1st Thessalonians 5:21
21 Prove all things.
Hold fast what is good.
The Set-apart Names
The Third Commandment tells us not to take our Creator's name in vain. Let us look at the New King James Version here:
Shemote (Exodus) 20:7
7 "You shall not take the name of The Lord your God in vain, for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
NKJV
Many Christians know that the commandment not to take His name in vain means, ‘not to swear falsely,’ and ‘not to use His name in an irreverent manner.’ However, since Hebrew does not translate directly to English, is it possible that there is more to it than that?
When we research the word 'vain' (Strong's OT #7722, ืืฉืืข), we see that it also implies a prohibition against 'making His name desolate,' or 'allowing it to lay in waste.'
Strong’s OT:7723 shav' (shawv); or shav (shav); from the same as OT:7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain):
What does this say, then? The Third Commandment is not only the commandment against misusing the Divine Name, but it is also the commandment against 'letting His name go to waste,’ or ‘making His name desolate' (from lack of proper use). However, this is precisely what most believers do.
YHWH tells us again and again that He wants His people to know His name, and that He wants them to make His name known in all the earth. For example, Exodus 9:16 tells us:
Shemote (Exodus) 9:16
16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth!
In the Tanach (the 'Old' Covenant), we see many examples of ancient Israelites trying to honor the Creator’s commandment to make His name known, by using it in everyday greetings. For example, the NKJV tells us:
Ruth 2:4
4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!"
And they answered him, "The LORD bless you!"
NKJV
However, there is a problem with the mainstream Western translations such as the NKJV.
When we study the Tanach (the ‘Old’ Covenant) in the original Hebrew, we find that in ancient Israel, the Israelites did not call upon the name of 'The LORD' per se, because the name of our Creator is not actually 'LORD.'
We will talk about what the name of our Creator actually is in a moment, but first let us see that the name ‘LORD’ is actually the name of the ancient Canaanite pagan deity Ba'al.
Strong’s OT:1167 ba`al (bah'-al); from OT:1166; a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense):
KJV - archer, babbler, bird, captain, chief man, confederate, have to do, dreamer, those to whom it is due, furious, those that are given to it, great, hairy, he that hath it, have, horseman, husband, lord, man, married, master, person, sworn, they of.
We talk more about why this information is important in the Nazarene Israel book, starting about page 100 (in the chapter ‘The Final Warnings’).
But if the Creator’s name is not 'LORD,' then what is the Creator’s name? Certainly we must at least know what His name is, if we are to make it known in all the earth.
In Hebrew, the Creator's name is spelled Yod-Hay-Vav-Hay, (or ืืืื, remembering that Hebrew reads from right to left). While most mainstream English translations have rendered the pronunciation as 'Jehovah,' the name 'Jehovah' is not technically correct, as there has never been any letter 'J' sound in Hebrew.
However, if ืืืื is not properly pronounced as 'Jehovah,' then how is His name properly pronounced?
In Hebrew, the name Judah is pronounced ‘Yehudah’ or ‘Y’hudah’ (ืืืืื). We should note that this name is spelled very similarly to the Divine Name. When one compares the Divine Name (ืืืื) to the name of the tribe of Judah (ืืืืื), one can see that the main difference between these two names is that the name of the tribe of Judah contains an extra Dalet (or ื), giving Judah's name a 'd' sound that the nameืืืื does not have).
Logically, then, if one subtracts the extra Dalet (ื) from Judah's name, the extra 'd' sound disappears; and then one is left with the likely true pronunciation of the name of our Creator ืืืื:
ืืืืื = Yahudah
ืืืืื = Yahudah
ืืืื = Yahuah
(or 'Yahuwah')
While this derivation is logical, and is easily replicated, there may be those who prefer to pronounce the Divine Name in one of its other traditionally accepted forms, such as Yahuweh, Yahweh, Yahveh, Yahoveh, or some other derivation.
The author takes no issue with the reader's decision in this matter, but only encourages the reader to use the Hebraic form which he feels is most correct.
