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Part 4: Knowing God Through His Word - The Names of God

Writer's picture: Knowing GodKnowing God

Updated: Jan 22


The names of God. YHVH is the proper and personal name of God.

In this series of articles we are expanding upon the truth that God can be known through the different means of revelation, which are: Natural Revelation, Specific Revelation, and Special Revelation. We have already seen that while natural revelation gives us some details of who God is based on the things He created, only the specific revelation, that is the bible gives us the specifics about Him. In another words, the bible is God's authorized "biography" on earth.


On Part 3: Knowing God Through His Word, we have specifically learned about God's Acts and Attributes. The bible records the various acts of God. Our God acts on earth, He is actively involved in governing, and ruling in our affairs. God delivered, healed, blessed, judged, spoke to people, and etc. However, God ultimately acted by setting in motion the plan to redeem the whole world from sin and its consequences through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. However, God did not stop intervene in our affairs, He continues to do so and will continue until things are made new. Jesus said, "'[...], “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”' John 5:17.


In addition, we have also learned about God's attributes which are characteristics or qualities of Him. The bible mentions many attributes of God and the sum of them all is who God is, not just one or two. While depending on the action of God one attribute may be more emphasized or evident, yet it doesn't contradict or minimize the others. God is equally all the attributes, even when He prefers to act on the basis of one over another. God said, "'[...]“ I AM WHO I AM.” [...]’ ” ' Exodus 3:14a. Many of these attributes are exclusive to God, and others He shared with us since we are made in His image. Refer to Part 3 for more details.


In this article, we will proceed further on the subject of knowing God through His Word, and learn specifically about The names of God.


​Names in The Bible

According to what the bible reveals, names are far beyond a mere label like it's in many cultures, simply to distinguish one person from another. Names in the bible speaks of one's origins, character, identity, destiny, and/or authority. Strong's says, "In ancient Near Eastern culture, names were often reflective of personal characteristics or life events." This is fact is true of most of biblical characters if you study their names. Adam means man, human, mankind, because he is the father of all mankind. His name is related to the Hebrew word, "'adamah" which means earth or ground, referring to his origin. Whereas, the name Eve is related to "live and/or breath", and was given to her by Adam because, "because she was the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20). Moses name is derived from the Hebrew "mashah", meaning "to draw out. because from the waters he was taken. Same can be said of many other biblical characters if we study their names.


Let's go down through history and look at some biblical names more closely, starting with Jacob. In Genesis 27:36, Esau said the following concerning his brother Jacob, "'[...], “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” [....]”' Genesis 27:36. According to Strong's Hebrew concordance, the verb translated "supplanted" is the Hebrew verb "aqab" which primarily conveys the idea of supplanting or taking the place of another, often through deceptive or cunning means. Indeed Jacob took the place of his brother through deceptive or cunning means, even with his own father he acted deceptively (Genesis 27:35). Therefore, Esau said, "Is he not rightly name Jacob?" In another words Esau was saying that Jacob's name suit him very well. This is not mere consequence but who Jacob was until he later on meets God have his name [and character] changed by God, he goes from Jacob to Israel.


Another example is of Nabal, a rich man yet of harsh and evil doings. 1 Samuel 25 tells us the story that one day David sent men to him with the following word, "'And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’ ”' I Samuel 25:6-8


Nabal on the other hand, repaid the goodness of David and his men with evil by saying, "[...] “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”' I Samuel 25:10-11. David was displeased with Nabal's answer and was ready to destroy him with his household. To make long story short, Abigail finds out, and she run to meet David and his men with food, and she said, "'Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.'" I Samuel 25:25.


