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This study explains the meaning of each Old Testament Hebrew name of God, and how each of them apply to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing deliberately dishonest or deceitful in this study. Its purpose is only to glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you notice any errors you may contact us.

RP 360 THE HEBREW NAMES OF GOD

To navigate this study click on the green references at the left of the study index

Reference Study Index
Intro Introduction
#1 THE HEBREW WORDS FOR “GOD”
#1.1 Hb. h@alo)e Htr. ’elōah Eng. Eloah
#1.2 Hb. Myhilo)e Htr. ’elōhîm Eng. Elohim
#1.3 Hb. l)' Htr. ’ēl Eng. El
#1.4 THE COMPOUND NAMES USING “EL”
#1.41 Hb. NwOyl;(el)' Htr. ’ēl ‛elyôn Eng. El Elyon
#1.42 Hb. yd@a#$al)' Htr. ’ēl shadday Eng. El Shaddai
#1.43 Hb. MlfwO(l)' Htr. ’ēl ‛ôlâm Eng. El Olam
#1.44 Hb. rwOb@g%Il)' Htr. ’ēl gibbôr Eng. El Gibbor
#1.45 Hb. )#o'nOl)' Htr. ’ēl nōsē’ Eng. El Nose
#2 IS GOD’S NAME YAHWEH, YAHVEH, LORD, OR JEHOVAH?
Intro 2 Introduction 2
#2.1 HOW GOD’S NAME WAS CHANGED
#2.2 THE COMPOUND NAMES USING “YHVH”
#2.202 Hb. Myhilo)e hwhy Htr. YHVH ’elōhîm Eng. YHVH Elohim
#2.204 Hb. ynFdo)/ hwhy Htr. YHVH ’adōnāy Eng. YHVH Adonai
#2.206 Hb. h)er;yI hwhy Htr. YHVH Yireh Eng. YHVH Jireh
#2.208 Hb.  K1)ep;rhwhyo Htr. YHVH Rōph’ekā Eng. YHVH Ropheka
#2.210 Hb. ys@inI hwhy Htr. YHVH Nissī Eng. YHVH Nissi
#2.212 Hb. Mke#$;d@iqam; hwhy Htr. YHVH Meqaddishkem Eng. YHVH Meqaddishkem
#2.214 Hb.  MwOl#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shālôm Eng. YHVH Shalom
#2.216 Hb. +pa#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shāphat Eng. YHVH Shaphat
#2.218 Hb.  twO)bFc; hwhy Htr. YHVH Tsebāôt Eng. YHVH Sabaoth
#2.220 Hb. NwOyl;(' hwhy Htr. YHVH ’ēlyôn Eng. YHVH Elyon
#2.222 Hb. y(iro hwhy Htr. YHVH Rō’ī Eng. YHVH Rohi
#2.224 Hb. w%nq'd:ci hwhy Htr. YHVH Tsidkēnu Eng. YHVH Tsidkenu
#2.226 Hb. hm@f#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shāmmâ Eng. YHVH Shammah
#2.228 Hb. w%nyh'lo)v hwhy Htr. YHVH Elōhēnu Eng. YHVH Eloheenu