The reason we encourage a Hebraic pronunciation is that the letters of our Creator’s name are transliterated as Yod, Hay, Vav, and Hay. While this can possibly be anglicized as ‘Jehovah,’ there is no way one can properly pronounce Yod-Hay-Vav-Hay (ืืืื) as 'The LORD.'
Indeed, since the Third Commandment is the command not to let our Creator’s name ‘lie desolate,’ and since the word ‘Lord’ is actually the name of the pagan deity Ba’al, to call our Creator ‘LORD’ is actually to call our Creator Ba’al. This transgresses the Third Commandment, in that it uses a false substitute for His name.
Strong’s OT:7723 shav' (shawv); or shav (shav); from the same as OT:7722 in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain):
The Messiah’s Name
In addition to the Third Commandment, Scripture also tells us that there is only one name given under Heaven among men, by which men must be saved.
Ma’aseh (Acts) 4:12
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
In the West, the name of our Messiah is commonly rendered as ‘Jesus Christ.’ However, the title ‘Christ’ is not actually a Hebrew term, but is a derivation of the name of ‘Krishna,’ the Hindu god of war.
The Greeks adopted ‘Krishna’ into their pantheon, and then they later used the term ‘Christos’ to refer to the Messiah. However, this is completely incorrect, as the correct term in Hebrew is ‘Mashiach.’ While Mashiach may translate to Messiah, it does not resemble the term ‘Christos’ at all.
Westerners tend to place little emphasis on words and their sounds, believing that a rose (by any other name) smells just as sweet. However, in Hebraic thought, words and their sounds are incredibly important, for it was by words that the Creator called the world into being.
(For more information as to why words and their sounds are so important, please see the chapter “Why the Name, ‘Christians’,” starting on page 159 of Nazarene Israel. Then please see, “Understanding Hebraic Thought,” starting on page 174 of Joseph’s Return.)
It also stands to reason that the name ‘Jesus’ cannot be the Messiah’s actual Hebrew name, as there has never been any letter ‘J’ in the Hebrew language. Therefore, in the Messiah’s actual name cannot be ‘Jesus.’ But what, then, is it?
Many people know that the Messiah’s name is actually the same as that of Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua’s name (ืืืืฉืืข) was originally pronounced as ‘Yehoshua’ in the Hebrew. However, the historical, archaeological and Scriptural evidence all indicate that our Messiah was actually called by the popular short-form of this name in the first century. That short form was pronounced 'Yeshua' ("Yeh-Shoo-ah"); and the way this specific short-form ('Yeshua') was finally reached is as follows.
Joshua the son of Nun was originally named ‘Hosea,’ (Numbers 13:8, 16), which means ‘Salvation.’ Moses the Prophet then called Hoshea ‘Yah-Hoshea’ (Yehoshua, or Joshua), which means ‘Yahuah shall save (His people).’ To be technically correct, it also translates perfectly to "The Salvation of YHWH" or "YHWH saves."
In the Tanach (or the 'Old' Covenant), Yehoshua’s name is spelled twice in its full six-letter form, Yod-Hay-Vav-Shin-Vav-Ayin (ืืืืฉืืข). When spelled out in this full six letter form, this name is properly pronounced 'Yehoshua' (or some say Yahushua).
However, since Hebrews treasure economy of effort, they later abbreviated this six-letter name (Yehoshua) to a shortened five-letter form, Yod-Hay-Vav-Shin-Ayin (ืืืืฉืข); and this form is used some two hundred times throughout the Tanach.
ืืืืฉืืข = Yehoshua
ืืืืฉืืข = Yehoshua
ืืืืฉืข = Yehoshua
Even though the second Vav (ื) was removed, the pronunciation remained the same, because vowel points simulating the sound of the second Vav (ื) were added to the letter Shin (ืฉ). Thus, ืืืืฉืืข and ืืืืฉืข are pronounced exactly the same way: Yehoshua. However, this was only the first of the changes our Messiah's name went through.
The Changes in Babylon
Before the Jews went into captivity in Babylon, they kept the Father's Commandment to make His name known, by using it in everyday greetings and blessings (e.g., Ruth 2:4, above). We should also note that the Levitical Priesthood was commanded in the Torah to bless the children of Israel in ืืืื’s name (which required the priesthood to pronounce His name):
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:27
22 And ืืืื spoke to Moses, saying:
23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 "ืืืื bless you and keep you;
25 ืืืื make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 ืืืื lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."'