Notice what Abigai said, "... For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name and folly is with him..." As we can see also in the case of Nabal, his name reflected his character. His name meant "foolish" and he acted foolishly. Thus, names in the bible are of great significance to get insights about the bearer of the name. However, as a last example, let's now look at the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The name Jesus, is the Greek name Iēsoús, which is a transliteration from The Hebrew name Yehoshua"/Jehoshua and it means "Yahweh is salvation." Indeed Jesus is the Savior of the world, and this name is totally suitable to Him. When announcing His birth, the angel told Joseph, "'And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus , for He will save His people from their sins.”' Matthew 1:21


Many more examples we could have considered but these three should suffice to understand that names are means to have insights about one's character, identity, destiny and circumstances of birth, and etc. Conversely, to speak on one's name means to speak on that person's character or authority, it's to have that person's backing to the extent that his authority goes. i.e., to speak in the name of Jesus is much more than placing "in Jesus name" at the end of a prayer line or s scriptural commands. Back to the main point. If such is the case of the names of men, what about the name's of God?!


Regarding the names of God, this biblical truth finds its perfect application since He is the source of all things and first to name things. When the bible reveals a name of God, it is essentially giving us insight on His nature and character, which is then reflected on His actions. Thus, knowing the names of God is a mean to know more about God Himself. This is the point of knowing the names, and this is what we are after in this article.


God Reveals His Names

Throughout the bible God refers to Himself through various names, and in many occasions names are given to Him by people based upon the things God did or the revelation they had of Him. Let's look at a situation when God revealed some of His names to us. The story is found in the book of Exodus when God met with Moses. The Lord appeared to Him and was persuading Him to go to Egypt before Pharaoh and deliver Israel from bondage, but Moses was hesitant to go. He considered himself to be a nobody to go before Pharaoh; however, God assured Moses that He would be with him; however, Moses was still hesitant.


The bible says, "'Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”' Exodus 3:13. After Moses uttered these words, God then revealed His Self-existent nature and supremacy through two unique names. The bible says, "'And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ ' Exodus 3:14-15.


"I AM WHO I AM" is the Hebraic phrase "’eh·yeh ’ă·šer ’eh·yeh" word for word. "’eh·yeh" is a verb in Hebrew and means, "To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen." Thus when God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM", he was revealing His eternal, transcendent, always-being, and self-existing nature. God IS WHO HE IS, He always IS and always WILL BE. Then continued by telling Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM [’eh·yeh] has sent me to you.’ ” Yes, God again referred to Himself as "’eh·yeh", but it's only when we go to verses 15 that God reveals His name to Moses.


It's written, "'Moreover God [Elohim] said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’'" (Exodus 3:15). The word translated Lord is in this particular verse is the Hebrew word, "YHVH (or YHWH)", this is the true, proper, and personal name of God, hence, he told Moses, "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’'". This is how God was to be distinguished from other god's among His people and among other people.


The word translated God in the verse above is the Hebraic term, "Elohim", which is also one of the names of God. It's a plural word most specifically used in the Hebrew scriptures to refer to The One and True God. However, the term was also generic and was used to refer to other deities, angels, or human authorities. Elohim is indeed just like the word god is a generic word in English, and the distinction comes only when capital G is used, then God refers to the One and true God. However, YHVH (or YHWH) is unique; every time this is used it refers only and exclusively only to One and True God, the God of Israel. This is His name forever.


YHVH (or YHWH), known as tetragrammaton, God's special and unique 4-letters name. In English the name YHVH is commonly translated as YAHWEH or JEHOVAH; however, in most English bibles, even the name YAHWEH from the original is instead translated LORD all caps or simply Lord. Some writers point out that translators do so for various reasons including keeping scriptures familiar to readers. Since for many years people have been using scriptural translations that don't use YAHWEH, translators continue not to YAHWEH to keep the scriptures "familiar" to people and sell their work of translation or bible versions (1).


Other writers also point out that another reason why many translators do not use the proper name of God, YAHWEH, and instead use LORD or Lord is because of a tradition that began in ancient Israel. The Jews over the years created many laws called Fence Laws, in addition to the laws given by Moses, as a way to keep them from breaking the actual laws of Moses. Thus, these laws as the name suggest were a fence for them. One of the fences they put up was against using the proper name of God because they considered it too sacred to be uttered by humans, and if used wrong, God '“[...] will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.'" (Exodus 20:7).


