Shalom listeners:

Let’s dive right in and begin with our first Hebrew word and how God used this word in the Bible. 

I chose this word as there are variations of it throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and throughout Hebrew names.

אלֹהים

It is pronounced Elohím.  My Hebrew language textbook states that Elohim can be found 2602 times in the Bible.^[1]  One of my favorite books from my master’s degree is actually my Hebrew language textbook. I can get lost rereading it!

This “name” is actually a designation of God first found in Genesis 1:1. Genesis or in Hebrew, “B’reshit,” means “in the beginning” or “origins.  Elohim appears as God creating with majesty and power by speaking objects into existence. 

This noun, Elohim, is stated in the masculine plural, as though God were more than one. 

Does that designate the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at Creation?  I addressed this briefly in podcast #2, but we will dig a little deeper.

(By the way, the term, “Trinity” is not in the Bible.  It is a term the collective church uses to designate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons, yet one God). 

Most biblical scholars disagree that the translation, Elohim is the Trinity.

One school of thought wonders if it designates the “Presence of a heavenly audience?”[2] like the company of angels.

“It is best to accept the plural cohortative as an especially emphatic exhortation of self- deliberation or determination, expressing the measured and intentional action God is about to take (we can find a similar “plural” in the Tower of Babel story found in Gen 11:7.” In this case, the verse does not refer to plural persons or beings involved in the act of human creation but is a powerful way of saying that God deliberated with Himself about the creation of humankind.”[3]

Or, Elohim is the depiction that God is singular, but the GOD of gods, the plural denoting God’s majesty:[4]  absolutely sovereign, absolutely wise, all knowing and powerful.[5]

Regarding the Trinity idea, it is important to remember the historical context of Genesis. 

As already discussed, the Torah, or the first 5 books of the Bible are attributed to Moses’ writings. Moses wrote Genesis for the Israelites to explain how the world came to be.

Consequently, to begin with a three-part God would be very confusing, especially since God spends much of the rest of the Torah, enticing the Israelites to love and serve only Him and not the Egyptian or Canaanite multiplicity of gods, as He was directing the Israelites to the Land He had promised to Abraham.

But, we don’t have the full and unadulterated story as it’s ancient biblical Hebrew, written about a time period long ago.

The singular and shortened version of Elohim is El.

This name was originally the name of the Canaanite god, but later became attributed to the God of Israel.[6]

This shortened designation is attached to many words, 237 times in the Bible.^[7]

Some are descriptors of God:

Gen 17:1, 28:3 El Shaddai – God Almighty

Gen 14:20  El Elyon – God Most High[8]

Gen 16:13 El Roi – the God who sees

Gen 33:20 El Elohe as in “El Elohe Yisrael” “mighty is the God of Israel.”[9]

Many human names have God’s name attached.

El can be first in the name:

Exodus 6 Genesis 33:20/Aaron’s wife was Elisheva- God is my oath.

El is also used in Hebrew names as a final syllable: 

Popular ones are Daniel, Joel, Immanuel, Bethel, Ezekiel, Gabriel, Michael, Nathaniel, Ariel, and that’s just a start!

Ishmael, Abraham’s son through Sarah’s slave, Hagar means, “God has heard.”

Yisrael OR Israel – “literally means God fights/contends” which sounds incongruous with God.  He doesn’t need to fight OR contend.  However, often in the Bible, a play on names rather than precise historical etymology is written.  The Genesis 32 passage translates Yisrael for us as “contends or struggles with God.” The Patriarch, Jacob’s name was changed to Yisrael, after Jacob wrestled all night with God, and the name Yisrael was eventually the name of the nation, as promised, to Abraham.

We’ve talked about Bible Translations.  I Iike to check the Complete Jewish Bible or the Tree of Life version when I am looking up a Hebrew word or Hebrew names in Scripture. Important words in these translations, are often in Hebrew, as are the names of the Bible characters.

Fun fact, these two translations were compiled in response to the growing Messianic Jewish movement.  What is that, you might ask?

Messianic Jews are Jewish believers in Jesus or his Hebrew name, Yeshua.

Messianic Jews maintain their Jewish identity, as is their heritage, yet claim Yeshua as their Messiah, saved by grace.  The first believers in Yeshua were Messianic Jews, or you could say Yeshua believing Jews such as Peter, Paul, James, the early disciples and first believers.  They did not give up their Jewish identity when they became believers and there is plenty of biblical support for this.