27 "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."
Although the priesthood was originally commanded to bless the children of Israel by placing ืืืื’s name on them, when the Jews went into captivity in Babylon, the priesthood lineage was lost, and the Jewish rabbinical order arose to take its place. However, rather than continuing the priestly tradition of blessing the children of Israel by placing ืืืื’s name upon them, the rabbis instituted a different practice (which actually breaks the Third Commandment). The Babylonians had a tradition that the name of their deity was not to be pronounced. However, because the Jews were greeting each other in ืืืื’s name, the Babylonians made fun of the Jews, calling them ‘Yahoos.’
History does not record how it came about, but it seems likely that the Jewish rabbis saw their Babylonian captors as being guilty of breaking the Third Commandment, by taking His name in vain. Therefore, in an effort to keep the Babylonians from taking His name in vain, they instituted the custom that no one should speak ืืืื's name aloud, under penalty of death.
The rabbinical order ruled that Jews should speak only the approved rabbinic substitutes for the Divine Name. These approved rabbinic substitutes were 'Adonai' (meaning ‘Master of masters’) and 'HaShem' (meaning 'The Name'). Then, to further keep the Babylonians from blaspheming the Divine Name, the rabbis also altered the name of Yehoshua.
According to Hebraic thought, names beginning in ืื ('Yah') or ืืื ('Yahu' or 'Yeho') are considered to contain the Divine Name, and in order to keep anyone from blaspheming (or ridiculing) the Divine Name, the rabbis also ruled that any name beginning with ืื or ืืื (such as ืืืืฉืข) should have all but the beginning Yod (ื) removed. When the name Yehoshua (ืืืืฉืข) was compressed in this manner (having the ืื removed), the second Vav (ื) was simultaneously restored to the spelling. Thus, while the front end was shortened from ืืื to ื, the back end was restored to ืฉืืข (meaning 'saves’).
Due to this elaborate progression of changes, the name 'Joshua' is spelled in various ways throughout the Tanach. Beginning with a six letter form (ืืืืฉืืข), it then progressed to a shorter five letter form (ืืืืฉืข), and ultimately ended up being spelled in the shortened four letter form (ืืฉืืข) that was commonly used after the Babylonian Exile. Thus, the Messiah's name went from:
ืืืืฉืืข = Yehoshua
ืืืืฉืืข = Yehoshua
ืืืืฉืข = Yehoshua
ืืืืฉืืข = Yehoshua
ืืฉืืข = Yeshua
This shortened four letter form (ืืฉืืข) is the one commonly used during the Second Temple Period, as recorded in such post-Babylonian Prophecy books as Zechariah:
Zecharyah (Zechariah) 3:8
8 'Hear, O Joshua (ืืฉืืข), the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My servant, the Branch.
This shortened four-letter form is the one commonly used in post-Babylonian-exilic books such as Zechariah and Haggai. Further, the ossuary (burial box) of Ya’akov ben Yosef (or James, the half-brother of our Messiah) records the Messiah’s name in its shortened four-letter form (ืืฉืืข).
Since this shortened four-letter form (ืืฉืืข) was the one commonly used in Israel during the time in which our Messiah lived, it is only logical that this is the name He was actually called; and in fact, the Peshitta Aramaic Renewed Covenant (New Testament) also records the Messiah’s name in this shortened four-letter form (ืืฉืืข).
Insistence on the Form “Yahshua”
In the modern-day effort to restore the pronunciation of our Creator’s name in everyday blessings, some believers (particularly in the Western language groups) have expressed concern over the use of the shortened four-letter form, Yeshua (ืืฉืืข). These insist (loudly at times) that the Messiah’s name must be pronounced (precisely) as “Yah-shua,” or else one is blaspheming.
These groups’ thesis is curious, especially considering that the specific pronunciation “Yah-shua” is not found anywhere in Scripture, either in the Hebrew Masoretic Text (Tanach), or in the Peshitta Aramaic (Renewed Covenant). Neither is it found in any historical writing. One wonders why these groups insist upon restoring something that never was.