Although no one really knows how to properly pronounce the true original name YHVH, they created this hybrid name, or a visual code made of the consonants of the name YHVH and the vows from the name ADONAI, which is another name of God and means, Master, someone with power and authority, one who rules. This is name is commonly translated as Lord only in most English bibles. Some differentiate YHVH from ADONAI by translating YHVH as LORD all caps, while others don't they simply use Lord for both. So, their goal was not to cause readers to say the hybrid name, instead it was just a hint for them to say ADONAI while still knowing that YHVH is the proper name there (2).


With the above in mind, the use of the personal name of God was lost even in the Hebrew scriptures, and instead, the artificial name was popularized. Christians unintentionally or unknowingly inherited this man-made tradition. By the time Christians started their work of translation, they began already from Hebrew scriptures that had this hybrid name, causing the personal name of God to be further lost. It's from this hybrid name that we get the name YAHWEH or JEHOVAH which contains vows, YHVH doesn't. In spite of all the man-caused issues, glories be to God, He made a way for us to be aware of His proper name.


Later on in Exodus 6, God reveals another name of His to us when He said, "'I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.'" Exodus 6:3. The name God Almighty is the Hebrew name, "El SHADDAI", which speaks of God's ultimate power over all. Again, the name translated Lord is the Hebrew name "ADONAI", as we have already alluded to. However, in revealing His nature and character through names, God didn't stop here, He continued then in Exodus 15:26 by calling Himself, "YAHWEH-RAPHA", that is The Lord who heals us.


Exodus 15:26 says, "'and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”'. Glories to God! You can see that God Himself reveals some of His names to us. The names aforementioned are only a snapshot of the names He revealed to us, and to know them all is to be invited to meditate and study the whole scriptures. However, as we stated earlier some names of God if not most were given to Him by people based upon the revelation they got of Him. Let's now proceed by looking closely at a remarkable event when God was named by a man.


God's Revelation to Abraham

In Genesis 22 the bible narrates for us the story of Abraham and his son Isaac. God appeared to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his son to Him. It's written, "'Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”' Genesis 22:2. The following verses reveal to us that Abraham in the very next day, early in the morning, prepared everything and made his way to a mountain in the land of Mariah. Abraham arranged the altar for the sacrifice, and the bible says, "'But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”' Genesis 22:7.


Abraham replied to him saying, "'[...] “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.'" Genesis 22:8. Many suggest that in that very moment Abraham went beyond in time and saw the day that God provided for Himself, His spotless Lamb, Jesus as atonement for the sins of the whole world because in John 8:56 Jesus said, "'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”' Back to the story. Abraham comforted Isaac and proceeded to sacrifice him as God had asked.


The bible says, "'And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”' Genesis 22:10-14.


Of course God never wanted Isaac to be sacrificed, human sacrifice is abomination for God (Deuteronomy 12:31) because He made men in His image. God wanted to test the faith of Abraham only. Abraham was approved, God saw that he feared Him, and therefore, He would bring to pass the promise He made to Abraham. Verses 15-18 says, "'Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord , because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son — blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”'. Praise God for His faithfulness.


One of the main points is that when Abraham saw that God intervened for Isaac and instead provided a ham, Abraham rejoiced, and the bible says, "Abraham called the name of the place, The- Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”' Notice Abraham called that the name of the place not the name of God, although in saying, Yah-way-ji-reh, He also gave a name to God. Among His people, God became known as "The Lord Will Provide" or "The Lord Provider", Our God who provides, commonly pronounced in Hebrew, "YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]" or in English, "JEHOVAH-JIREH".


