language, and then through a series of translations from language to language. That is why S. Yesenin writes about God the Father, calling him Ili, and M. Tsvetaeva calls him Eloi. Having freed the words Ili and Eloi from the ending -i, meaning "my", we get the name of God the Father: Il or Elo.
Copyright: Valery Osipov, 2012
Publication Certificate No. 212122501031
Reviews
Thank you for raising the topic ... The article is very deep and interesting ... I myself thought about it ... and then EVERYTHING comes out very interesting ... this is what I came to, in continuation to Yours:
1. As we know, in ancient times there was such a letter "YAT", which was pronounced like "Ie", "Ye", "Ya" or simply "I", which coincided in Essence and Pronunciation with the letter "ER" .. .
Hence: "Jehovah", "Yahweh", etc...
and due to the fact that the "holy enlighteners" did not understand the Divine meaning of the Letter "YAT", it was subsequently simply abolished, replaced with a similar pronunciation - "ER" (O-short), and sometimes as "Ie" or "Iya" ... and then this initial letter completely turned into a simple "b" A solid sign ... ceasing to Define what is needed - and in the way it is needed ...
BUT, the letter "YAT" had a deeper meaning and more ancient vowel - "YE" or "IE" ... and based on this, the concept - "Il" and "El" have same value(as in the word Rous - Rus or Ros, since Rus was once written through the initial letter "OUK") ...
Hence the names - Mihai-IL, Ah-IL, Satan-IL (son of God Il)...
The letter "YAT" itself had a definition - TO RE-YAT someone else's Experience, to know the Truth from God ...
Hence the words: Take, take away, accept.
Hence also such words with the root “Yat”, as - “R-YAT” (plurality), “OB-YAT” (to grasp something - with a thought, look, hands, soul), “SI-YAT” (shine with rays of happiness, receiving energy from other sources or radiating a lot of energy, fueled from the outside), “CO-DE-YAT” (do something with inspiration and conscience), “PA-M-YAT” (what helps to gain wisdom through spiritual experience of the Ancestors), "PO-N-YAT" (to gain secret meaning, to rethink other people's truths), "DEV-YAT" (gaining a diva), "DES-YAT" (gaining a spirit).
2. Now let's move on to the very concept of "IL", which literally has a definition - river sand. But, also, it is identified with the Stars, which are in the sky, like grains of sand on the river bank. It also has a definition - the Creative Divine principle of all Existing, in its Light and Dark hypostasis (like Indra), because in the Earthly World, as well as in Man himself, everything is One and Inseparable.
And now let's try to figure out what kind of SAND it is, which is compared with both the Stars and the Divine Beginning...
I will compare the changed concept of "YAT" to "EP", but with an intensifying effect in the form of two dots above the "E", which, as it were, tell us - "We Are and We can Ascend" through "YOK" (Unification of the DNA Factor and everything the world around us). The letter "Yo" is a strengthened "E", through the connecting Image of the Essence.
And here some interesting comparative words appear:
YO-MY - a strong Spiritual-Emotional expression of Surprise, Admiration or Indignation.
ЁР - a trifle, a darling, as well as a small forest (like a small bristle that pricks). Hence the word: Yorgat.
YORA - frisky, fast, restless. Hence the word: Yorazati (Fidget). However, in a more modern interpretation, the word "Yora" has become a household word, defining - a dissolute person, a rogue, a swindler, a malicious libertine. Hence the word: joking. In the Far North, "Yora" is a shrub growing in the tundra.
YORGAT - to rub.
JORZAT - not to find a place for yourself, to be always on the move.
YORUK - earthworm (as a prototype of the masculine principle).
ЁРЪ - coarse-grained sand of yellow color. In Latin "Ora" - coast, sandy shore, edge, limit, and "Ore" - hourglass. On the French"Or" - gold, golden color. On the English language"Or" - otherwise, golden or yellow, and "Ore" is iron ore. The Scandinavians "Ore" (Yore) - the smallest bargaining chip (1/100 crowns).
The letter "Ё" emphasizes the deep inner Power of the human Spirit, determining its increased sensitivity to surrounding events.
And now let's sum it up:
ЁР (a trifle, a darling), ЁRA (frisky), YORGAT (rubbing), YORUK (a prototype of the masculine principle)... and all this comes from "IL"... strengthened by the vibration of "YOK" (strengthened ascent of the internal energy of the Spirit).