Introduction

Before we examine the various Hebrew names of God, it would be wise to consider what “a name” means according to scripture. In Hebrew, names have meaning, and knowing a persons name can reveal something important about him. In fact a name can indicate several different things:
   (1) The Name can indicate physical characteristics
The fact that a name can indicate some physical characteristic can be seen from the example of Esau, Jacob’s brother, when he was born:
(Gen 25:25) “And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”
Esau means “hairy”, which was one of his physical characteristics (Gen 25:25; 27:11), and was given to him when he was born, although he was later also called Edom, which means “red” (Gen 25:30). This use of a name is not applicable to God, because he is not a physical being (Num 23:19), but a spirit (John 4:24).
   (2) The Name indicates authority
What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43)? One meaning is that he came in his Father’s authority. The Father sent him (Mark 9:37; Luke 4:18; John 3:17; 4:34; 5:23; 5:30), he gave him work to do (John 5:36; 9:4; 17:4), and Jesus did these works in his Father’s name (John 10:25). Also the scripture says:
(John 3:35) “The father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”
(John 5:26-27) “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgement also,”
(John 13:3) “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,”.
The Father had handed full authority over to Jesus, who again confirmed this when he said, “All authority was given to me in heaven and on earth.” (Mat 28:18). He was not just saying that this authority had been given to him after his resurrection, but also that he had this authority during his earthly ministry, before his death (Mat 9:6; 26:53; John 3:35; 5:26-27; 10:17-18; 13:3).
Often when people were appointed to a new position of authority they would be given a new name. Pharoah gave Joseph a new name when he appointed him ruler over all Egypt (Gen 41:45), Daniel and his three companions were renamed when they went into exile in Babylon (Dan 1:6-7), while Jesus gave Simon the name Peter when he was appointed to go and preach (Mark 3:13-16). When Jesus sent his disciples to preach, “he ... gave them power (Gr. du&namin, Gtr. dunamin) and authority (Gr. e0cousi/an, Gtr. exousian) over all devils, and to cure diseases.” (Luke 9:1), and to some other disciples he said, “I give unto you power (Gr. e0cousi/an = authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power (Gr. du&namin) of the enemy:” (Luke 10:19). What then is this authority that Jesus gave to his disciples? Partly his name: for “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” (Phps 2:10). So when they cast out devils in his authority, they did it “in the name” of Jesus (Mark 9:38; 16:17; Luke 9:49; 10:17), and when they healed the sick in his authority, they also did it “in the name” of Jesus (Acts 3:6; 4:10). Thus we may conclude that there are times when the word “name” literally means “authority”, and that the various names of God will reveal his authority to us.
   (3) The Name reveals the Character
For this study this is an important consideration. The fact that the name reveals the character is true for people as well as for God. Nabal is a good example, Nabal means “folly” (acts of foolishness), and his wife Abigail said of him, “as his name is, so is he;” (1 Sam 25:25). Nabal was a foolish man, and his name revealed it. The name Jacob means “heelcatcher, supplanter, deceiver, defrauder”, the very character of Jacob. Esau said of him, “Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.” (Gen 27:36). Later, when his character changed, and he wrestled with “God”, and prevailed (Gen 32:24-30), God changed Jacob’s name to Israel; “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince thou hast power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Gen 32:28). Israel has been variously translated to mean “Prince with God”, or “Soldier of God”, or “One who wrestles with God”. Having prevailed against men (Gen 25:29-34; 27:1-29; 31:1-55), and now with God (Gen 32:24-30), as God’s chosen, Jacob’s name had to be changed to suit his new character. Changing someone’s name often went along with a change of position or character; Jesus gave Simon the name Cephas (John 1:42), also called Peter (Mat 10:2) (Gr. Pe/troj, Gtr. Petros), which means “a stone” or “a rock”. It was a name which described something solid, steady, and firm, which he eventually was to be like.
We have already seen that when Jesus said, “I am come in my Father’s name,” (John 5:43), that he came with his Father’s authority (See (2) ), but another meaning to the statement is that he came to manifest his Father’s character. In every way Jesus portrayed the Father, to such a degree that he could say, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30), and “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;’ (John 14:9). The very words that he spoke were exactly as the Father gave him to say (John 3:34; 8:28; 8:38; 12:50; 14:10; 17:8), and the works that he did were those given to him by the Father (John 5:36; 9:4; 17:4). One literal name can never reveal the fullness of the character of God, because he has far too many attributes, but in the Old Testament God revealed himself through many names, each one of which he used to reveal to his people some part of his nature or character. In this study we will examine the various Hebrew names of God, which will reveal his character to us. We will also give scriptures showing how Jesus fulfilled these Old Testament names, proving beyond doubt the deity of Jesus Christ.