Prophetically, more and more Jewish people are coming to know Yeshua as Messiah.

The Complete Jewish Bible was translated by prominent Messianic Jewish theologian and professor, David H. Stern.  His purpose for presenting the CJB was “to restore God’s Word to its original Jewish context and culture as well as be in easily read modern English.”[10] It was originally published in 1998.

The other translation I choose is the Tree of Life Bible.  I recently learned some amazing information as I am researched for this podcast.  The team of translators and contributors include many of my professors and it was sponsored in part by my seminary, The King’s University. 

This translation, “speaks with a decidedly Jewish-friendly voice […] to recover the authentic context of the Bible and the Christian faith.”[11]  This translation brings back “their actual Jewish essence,” which, in their view, is lost in most English translations.

Specifically, the TLV restores the Jewish order of the books of the Old Testament.  Remember, the Hebrew Bible contains the same books as the Christian Old Testament, but the books are ordered differently.  Other nuances are that “the Jewish name of the Messiah, Yeshua,” is used, “reverence for the four-letter unspoken name of God,” and “Hebrew transliterated terms, such as shalom, shofar, and shabbat” are used in this version.[12]

These are invaluable translations to consult as you are reading and processing what the Bible is says in its original context.  I have mentioned last podcast, that the easiest way to access multiple translations biblegateway.com.  You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of different Bibles. It’s free.

We will read throughout our journey that more Hebrew nouns and names carry God’s “El.”  Over 50 names in the Bible![13]

Why do I mention this?  This is the first clue in starting to pick out God’s derivative in Hebrew names, as His Mighty Hand is on these people. Yet as often as these attachments are on names, we are still only talking of a designation, the God of Creation, the God of Israel, the God of the Nations.  The One True God.

But God has a name, like my name is Heather.

I often ask classes, “When is God’s proper name, first written in the Bible?”

Many well-read students, off the tops of their heads answer Exodus 3:15, when Moses met God at the burning bush. 

In reality, God’s first revealed name in the Bible is in Genesis!  I have only had one person who diligently dug and found it.

It’s Genesis 2:4, where you can read LORD in all capital letters followed by Elohim or God.

Genesis 2:4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heaven.

Every single time you see LORD in all capital letters in the Hebrew Bible, it is actually God’s name, YHVH, or in Hebrew, יהוה “yod heh vav heh.”

I know I have been told that in the past, but it is amazing to really process that.  God’s proper name is all over the Hebrew Bible, over 6700 times in my NIV translation!

God has a name. 

In the Church, we say Yahweh, but really, nobody knows what the vowels are.

Some say Jehovah, which is Yahovah, some say Yehuvah, the same vowels as Yeshua, Jesus’ Hebrew name.

In the Jewish faith and Messianic Jewish faith, great honor and respect is given to this Holy name. This is to heed the commandment that, “You shall not take the LORD’s name in vain.”  Rather than risk saying God’s name incorrectly, it is much easier to just not say the Name.  Many of us, if we are honest, misuse God’s name.

Consequently, out of this reverence, names such as ADONAI, which is LORD in Hebrew, or HaSHEM, which translates as “the name” are used instead of using God’s name.  The four-letter name is also called the tetragrammaton, Greek for “four letter.”  One last designation is spelling out His name in the Hebrew letters, “Yod heh vav heh.”            יהוה

From here on, I will say Adonai instead of His God’s name, in respect to any listeners who may prefer not hearing His name aloud.

So back to Adonai’s name! 

By the time Moses meets יהוה at the burning bush (fact-checkers, begin at Exodus 3), Adonai’s name had long been known amongst the people.  My Hebrew professor reminded the class, the translation indicates that this scene in Exodus 3 was Adonai re-introducing Himself.  The people had long forgotten the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The God of Adam and Eve.

Unfortunately, they had acclimated into the Egyptian culture in their slave status, a culture of pagan gods. ADONAI’s reintroduction in Exodus 3:14 in Hebrew begins with “eyah asher eyah.”