Does this remind you of anything???
well, for example, the moment of the creation of a child ... where is the "frisky darling", as a symbol " Masculine"penetrates LO-NO... under the influence of YORGANYA - turns into the Symbol "YOK" - the Unity of the DNA Factor and the whole World around us, where the letter "Yo" is a reinforced "E", through the connecting Image of the Essence (which is the Creator Il - "IL").
Hence such an amazing expression in its emotionality - "Heart skipped a beat."
Yuri Ulyanov 02.01.2013 15:08
Review of "The real name of God" (Valery Osipov)
And what is there to think and reflect on?
It is enough to turn to the Bible for an explanation of this issue - a reliable source:
Genesis 22:14; Exodus 6:3 (footnote); Exodus 15:3; 17:15; 33:19;34:5;
Judges 6:24; Hosea 12:5
In the second half of the sixth century BC. when the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, a group of Jewish scholars - Soferim (scribes) became the keepers of the Jewish Scriptures, now known as the Old Testament
They harbored a superstitious fear of misusing the name of God and replaced it with the titles Adonai (Lord) and Elohim (God). Elohim - the plural of the word eloah (god), conveying greatness.
Prior to this, the name of God was indicated in the form of a tetragrammaton, four Hebrew consonant letters - YHVH or YHVG.
Since there are no vowels in the Hebrew alphabet, the reader was initially forced to add vowels based on his knowledge of the language.
In Russian, this name was adopted pronunciation as Jehovah.
This name was known and used in their works by many Russian classics - poets, writers, composers:
Nikolai Karamzin, Alexander Radishchev, Ivan Turgenev, Alexander Pushkin,
Ivan Turgenev, Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Bunin and many others.
And also many foreign ones:
William Shakespeare, John Milton, Voltaire, Byron, Walter Scott, George Sand,
Arthur Schopenhauer, Ray Bradbury, Bernard Shaw, Erich Remarque, etc.
Jehovah is a spelling and pronunciation of God's name that has been used for centuries. In Hebrew, where words are read from right to left, this name is written with four consonants יהוה. These letters - in the Russian transliteration YHWH - are known as the Tetragrammaton. In this form, the name of God was depicted on coins in Europe for a long time.
God's name is also found on buildings, monuments, in works of art and in many church hymns. According to the German Encyclopedia Brockhaus, at one time it was customary among Protestant princes to wear an emblem, which included a stylized image of the sun and a tetragrammaton. This symbol was also used on flags and coins and was known as the Jehovah-Sun Emblem. Based on this, we can conclude that the deeply religious Europeans of the 17th-18th centuries knew the name of Almighty God. And what is more remarkable, they were not afraid to use it.
The name of God was no secret to colonial America either. Take, for example, American soldier Ethan Allen, who fought in the Revolutionary War. According to his memoirs, in 1775 he demanded that his enemies surrender "in the name of the Great Jehovah." Later, during the administration of Abraham Lincoln, some of the president's advisers frequently mentioned the name Jehovah in their letters to him. In many libraries you can see other American historical documents containing the name of God. These are just a few examples showing that the name of God has been used throughout the ages.
And how is it today? Has the name of God been forgotten? It is hardly possible to say so. In Bible translations, the personal name of God appears in many verses. Going to the library or looking up dictionaries at home, you can probably find confirmation in a few minutes that the name Jehovah is often used as an equivalent of the Tetragrammaton. For example, in encyclopedic dictionary Brockhaus and Efron states that "Jehovah is one of the most sacred names of God in the Old Testament." And in one of the latest editions of the New Britannica, it is written that Jehovah is “the Judeo-Christian name of God.”
This name is the causative form of the Hebrew verb havahʹ ("to be") and therefore means "He causes to be" or makes to become. In other words, Jehovah, by exercising wisdom, becomes what is necessary for the fulfillment of his intentions. For the fulfillment of promises, he becomes the Creator, Judge, Savior, Guardian of life, and so on.
And the name of God in the Hebrew Scriptures is enigmatic mystery. People often pronounce the four-letter name of God, יהוה , like "Yahweh" or "Jehovah", but the truth is, we don't really know how to pronounce it correctly. In most translations of the Bible, this word is translated as “Lord,” and likewise, when we read Hebrew, we always say “Adonai” instead, which means “Lord.” We don't even try to pronounce it. However, a careful analysis of these four letters is a rather instructive exercise, which in an amazing way points to the Messiah.