#1. THE HEBREW WORDS FOR “GOD”

#1.1 Hb. h@alo)e Htr. ’elōah, Eng. Eloah

Eloah is generally considered to be the singular of Elohim, and is occasonally used of a false “god” (2 Chr 32:15; Dan 11:37; Hab 1:11 etc.), but most often translated “God” when referring to the one true God. It is used 41 times in the book of Job, but only 17 times elsewhere.

#1.2 Hb. Myhilo)e Htr. ’elōhîm, Eng. Elohim

Elohim is generally considered to be the plural of Eloah. Occasionally it is translated “the judges” (Exo 21:6; 22:8-9), quite often “the gods” when referring to false gods (Gen 31:30; Exo 12:12; 18:11 etc.), but mostly translated “God”, and used with singular verbs when referring to the one true God. This is commonly regarded as a plural of majesty, which is quite a common feature of the Hebrew language. It is used of Jesus in this plural form where it is translated, “O God” (Psa 45:6), and where it is clearly being addressed to “the Son” (Heb 1:8). Therefore it does not prove a plurality of persons in the Godhead, as some have suggested.

#1.3 Hb. l)' , Htr. ’ēl, Eng. El

El is an alternative term for God; occasionally translated “the mighty” (Psa 82:1), “god” (Deut 32:12; Psa 44:20; Mal 2:11 etc.), “goodly” (Psa 80:10), “idols” (Isa 57:5), “strong” (Eze 32:21), but is mostly translated “God”, referring to the one true God. It is so used in the compound names which follow.

#1.4 THE COMPOUND NAMES USING “El”

#1.41 Hb. NwOyl;(e l)' Htr. ’ēl ‛elyôn, Eng. El Elyon

The name ’ēl ‛elyôn literally means “God supreme, or God most high”, and is translated “the most high God” (Gen 14:18, 19, 20, 22; Psa 78:35). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

EPHESIANS 1:19-21 (Paul)
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

HEBREWS 7:26
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

#1.42 Hb. yd@a#$a l)' Htr. ’ēl shadday Eng. El Shaddai

The name shadday literally means “almighty” or “all powerful” and ’ēl shadday is translated “the Almighty God” (Gen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 48:3 etc.). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

MATTHEW 28:18
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

EPHESIANS 1:19-21 (Paul)
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11 (Paul)
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name that is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

#1.43 Hb. MlfwO( l)' Htr. ’ēl ‛ôlâm Eng. El Olam

The word ‛ôlâm literally refers to “a long or hidden period of time, the beginning and end of which may or may not be defined”. It may refer to future time, past time, or both, and is usually translated for ever, perpetual, always, everlasting, etc.. The name ’ēl ‛ôlâm is translated “the everlasting God” (Gen 21:33). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

MICAH 5:2
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

JOHN 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. This shows that Jesus Christ existed as the Word of God, before anything was created.

REVELATION 1:18 (Jesus)
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

#1.44 Hb. rwOb@g%I l)' Htr. ’ēl gibbôr Eng. El Gibbor

The word gibbôr literally means “mighty or strong” and is used of YHVH when it is translated “the Mighty God” (Isa 9:6; 10:21; Jer 32:18). This name was used concerning Jesus in the following scripture:

ISAIAH 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shal be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

#1.45 Hb. )#o'nO l)' Htr. ’ēl nōsē’ Eng. El Nose

The word nōsē’ comes from the verb nāsā’, which means “to lift up, to carry, to bear, to forgive”. Literally ’ēl nōsē’ means “God forgiving” and is translated “a God that forgavest” (Psa 99:8). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

MARK 2:5
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

LUKE 7:47-48 (Jesus)
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

ACTS 5:30-31 (Peter)
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

#2. IS GOD’S NAME YAHWEH, YAHVEH, LORD, OR JEHOVAH?