We know that God indeed is a provider, from Genesis to revelation God is constantly providing for all His creation, and He ultimately provided Christ for the whole world. Knowing that God is "Yahweh-Jireh", we can interact with Him on the basis of it and be confident that He provides for all our needs. David said, "'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.'" Psalms 23:1-3. Praise God. However, JEHOVAH-JIREH is just one of the many names of God that people gave in order to capture the revelation they had of Him.


The Names of God

The bible in several passages presents us with many more names of God, many of which are better captured when we look up a concordance or a translation that preserves the names in the original language, and etc. As a summary, below it is given some of the names of God found in the bible: (3).


  • EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains.

  • ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah. Being plural, Elohim which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).

  • EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

  • ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.


  • YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

  • YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

  • YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.

  • YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.


  • YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

  • YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

  • YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic word for “God” signifying that He is the Lord who is God.

  • YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).


  • YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “The Lord is my shepherd [Yahweh-Rohi]; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, ESV).

  • YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

  • YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.


  • EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

  • EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

  • EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2).

  • EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).


  • THEOS [theh'-os]: It is one of the names by which the one true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, is called in the New Testament. It is used to denote the divine nature and attributes of God, including His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. "Theos" can also refer to false gods or deities in a polytheistic context, but in the Christian Scriptures, it predominantly signifies the God of Israel, the Father of Jesus Christ. Its Hebrew equivalent are Elohim, El, and YHWH.

  • KURIOS [koo'-ree-os]: It is another name by which God is called in the New Testament. "kurios" is used to denote someone who possesses authority, control, or power. It is often translated as "Lord" and is used to refer to God, Jesus Christ, and sometimes human masters. The term signifies respect, reverence, and acknowledgment of authority. In the context of Jesus, it underscores His divine nature and authority as the Son of God. Its Hebrew equivalent are ADONAI and YHWH.


Implications of Knowing

The list above is not exhaustive but a starter; there are many more names of God in the bible. As mentioned in the first section of this article, in biblical thought name means character, authority, origin, and in the case of God nature. Thus, having learned about the names of God, you should know Him better. like we have been emphasizing throughout this series of articles, knowing God is far beyond a simple mental knowledge or awareness, but it is intimately knowing, spiritually and truthfully worshipping, and strongly, soulfully, and wholeheartedly loving Him (Jn 4:24, 17:3; Mt 22:37-40). The implications of knowing God is that it compels us to trust and to love Him; we get to know that He is and inevitably relate and approach Him with faith. It's written, ""'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.'" Hebrews 11:6.


Praises be to God! God is everlasting (He is EL-OLAM), sees you and your circumstances (He is El ROI), cares for you and for all you care about (He is YAHWEH-ROHI), provides for all your needs (He is YAHWEH-JIREH), changes your circumstances (He is EL SHADDAI), commands His hosts on your behalf (He is YAHWEH-SABAOTH), sanctifies you (He is YAHWEH-M'KADDESH), keeps you in peace (He is YAHWEH-SHALOM), delivers you from sicknesses and diseases (YAHWEH-RAPHA), commands your life and order your steps (He is ADONAI), ..., God is (He is YHVH). The more we know the names of God, the more we can know His character, and the greater will be our faith on Him and our love for Him. This is the point of knowing the names of God.


A Word of Caution

The point of knowing the names of God is not necessarily to bring up a specific name in prayer depending on our need; we can do it if we have the understanding of the name, but bear in mind that Jesus didn't do it and neither the apostles. The point is not to lead us to become proud for knowing the true name of God either, like Jehovah Witnesses tend to do when they give an exaggerated emphasis on the name JEHOVAH, which as we have already discussed above is not even the true name of God, it's a hybrid or artificial name created by man. Certainly, we appreciate the story behind it and take it as a pronounceable approximation of the true name which is YHVH or YHWH. So, these are not the points. The point is relationship by understanding the revelation of God behind the names.