In Genesis 1 for God, the word "Elohim" is used ( אֱלֹהִים ), which is a general term for a god or gods, and also, interestingly enough, has . In Gen. 1 Elohim is referred to as “He” (masculine singular) but speaks in the plural ( “Let us make man in the image Our[and] in likeness Our” ). However, in Gen. 2 The four-letter name of God appears for the first time יהוה , and from that moment on, God is mostly referred to by this unique name.
God's name is holy
Jews, for the most part, prefer to avoid using any name for God, and often write the word God as "Gd," which is shortened. Many refer to God as "haShem", which means "Name" (with the definite article, similar to English the - approx. trans.), or use other similar designations. “Baruch Hashem!” (meaning "Blessed be the Name!" or "Blessed be the Lord!") - this phrase can be heard in Israel many times a day. These four letters are so precious that we even change the dates containing these four letters-numbers in a row - 15 ( יה ) and 16 ( וה ) the number of each month - out of respect for the four-letter name of God. Likewise, there is a tradition to avoid writing the name of God to prevent possible sacrilege if this piece of paper is thrown away, torn or the inscription is erased.
His Name is holy.
“And Moses said to God, Behold, I will come to the children of Israel and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you. And they will say to me: What is His name? What should I tell them?
God said to Moses: I am the Existing. And he said, So say to the children of Israel: Jehovah has sent me to you. And God also said to Moses: So say to the children of Israel: Lord (יהוה) The God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob sent me to you. This is my name forever, and the remembrance of me from generation to generation.” (Ex. 3:13-15)
Am I who is?(The phrase "I am who I am" in Hebrew - אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה - Ehye asher ehye, a more correct translation into Russian. - “I am the one who is” - approx. As confusing as it was to Moses, God insists that He cannot be classified, He just is.
God laughs at us when we argue about whether He exists or not, because He is the very definition of existence!
Opening the Treasury of Hebrew Grammar
An interesting thing about verbs in Biblical Hebrew is that they are often written as the future tense for us today, but they refer to the past tense. And vice versa! Prophecies are usually written in such a way that to a modern Hebrew speaker it looks like the past tense, and yet they are about things that must take place in the future. Time as such and the tense of verbs are not unambiguous, because the Author of the biblical text lives outside of time. He can prophesy about future events as if they had already happened, and He can describe a past event in such a way that the story points to an event that is to take place in the future, such as in stories and .
I'll tell you something else funny about Hebrew: the verb "to be" only exists in the past and future tenses, but it doesn't have a present tense.
We do not speak Hebrew "I there is hungry"(as in English - approx. per.), we just say "I'm hungry". We don't speak “That table there is big", We are speaking “That table is big”. I can say "I was hungry”, or "I will hungry”, but not "I there is hungry”.
Hebrew does not have the verb "is" ("to be" in the present tense). Why?
Perhaps because in Hebrew, the language of the Bible, the present tense of the verb "to be" is reserved for use by God alone.
Only God can say "I am".
And perhaps this helps us understand part of the mystery of the Tetragrammaton. יהוה . If we look at the original Hebrew text, which in Russian reads "I am who I am", it looks (to a modern Hebrew speaker) as if it were in the future tense: “I will be the one I will be” (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה ). And yet, it is translated in present tense! Confused? This relationship between the tenses of the verb “to be” is an illustration that our God is, was, and always will be.
Moreover, the very letters of the four-letter name of God ( יהוה ) are an abbreviation for “He was, He is and He will be”! This fact, surprisingly, was noticed by the rabbis a very long time ago.
Rabbinic interpretation
It is interesting to see how the phrase "I am who I am" ( אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה ) was also translated into the present tense in the Targum Jonathan, an early rabbinic translation of the Bible into Aramaic by Jonathan ben Uzziel, a disciple of Hillel and an expert in the Law, who lived in Jerusalem at the time of King Herod.
He translated this phrase into Aramaic as “אֲנָא הוּא” , which is in Modern Hebrew ( Ani hu) literally means "I am He". This is the closest way to say "I am" in Hebrew - the present tense of the first person. singular the verb "to be".
“God said to Moses: I am the Existing. And he said, So say to the children of Israel: Existing[Jehovah] sent me to you.” (Ex. 3:14; synod. trans.)