Introduction 2: God’s divine name hwhy (Hebrew) or YHVH (Modern English equivalent), has been the subject of much discussion and debate throughout the centuries. Most Hebrew scholars prefer Yāhweh (ancient pronunciation) or Yāhveh (modern pronunciation), but it is never translated this way in most bibles. In the King James Version the most common translation is LORD (6510x), but in other places it is translated GOD (304x), and in others it is translated Jehovah (4x). In three other places it is translated Jehovah in compound names (Gen 22:14; Exo 17:15; Judg 6:24). Everywhere in the Jehovah’s Witnesses bible it is translated Jehovah. So what is his real name? It is important that we find out, because God is seeking for people to worship him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23), and we cannot do that if we call him by the wrong name. In order to investigate this let us first examine the history of how these different translations came about.

#2.1 HOW GOD’S NAME WAS CHANGED

a. The original Hebrew alphabet consisted of 22 letters, and all of them were consonants. Vowels were not represented in writing except that the major vowel sounds were indicated by the three letters yōd (y), vāv (w), and hē’(h). These were used to represent long vowels as well as normal letters, and are known as Vowel Letters. Even today, the Hebrew Scrolls of Law, which are read in the synagogues, are without any vowel signs as we know them today. The ancient Hebrew text was reverenced and regarded as sacred, so when errors due to copying were found in the text, the scribes would not alter the original consonantal text, even when the error was an obvious one. Instead they would mark the corrupt word (called “Ketib”, meaning, “it is written”) with an asterisk or small circle (RKH p44), which would call the readers attention to a correction [called “Qere”, meaning, “to be read” (JW p22)]. This would be written in a margin or footnote. When the reader then came to the place of correction, he would see the mark, and read the “Qere” (the corrected word) instead of the “Ketib” (the written word).

b. God’s divine name (Hb. hwhy, Eng. YHVH), which is known as the “Tetragrammaton”, meaning “four letters”, was an example of this. However it may have been pronounced, there came a time when readers of the Hebrew scrolls, for some reason, refused to pronounce it. Then the above method began to be used to substitute another word ynFdo)/ (Htr. ’adōnây, Eng. adonai) which means “my Lord”, for the real name “YHVH”. Thus when the text was read, “YHVH” (the Ketib) would be written, but “adonai” (the Qere) would be read. During the time when the Qumran (Dead sea) scrolls were written, it had become practice to write the “Qere” above the “Ketib” in the text, without reference to footnotes or margins for God’s name. It was called a “Qere Perpetuum” or a “permanent Qere”. In the Qumran Greek documents we find this, “However, it is worth noting that in Lev 4:17 (...) the Tetragram (the divine name YHVH) is rendered semi-phonetically as Iao, and is not replaced, as was customary later, by the Greek Kurios (Lord).” (GV p472).