God is an infinite being, knowing Him is an eternal task (John 17:3); thus, to make an infinite task possible, He revealed Himself through certain means such us names and figures, which we will see in the next article, aside from the direct descriptions of His attributes which we have already seen in the previous article. Thus, the names were meant to capture a revelation of God or crystalize an understanding people had about Him; hence, understanding the character or attributes of God through the names is more important than repeating the names over and over again if we have no understanding.


For instance, Abraham who called God Jehovah-Jireh, never once in scripture is shown calling God such in prayer when he wanted provision. We don't see him doing it at all after the experience he had with Isaac. however, we can be confident that the revelation behind the name was always alive in Abraham's heart as he waited upon the Lord to fulfill His promises or provide again. Thus, if someone goes to prayer calling God "Jehovah-Jireh", he does no wrong, but if he supposes that by doing so provision will come more rapidly, he is certainly not walking in the steps of Abraham.


If you do call God "Jehovah-Jireh" while praying or praising, you do nothing wrong, after all, it is His name. By all means to do it, we often do it and will continue to do so; however, if you call Him "Jehovah-Jireh" with understanding, knowing what it means, bringing to mind and to God's remembrance all He said about provision, and how He would be glorified through that provision, you do much better (1 John 5:14-15, Isaiah 43:26). Jesus, Our Lord, when teaching on provision didn't say call God "Jehovah-Jireh", rather he taught us to, again, understand the character and nature of God through a figure of a "Father". He said, "'Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?'" Matthew 6:26.


What was said above about the use of "Jehovah-Jireh" in prayer or praise is applicable to using any other name of God in any other spiritual discipline. If we say the names in prayer, meditation, proclamation, praise or else we do well, but if we don't understand God through them, we can mentioned them all day long in Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, or else and nothing will happen. The apostles when teaching the gentiles did not make a law that they should call God by Hebraic names. They themselves, despite being Jews, in their writings addressed to gentiles, referred to God by Greek names such as Theos and Kurios, and led the people to know, understand, and trust The God behind these names.


Again, the goal of knowing the names of God is far beyond proving our soundness of Hebrew or Greek, or show that we have some sort of "esoteric" knowledge, no! The goal is knowing God Himself and grow in our relationship with Him. Glories be to God for making things so simple and accessible for people in all nations! Thus, to call God simply God in English is not a sin neither a disrespect as long we regard God highly in our hearts, know truly who He is: His majesty, transcendency, authority, supremacy ... , in another words, understand the revelation behind each name of God. If you do so, my brother and my sister, you will see signs, wonders, and interventions on earth as simple as calling God God may seem.


With the above said by all means, sing the names of God, praise Him with and through them, bring them up in prayer, proclaim them, speak them out, meditate on them, preach them, and etc., but in all things do so with understanding and God will be glorified. Of course just knowing the names themselves is a good thing and a good start, but don't stop there, seek to understand them and put your trust in God. David said, "''And those who know Your name [character, identity, reputation] will put their trust in You; For You, Lord , have not forsaken those who seek You.'" Psalms 9:10. God is accessible to all who call upon Him with a sincere heart and understand his reputation or character, no matter the language or location.


A Personal Revelation

This God whose names we are studying, The God of Israel, YHVH, who aforetime revealed His personal name to us, became further accessible by revealing Himself to us in a personal manner. This same God has came down from heaven, manifested Himself in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ and lived among us (John 1:14). Jesus said, "[...] “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”". Today, we can not only know the personal name of the One and True God, our maker, but also know Him personally through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! It's written, "'And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.'" I Timothy 3:16.


Praises be to God! May you know God more through His names, may you know Him more and more personally through Christ, and may your love for Him grow more and more in all wisdom and spiritual understanding in Jesus name.


God bless you.


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References:

(1) "Why is YHWH, the name of the God, replaced by a title, "the LORD", ..." hermeneutics.stackexchange.com

(2) "God's Name has Changed? (Learn It's Interesting Biblical Story," Bibleproject.com

(3) "What are the different names of God, and what do they mean?" www.gotquestions.org


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All scriptures taken from the NKJV unless otherwise state. 

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