Translation: “I am who I am,” or “I will be who I will be…” אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה‎‎

God’s proper name is derived from the Hebrew verb, “hayah,” spelled in Hebrew, Heh yod heh,  היה  In the Hebrew Qal verb stem (Hebrew geeks pay attention) the translation is, “to be, to become, to happen, to occur.”[14]  In the Hebrew Niphal verb stem (tune me out for a second if this is too much), the translation is, “be done, come to pass, brought about.”[15]

Interestingly, this verb seemingly has all tenses, am, will be, be done. In short, Adonai’s name translates to, “I am, I will be, I have been.”

Do you hear the big picture? Adonai was, He is, He will be. 

He is always.  

Though that’s not proper sentence structure, that sums it up.

Adonai is always.

Is 44:6. “This is what the LORD (That’s His proper name יהוה)  says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: ADONAI EL SHADDAI. I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.”

We can read in the final book of the Bible, Revelation, in its final chapter, 22…verse 13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, [or Hebrew the aleph and the tav], the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

God was, is, and will be.  First, last.  Aleph, Tav א ת. Alpha, Omega Α Ω. Eternal.

Take a moment and breathe that.

God was, is, and will be.  No start. No end.

Another fascinating fact about the LORD’s name, it is a VERB.[16]

Humans have names like, Rose, Michael, or Heather (a heather is a low purple shrub and Google says it symbolizes admiration and good luck and protection!).  These are all nouns. I can’t think of a human with a verbal name.

The Hebrew Bible is first and foremost about this Eternal One, and His Divine Character.  His Words, His acts.[17]

God does all the DOING in the Bible. 

God does all the ACTING.  In my life.

God’s name is not stagnant, or an object.

“Yod heh vav heh,” יהוה is a Covenant God and His name indicates that He is active, a Promise Keeper, the one who DOES.

Additionally, the giving of His personal name indicates that Adonai has “personhood, character, a reputation, and authority.”[18]  Adonai’s dynamic name and presence indicates, that “this is the story of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. It is the story of God’s unrelenting presence to redeem.”[19]

Textbook author, Gary Practico powerfully states that, “Not even the dynamic events of the Exodus will compare with what will happen in a Bethlehem manger, and on a Roman cross in Jerusalem, some fifteen centuries later, when Isaiah’s “Immanuel” [God with us] will burst onto the stage of human history.”[20]

Ani ADONAI.

Hundreds of times, “yod heh vav heh” יהוה, HaShem, ADONAI repeatedly reminds the Israelites, and reminds us,

Ani ADONAI. I am the LORD יהוה.

I am yod heh vav heh. יהוה

Toda, Adonai, toda.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of this Divine Name, but next time you read LORD, think of this Personal Verbal God of Action.

Shalom שלום and until the next time, l’hitraote, להתראות.

**Heather!

©2024 Heather M R Olsen, Illumination: Hebrew Insights. All rights reserved.

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[1] Gary D. Pratico, and Miles V. Van Pelt. Basics of Biblical Hebrew: Grammar. Zondervan, 2007, pg, 23.

[2] C. Westermann, Genesis 1-1 (1984), 144-45; G. Wenham, Genesis 1-15 (1987), 27-28; and V. P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17 (1990), 132-34.

[3] Bill T. Arnold, Genesis. Asbury Theological Seminary, Cambridge University Press, pg. 44.

[4] Hannah Genesis Commentary, Dr John D Hannah pp 13-14.

[5] Ibid, pg 14.

[6] “The Amazing Name El: Meaning.” Abarim Publications, Abarim publications, 27 June 2024, www.abarim-publications.com/.

[7] Pratico, and Van Pelt, pg 23.

[8] Abarim Publications, abarim-publications.com.

[9] Life Application Study Bible: NIV. Commentary on Genesis 33:20. Zondervan ; Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2021.

[10]“Messianic Jewish Translations.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2024, www.wikipedia.org/.

[11] Tree of Life Bible Society, tlvbiblesociety.org/. Accessed 10 Aug. 2024.

[12]“Messianic Jewish Translations.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 May 2024, www.wikipedia.org/.

[13] Abarim Publications, abarim-publications.com.

[14] Pratico, and Van Pelt, pg 450.

[15] Ibid.

[16] “Testament:  The Story of Moses.” Netflix, 2024.

[17] Pratico, and Van Pelt, pg 273.

[18] Pratico, and Van Pelt, pg 274,

[19] Pratico, and Van Pelt, pg 275.

[20] Practico, and Van Pelt, pg 286.