c. However, because the Hebrew was only written with consonants, the reader being expected to put the vowel sounds in from memory, Hebrew was very difficult for the unlearned to read. So at some time, around or after the seventh century AD, a group of Hebrew scholars, called the Massoretes, introduced a system of “vowel points” to the Hebrew text. This enabled the text to be read and pronounced from the writing, by people with little knowledge of Hebrew. It then became practice to write the consonants of hwhy (YHVH) with the vowel points of ynFdo)/ (adonai) together, which some Hebrew grammar books say is an impossible form (JW p23; RKH p45). The combining of these vowels and consonants was not without problems, because the vowels of “adonai” do not naturally fit the consonants “YHVH”. The first vowel sound of “adonai” is a “compound sheva” ( J); a slight “a” sound, under the guttural letter aleph ()). It can only appear under the four guttural letters (cxh)), so it cannot be put under Yod (y), which is the first letter of the Tetragrammaton. It was therefore changed to its nearest equivalent, which is a “simple sheva” ( :), but this has a slight “e” sound. (This twisting of the word is where the second letter of the name Jehovah comes from.) The divine name now would still be recognised by the reader, and he would still pronounce “adonai” instead of “YHVH”. At some later date it was then decided to combine the consonants of “YHVH” and the vowel points under it to make a new word, which sounded something like “Yehowah”, or “Yehovah”?
[This combining of vowel points and consonants of different words should never have been done, and it was not always done consistently. In about 304 places where we find “adonai” and “YHVH” occurring together (Jer 4:10; 7:20; Eze 2:4; 3:11 etc.), the Tetragrammaton takes the vowel points of “Elohim” instead of “adonai”, and it is pronounced as “elohim”. A transliteration of it sounds like “Yehôwīh” or “Yehôvî” and it is almost invariably translated as “GOD” in most English bibles, but it doesn’t make God’s name “Yehôvîh”, does it?]
By then changing the Y to a J through a variation in the German alphabet (JPG pxii; PHK p32) [some also say the Latin (WBTS p885)], we end up with a word that sounds like “Jehovah”. Before the system of vowel points came in around or after the seventh century AD (JW. p6, footnote c; RKH p21) the word Jehovah could not have been used for God. In the scriptures, “YHVH” would be written, and “adonai” would be read, so the name Jehovah would never have been used.
According to Jehovah’s Witness’s own literature:
(WBTS p884-885) “The first recorded use of this form dates from the thirteenth century C.E. Raymundus Martini, a Spanish monk of the Dominican Order, used it in his book Pugeo Fidei of the year 1270 A.D.”
They even go so far as to admit that his name cannot be known with certainty:
(WBTS p885) “Since certainty of pronunciation is not now attainable, there seems to be no reason for abandoning in English the well-known form “Jehovah” in favour of some other suggested pronunciation.”
One good reason to abandon it is that Jehovah is not God’s name, and to make up a name for God, which is what has been done, is an insult. It must surely be a breach of the third commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain:” (Exo 20:7). Besides this, the New Testament teaching is to pray to the Father (Mat 6:9; Luke 11:1-2; John 16:23-27; Col 1:3), and to worship him (John 4:23). The only way that anyone can think God’s name is Jehovah, is if you accept that this twisting of scripture, by placing vowel points of one word under another in order to make a new word, is correct. Otherwise you must reject it completely.

d. There are other ways in which we can show that the real name of God is not Jehovah. The first is that it has a shortened form h@yF, “YH” (Exo 15:2; Psa 118:14; Isa 12:2) which has a long “a” sound under the Yod (y). It is pronounced as “Yāh”. This is one reason why Hebrew scholars favour the pronunciation of “Yāhweh”.
The second reason is that this shortened form appears in many names where it is pronounced “Yāh”. Sometimes this shortened version includes the third letter of the tetragrammaton (Hb. w%hyF Htr.Yāhū), where the vāv (w) of the Tetragrammaton now takes a “u” sound rather than an “o” sound as in “Jehovah”. Look at some examples:

Eng. Elijah  Htr. ’ēlîyyāh or ’ēlîyyāhū (1 Kin 17:1; 17:15; 18:2)  meaning “my God Yāh”.
Eng. Hezekiah  Htr. Chizqîyāh or Chizqîyyāhū (Isa 1:1; 38:1)  meaning “strength of Yāh”.
Eng. Isaiah  Htr. Sha’yāhū (2 Kin 19:20; Isa 1:1)  meaning “salvation of Yāh”.
Eng. Nehemiah  Htr. Nechemyāh(Neh 1:1; 3:16)  meaning “comfort of Yāh”.
Eng. Obadiah  Htr. ‛Ōbadyāhū (1 Kin 18:3; Oba 1:1)  meaning “servant of Yāh”.
Eng. Zechariah  Htr. Zecharyāh (Zec 1:1; 1:7)  meaning “remembered of Yāh”.
Eng. Zephaniah  Htr. Tsephanyāh (Jer 29:9; Zep 1:1)  meaning “hidden of Yāh”.