“God answered Moses: I am who I am. Tell the Israelites: ' 'I am' sent me to you.” (Ex. 3:14; New Russian translation)
“And God said to Moses: I will... as I will... And He said: So say to the children of Israel: ‘I will abide’ sent me to you." (Ex. 3:14; trans. F. Gurfinkel)
In the rabbinic interpretation, the triple use of the word reflects three tenses: past, present and future.
- He was.
- He is.
- He will always be.
In Shmot Rabbah, Rabbi Isaac teaches:
“God said to Moses, ‘Tell them that I am now the One I have always been and always will be’; so the word 'ehye' written three times.”
Please tell me, director Ivanov - is "director" a name or position? And Mr. Ivanov - "Mr." is a title or a name? So how do you say God and Lord is the name? God has a name, and you cite the tetragrammaton YHWH, which occurs over 7,000 times in the Bible. Throughout the world, his reading is reported as Jehovah or Yahweh, so why don't you finish this in your answer and don't quote Exodus 3:15? Let's honestly insert this Tetragrammaton in all the places in the Bible where it appears in the original texts. I do not hope for your answer, but I am glad that there are still people who read the Bible and meditate. Goodbye.
Priest Afanasy Gumerov, a resident of the Sretensky Monastery, answers:
The question of the names of God is resolved in ancient and late patristics, as well as in biblical science. Both representatives of patristic theology and scholars in the field of biblical science are unanimous in their opinion that the Holy Scripture reveals to us several divine names. This is disputed only by representatives of some sects, in particular, "Jehovah's Witnesses". They claim that there is only one hidden name (Jehovah) that they revere. Everything else, they say, titles. This statement is completely contrary to the sacred texts.
Holy writers use the word shem(name). It applies not only to God, but also to people. It is present in the book of Exodus (3:13-15). Prophet Moses asks: And they will say to me: What is His name? God said to Moses: I am the One. The Hebrew text contains a four-letter word: yod, r(x)e, vav, r(x)e (YHWH). This word was called tetragrammaton (tetra - four; gramma - letter). The Jews have not pronounced this name for some time. One of the Jewish traditions dates the beginning of this prohibition to the time of the high priest Simon the Righteous (3rd century BC), after whose death the priests stopped using the tetragram even in worship. Therefore, another name was placed next to the tetragram, also consisting of four letters: Aleph, Dalet, Nun, Yod. It was pronounced instead of a tetragram - Adonai. Unlike royal title adoni(master, lord) Adonai(my Lord) in the Bible refers only to God. In a number of places this name as an address is already found in ancient texts: Gen.15:2,8; Exod. 4:10,13; Tue 9:26; Joshua 7:7 etc. The Hebrew alphabet consists of only 22 consonants. Around the 6th century A.D. a system of vocalizations (nekudot), masoretes (Heb. mazar- legend), i.e. keepers of the legend, deliberately transferred vowel sounds from the name Adonai to a tetragram. Medieval European scholars did not notice this convention and mistook the spelling of these vowels for their own tetragram vowels. Therefore, for several centuries, the tetragram was pronounced incorrectly - Jehovah. However, already in the 16th - 17th centuries, a number of prominent Hebraic scholars (Buxtrophy, Drusius, Capell, Althingius) objected to such a reading. Since the exact pronunciation was not offered in return, it continued to be the same - Jehovah. In the first half of the 19th century, the German scholar Ewald proposed another reading - Jahvah (Yahvah). This proposal was not accepted immediately, but only after the support of such prominent researchers as Genstenberg and Reinke. The reading proposed by Ewald is not the discovery of the true name. It was obtained by the philological method. Therefore, two options are possible: Jahvah and Jahveh. Our outstanding researcher, Archbishop Feofan (Bystrov), based on historical data, considered the most plausible pronunciation Jahveh (Yahveh).