Their argument goes something like this:
In Hebraic thought, names beginning in Yod-Hay (ืื) or Yod-Hay-Vav (ืืื) are considered to bear the Divine Name (of ืืืื). Therefore, since the Son tells us that He came in His Father's name (John 5:43), these believe that the Son's name must contain the full Yod-Hay (ืื) or Yod-Hay-Vav (ืืื) combination, in order for it to qualify as the one name given under Heaven among men, by which men might be saved (Acts 4:12).
Another sect of this ‘True Name’ movement insists that the divine name must be spelled and pronounced in its full six-letter form (of Yehoshua, or ืืืืฉืืข), or else it ‘loses its power.’ The reason this argument does not work is that these persons are using Western logic, which does not always apply in Hebraic grammar.
In Hebrew, while it is considered that any name beginning in Yod-Hay (ืื) or Yod-Hay-Vav (ืืื) does indeed contain the Father's name (ืืืื), the same is true for all names that begin simply with the letter Yod (ื). For example, the name Joseph (ืืืกืฃ) is actually a contraction of Yehoseph (or ืืืืกืฃ), which means, "ืืืื shall add to His people".
Although the full name of Yosef (or Joseph) is never recorded in the Tanach in its full five-letter form (ืืืืกืฃ), Yosef (ืืืกืฃ) is still a contraction of Yehoseph (ืืืืกืฃ). Thus, when Yeshua (ืืฉืืข) told us that He came in His Father's name (ืืืื), His name did not have to begin with a full Yod-Hay (ืื) or Yod-Hay-Vav (ืืื) combination, because the simple Yod (ื) was enough to indicate that Yeshua had indeed come in His Father's name (if this was even what Yeshua meant, at all).
Add to this the fact that all of the archaeological, historical and Scriptural records indicate that Yeshua was called by the shortened four-letter form (ืืฉืืข) that was in common use during the time of His ministry, and it does not make much sense to insist upon a specific pronunciation of ‘Yah-shua’ or “Yahu-shua.’
Therefore, to those who would argue that the name of our Messiah absolutely must be spelled and pronounced “Yah-shua” in English, the author would pose the following question: If the shortened four-letter-name (ืืฉืืข) was the name that our Messiah actually went by, then why should we feel the need to call Him anything different?
For those who still have trouble with this concept, please consider the following:
Hebraic thought is essentially Eastern, and therefore it does not always translate directly to the Romance (Roman) languages. However, in English, one might understand how a man with the given name of Richard might be known as Rich to his business associates, and as Rick to his friends. Each of these names (Richard, Rich, and Rick) is his name, though each one carries a slightly different degree of formality.
The Messiah’s name transmuted from its original form of Yehoshua, to Yehoshua (spelled with five letters), and finally ended up as Yeshua. What kind of logic insists that the Messiah be called “Yah-shua,” when this name is never recorded anywhere?
These facts notwithstanding, some may still prefer to Anglicize the name of our Messiah as Yah-shua, (or Yahushua, or some other similar form). The author takes no issue with this practice, but merely encourages the reader to use the Hebraic form which he or she feels most convicted of.
God: Elohim
Beyond restoring the true names of ืืืื and ืืฉืืข there are other terms that are important to explain.
In English, the term ‘God’ is used to describe our Creator. While this term is almost universally understood and accepted in English, this term is not a Hebrew term. The Hebrews never used the term ‘God,’ but only the term ‘Elohim.’
In Hebrew, the term for ‘God’ is pronounced, “Elohim.” In Hebrew, this is spelled Aleph-Lamed-Hay-Yod-Memsofeet (final-form Mem), or ืืืืื. There are legitimate variations of this title, including simply “El” (ืื).
In Hebrew, the term Elohim (ืืืืื) means, “The Strong Ones,” or “The Mighty Ones.” In Hebrew, this word is also a plural (as words ending in –ืื are generally masculine plurals). One reason this distinction is important is that since the term ืืืืื is a plural, it applies both to the Father and the Son (and many would also argue, the Spirit of Elohim).