A third reason is that the word “Haleyāh ”, which means “praise you Yāh”, appears in the Hebrew scriptures (Psa 104:35; 105:45; 135:3 etc.). This again shows that the first vowel sound of God’s name is “ā” rather than “e”.
A fourth reason is, that the same thing occurs in the the New Testament, where the Greek equivalent, “Hallēluia”, appears four times (Rev 19:1-6). The last two letters are “yōta” (i) and “alpha” (a), equivalent to the sound “Yā”. The “h” sound is missing because it cannot appear anywhere except at the beginning of a word in Greek. This again shows that the first vowel sound of God’s name is “ā” rather than “e”.
A fifth reason is that in the Qumran Greek scrolls, in Leviticus 4:17, the divine name is written as Iao (GV p472), which was probably the Greek Iaw (Gtr. Yāō). Again, when we understand that the “h” sound cannot appear anywhere in Greek, except at the beginning of a word, it seems that the original Hebrew may have been hwOhyF (Htr. Yāhôh or Yāhô). This again shows that the first vowel sound of God’s name is “ā” rather than “e”.

e. There is an exception to all of this, which we need to look at. There are some Hebrew names which have the first three letters of the Tetragrammaton (why) at the beginning of the name. Look at some examples:

Eng. Jehoash Htr. Yehô’āsh (2 Kin 12:1, 2, 4 etc.) meaning “YHVH gave.”
Eng. Jehohanan Htr. Yehôhānān (1 Chr 26:3; 2 Chr 17:15 etc.) meaning “YHVH graciously gave”.
Eng. Jehoiachin Htr. Yehôyākhîn (2 Kin 24:6, 8, 12 etc.) meaning “YHVH will establish”.
Eng. Jehoiada Htr. Yehôyādā‛ (2 Kin 11:4, 9, 15 etc) meaning “YHVH knows”.
Eng. Jehoiakim Htr. Yehôyākîm (2 Kin 23:35, 36; 24:1 etc.) meaning “YHVH will set up”.
Eng. Jehoram Htr. Yehôrām (1 Kin 22:51; 2 Kin 1:17; 8:29 etc.) meaning “YHVH exalts”.
Eng. Jehoshaphat Htr. Yehôshāphāt (1 Kin 15:24; 22:2, 50 etc.) meaning “YHVH judges”.

Do these names prove the possibility of the first three letters of the tetragrammaton being pronounced as “Yeh”? The answer is no for this reason. In every one of these cases, the third letter “vāv” (w) is followed by one or more complete syllables, which are necessary to complete the word. In the case of YHVH, the third letter “vāv” (w) is only followed by one single letter “hē” (h). As a syllable in Hebrew must start with a consonant, and cannot begin with a vowel (JW p5), those who want the name to pronounce as Jehovah must force “vāv” to act like a “v”, and this is not done in any of the above examples; the letter “vāv” is used simply as a vowel. Therefore, these examples are certainly not proof that Jehovah is the correct pronounciation of God’s divine name YHVH.
In conclusion, this study has not proved what the correct pronunciation of Gods Old Testament name should be. LORD was a substitute, Jehovah is definitely wrong, and the alternatives left are Yāhveh, Yāhūh, or Yāhôh. As we cannot prove any of these with any certainty, we will simply leave God’s name as the tetragammaton YHVH for the rest of this study.
YHVH is usually translated “the LORD”, and means “Self-existing one” or “the Eternal one”. This name is fulfilled by Jesus in all of the following compound names.

#2.2 THE COMPOUNDS OF YHVH

#2.202 Hb. Myhilo)e hwhy Htr. YHVH ’elōhîm Eng. YHVH Elohim

This literally means “YHVH God” and is translated “the LORD God” (Gen 2:4). In context, this reads “in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.”, and so some scholars count this as God’s name to do with creation, “God the creator”. This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

PSALMS 33:6
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

JOHN 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

COLOSSIANS 1:15-16 (Paul)
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature;
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him.