Despite the exact data of biblical science, representatives of the sect "Jehovah's Witnesses" built their "dogmatics" on the basis of an erroneous reading of the tetragram. The author of the letter does not talk about his religious affiliation, but his pathos is not accidental. “All over the world, his reading is transmitted as Jehovah or Yahweh…”. First of all, we must ask: what is the name? Jehovah or Yahweh? After all, they are completely different. Secondly, is the “reading given as Jehovah” all over the world, or among members of a sect? I will cite the opinion of not an Orthodox theologian, but a modern Hebraist professor at Harvard University, Thomas O. Lambdin, about the name contained in the tetragram: “Initially, it was most likely pronounced as Yahwe. Then, out of pious motives, they stopped saying it, replacing it with Adonay (Lord) when reading aloud. This custom, which arose already several centuries BC. and reflected the Masoretes in their punctuation, transferring the vocalization of the word Adonay to the letters standing in the biblical text [the author has a tetragram in the text in Hebrew script - yod, g(x)e, vav, g(x)e]. Thus was born a "hybrid" spelling that did not reflect any real pronunciation. Later, the conditional Masoretic spelling was read literally by European scholars - hence the incorrect form “Jehovah” that does not correspond to either ancient or later traditional reading ”(Thomas O. Lambdin. Textbook of the Hebrew language, translated from English, M., 1998, p. 117). Regarding pronunciation Yahweh the learned Hebraist writes only presumably: "pronounced most likely like Yahwe." In contemporary Western theological literature Yahweh occurs very often, but is it possible to prayerfully invoke a name if it is not revealed to us, but received through linguistic research. Is it possible to include it in prayers if the scientists themselves are not completely sure of its accuracy?
How do Orthodox Christians pronounce the biblical outline of the tetragram? In full agreement with the Old Testament temple tradition. Since it was read in the Temple Adonai(Lord), then 72 Jewish interpreters when translated into Greek in the 3rd century BC. Curios (Lord) was placed in place of the tetragram. The holy apostles turned to the Greek Bible. This is proved by the analysis of the text of the Gospel. Following them, we pronounce - the Lord.
Let us consider another fundamental question: is there one name of God, or are there several of them? Let's turn to the Holy Scriptures.
1. Same word shem(name), as in Exodus (3:13-15), also stands in those places where there is no tetragram: “you must not worship a god other than the Lord; because his name is jealous; He is a jealous God” (Ex. 34:14). The Hebrew Bible says: Shemo El- kanna(name God jealous) .
2. In the book of Isaiah we read: “Our Redeemer is the Lord of Hosts, His name is the Holy One of Israel” (Is.47:4). In Heb. text: shemo kedosh Israel. Should we trust our own preconceived notions or the prophet Isaiah? In his book the name of God Holy of Israel occurs 25 times (1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16:20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 60:9, 14). It is quite clear from the context that Holy of Israel used as the name of God. It is enough to take those places where it is quite synonymous with the tetragram. For example, "they will put their trust in the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, wholeheartedly" (10:20). In the first part of this verse there is a tetragram.
3. “Only You are our Father; for Abraham does not recognize us, and Israel does not recognize us as their own; Thou, O Lord, our Father, from of old is Thy name: "Our Redeemer" (Isaiah 63:16). Again the Hebrew text uses the same word as in Exodus 3:13-15) – shemo(name). Goel(Redeemer) as the name of God is also found in other places of Holy Scripture.
4. The Lord of Hosts is His name” (Is. 48:2). Another name is indicated here - Sabaoth (Heb. Tsevaot; from the creatures. Tsava - army). We also meet other prophets to testify to this: “The Lord God of Hosts is His name” (Amos 4:13); “Your name is called upon me, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16).
5. Other names were also used: El (Strong, Strong), Elohim (in the Greek Bible - Theos; in Slavic and Russian - God), El-Shaddai (in the Greek Bible - Pantokrator; in Slavic and Russian. Bible - Almighty), etc. The prayerful mention of any of them meant invoking the name of the Lord.
The opinion that there are several divine names in the Old Testament is not only the opinion of Orthodox theology, as the author of the letter claims. I will again cite the opinion of a non-Orthodox learned Hebraist. Thomas O. Lambdin in the Hebrew Textbook highlighted a special paragraph "Excursion: names God in the Old Testament": "Most often God in the Old Testament is called names Elohim and YHWH… Attaching the prepositions be, le and ke to names Elohim and Adonay have one feature: the initial aleph in pronunciation it is lost along with the vowel following it” (p. 117-18).
Our discussion is not an academic theological debate, but is of fundamental importance. The position set forth in the letter is directed against the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. To this end, the Deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is denied. In order to avoid dangerous mistakes and delusions, it is necessary to get rid of narrow ideas that bind the mind and spiritual eyes. The revelation about the Holy Trinity is given in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord Jesus Christ, sending disciples, says: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (28:19). It is impossible to know the Father without believing in the divinity of the Son: “We also know that the Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, so that we may know the true God and be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).