HEBREWS 11:3
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

#2.204 Hb. ynFdo)/ hwhy Htr. YHVH ’adōnāy Eng. YHVH Adonai

This is literally “YHVH Lord” or “YHVH master” but translated “Lord God” (Gen 15:2). The title “Lord” was given to Jesus in many places throughout the New Testament, for example:

2 THESSALONIANS 1::1 (Paul)
1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 TIMOTHY 1:1 (Paul)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

REVELATION 19:15-16
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

#2.206 Hb. h)er;yI hwhy Htr. YHVH Yireh Eng. YHVH Jireh

This is literally “YHVH will see”, but in context it means “YHVH will see to it” or “YHVH will provide”, and is translated “the LORD will provide” (Gen 22:13-14). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures: (John 2:1-11) he provided wine for the wedding, (Mat 14:15-21; 15:32-39) he provided food for the hungry, (Mat 4:23; 9:35; Acts 10:38) he provided healing for the sick, (Mat 9:25; Luke 7:14-15; John 11:43-44) he provided life for the dead, and (Isa 53:5; 1 Pet 2:24) he provided forgiveness for the sinner. In context this is provision of a lamb for sacrifice to himself, and Jesus was that lamb: (John 1:29; 1:36). Not only was he the lamb, but also the provider in that he made a voluntary sacrifice of himself: (John 10:17-18; Heb 9:14; 9:26).

JOHN 1:29, 36 (John the Baptist)
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

JOHN 10:17-18
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

#2.208 Hb. K1)ep;r hwhyo Htr. YHVH Rōph’ekā Eng. YHVH Ropheka

This is literally “YHVH your healer” but translated “the LORD that healeth thee” (Exo 15:26). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures: (Isa 53:4-5; Mat 4:23; 8:16-17; 9:35; Acts 10:38; 1 Pet 2:24).

ISAIAH 53:4-5
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

MATTHEW 4:23
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

MATTHEW 8:16-17
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

MATTHEW 9:35
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

1 PETER 2:24
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

#2.210 Hb. ys@inI hwhy Htr. YHVH Nissī Eng. YHVH Nissi

The word nissi is the word nēs with a suffix, and refers to something lifted up, such as “a pole” (Num 21:8-9), “an ensign” (Isa 5:26; 11:10; 11:12 etc.), “a standard” (Isa 49:22; 62:10 etc.) , “a sail” (Isa 33:23; Eze 27:7), or “a banner” (Psa 60:4; Isa 13:2). This is considered to mean “YHVH my banner”, and is translated “Jehovah-nissi” (Exo 17:15). In context, it was when Moses lifted up his hands, exalting YHVH, as Joshua fought with Amalek. While his hands were raised Joshua was victorious, but when his hands were lowered Joshua was defeated. The word nēs was used of the pole upon which the brasen serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, for people to look at for healing (Num 21:8-9), and so could be considered to be a type of the cross (John 3:14). We could also take YHVH Nissi to mean “Yaweh, my lifted up one”, in which case this name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures: (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32).

JOHN 3:14-15 (Jesus)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

JOHN 8:28 (Jesus)
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he , and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

JOHN 12:32-33 (Jesus)
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

JOHN 19:16-18 (Jesus)
16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

#2.212 Hb. Mke#$;d@iqam; hwhy Htr. YHVH Meqaddishkem Eng. YHVH Meqaddishkem

This is literally “YHVH your sanctifier” translated “the LORD that doth sanctify you.” (Exo 31:13). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 (Paul)
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

HEBREWS 10:10-14
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

#2.214 Hb. MwOl#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shālôm Eng. YHVH Shalom

This is literally “YHVH is peace”. The word “shālôm” can mean “completeness, soundness” in the sense of being healthy, or “peace”, and is translated “Jehovah shalom” (Judg 6:24).
This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures: (Rom 5:1; Gal 5:22; Eph 2:13-14).

ROMANS 5:1 (Paul)
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

GALATIANS 5:22 (Paul)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

EPHESIANS 2:13-14 (Paul)
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

#2.216 Hb. +pa#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shāphat Eng. YHVH Shaphat

This is literally “YHVH is judge”, or “YHVH the judge”, and with the definite article it is translated “the LORD the Judge” (Judg 11:27). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

JOHN 5:22 (Jesus)
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

ROMANS 14:10 (Paul)
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 (Paul)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

REVELATION 19:11 (John)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

#2.218 Hb. twO)bFc; hwhy Htr. YHVH Tsebāôth Eng. YHVH Sabaoth

This is literally “YHVH of hosts”, and is translated “the LORD of hosts” (1 Sam 1:3). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures: (Mat 26:53; 28:18; Rev 19:11).

MATTHEW 26:53 (Jesus)
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

MATTHEW 28:18 (Jesus)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

REVELATION 19:11-16 (John)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

#2.220 Hb. NwOyl;(' hwhy Htr. YHVH ’ēlyôn Eng. YHVH Elyon

This is literally “YHVH most high”, and is translated “the LORD most high.” (Psa 7:17). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

EPHESIANS 1:20-22 (Paul)
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

HEBREWS 7:26
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

#2.222 Hb. y(iro hwhy Htr. YHVH Rō’î Eng. YHVH Rohi

This is literally “YHVH my shepherd”, and is translated “the LORD is my shepherd” (Psa 23:1). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

JOHN 10:11, 14 (Jesus)
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep , and am known of mine.

HEBREWS 13:20
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Note: Another of God’s names is “YHVH Rō’î”, translated “The LORD is my shepherd;” (Psa 23:1), which reveals God’s character as a shepherd-like leader of his people. When God sought a new king for Israel after Saul’s disobedience (1 Sam 15:1-23), he chose David the shepherd boy (1 Sam 16:1-13), who was described as “a man after his own heart,” (1 Sam 13:14), again revealing his shepherd like character. This aspect of God was also revealed through Jesus during his earthly ministry, when he looked on the people and saw them as “sheep not having a shepherd:” (Mark 6:34). He went on to describe himself, saying, “I am the good shepherd:” (John 10:11; 10:14), and “the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11), so when he gave his life for us, he fulfilled this attribute of God’s character. The writer of Hebrews went on to describe Jesus as, “that great shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20).

#2.224 Hb. w%nq'd:ci hwhy Htr. YHVH Tsidkēnu Eng. YHVH Tsidkenu

This is literally “YHVH our righteousness” and is translated “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jer 23:6). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 (Paul)
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

#2.226 Hb. hm@f#$f hwhy Htr. YHVH Shāmmâ Eng. YHVH Shammah

From the word “shām” which means “there”, “shāmmāh” literally means “to or towards a place”, and YHVH Shammah is translated “the LORD is there.” (Eze 48:35). In context this refers to God going towards or being at Jerusalem, and was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

LUKE 9:51
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

MATTHEW 21:6-12
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

MARK 11:7-11
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

#2.228 Hb. w%nyh'lo)v hwhy Htr. YHVH Elōhēnu Eng. YHVH Elohenu

This is literally “YHVH our God”, and is translated “the LORD our God,” (Psa 99:5), and “O LORD our God:” (Psa 99:8). This name was fulfilled by Jesus in the following scriptures:

JOHN 20:28
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

The following three scriptures are to be taken together.

ZECHARIAH 14:5
5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

REVELATION 19:13
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

REVELATION 22:20
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Note: Thomas was the disciple who doubted the resurrection of Jesus more than the others (John 20:25), but when he saw him, he recognised who Jesus was. His statement, “My Lord and my God”, could easily be translated, “My YHVH and my God.” The Greek word ku&rio&j (Gtr. kurios) which is translated “Lord” (John 20:28), is the same word that is used in the Septuagint to translate “YHVH”. The other three scriptures together show that “the LORD my God” (Zec 14:5), who shall come, is really the “Lord Jesus” (Rev 19:13; 22:20).

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This is the end of this Bible Study about the Hebrew names of God