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EspañolNAMES OF GOD IN JUDAISM
At the bottom of the hands, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה (YHVH), the name of God.
An early depiction of the Tetragrammaton - circa 600 B.C.E. Portion of writing on silver scroll with the "Priestly Benediction" (Numbers 6:24-26)
Portion of column 19 of the Psalms Scroll (Tehilim) from Qumran Cave 11. The Tetragrammaton in paleo-Hebrew can be clearly seen six times in this portion.
The Tetragrammaton in Phoenician (1100 BC to AD 300), Aramaic (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts.
In Judaism, the 'name of God' is more than a distinguishing title. It represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relation of God to the Jewish people. To show the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for them, the scribes of sacred texts took pause before copying them, and used terms of reverence so as to keep the true name of God concealed. The various names of God in Judaism represent God as he is known, as well as the divine aspects which are attributed to him.
The numerous names of God have been a source of debate amongst biblical scholars — some have advanced the variety as proof that the Torah has many authors (see documentary hypothesis), while others declare that the different aspects of God have different names, depending on the role God is playing, the context in which God is referred to and the specific aspects which are emphasized (see Negative theology in Jewish thought). This is akin to how a person may be called by: 'his first name', 'Dad', 'Captain', 'Honey', 'Sir', etc. depending on the role being played, and who is talking.
Names of God
The Tetragrammaton
Main articles: Tetragrammaton
The most important and most often written name of God in Judaism is the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God. "Tetragrammaton" derives from the Greek prefix ''tetra-'' ("four") and ''gramma'' ("letter", "grapheme"). This name is first mentioned in the book of Genesis and is usually translated as 'the LORD'. Because Judaism forbids pronouncing the name outside the Temple in Jerusalem (see below), the correct pronunciation of this name has been lost—the original Hebrew texts only included consonants. Some scholars conjecture that it was pronounced "Yahweh", but some suggest that it never had a pronunciation (which is extremely unlikely given that it is found as an element in numerous Hebrew names). The Hebrew letters are named ''Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh'': יהוה; note that Hebrew is written from right to left, rather than left to right as in English. In English it is written as YHWH, YHVH, or JHVH depending on the transliteration convention that is used. The Tetragrammaton was written in contrasting Paleo-Hebrew characters in some of the oldest surviving square Aramaic Hebrew texts, and it is speculated that it was, even at that period, read as ''Adonai'' ("My Lord") or ''Elohim'' when encountered.[1]
In appearance, YHWH is the third person singular imperfect of the verb "to be", meaning, therefore, "He is". This explanation agrees with the meaning of the name given in Exodus 3:14, where God is represented as speaking, and hence as using the first person — "I am". It stems from the Hebrew conception of monotheism that God exists by himself for himself, the uncreated Creator who doesn't depend on any concept, force or anyone else; therefore "I am that I am".
The idea of 'life' has been traditionally connected with the name YHWH from medieval times. God is presented as a living God, as contrasted with the lifeless gods of the heathen: God is presented as the source and author of life (compare 1 Kings 18; Isaiah 41:26–29, 44:6–20; Jeremiah 10:10, 14; Genesis 2:7; and so forth)
The name YHWH is often reconstructed as ''Yahweh'', based on a wide range of circumstantial historical and linguistic evidence. Most scholars do not view it as an "accurate" reconstruction in an absolute sense, but as the best possible guess, superior to all other existing versions, and thus the standard convention for scholarly usage. It is also, however, a historically used name within the Samaritan tradition. See Yahweh for a more detailed explanation of this reconstruction. By contrast, the translation "Jehovah" was created by adding the vowel points of "Adonai." Early Christian translators of the Torah did not know that these vowel points only served to remind the reader not to pronounce the divine name, but instead say "Adonai," so they pronounced the consonants and vowel points together (a grammatical impossibility in Hebrew). They took the letters "IHVH," from the Latin Vulgate, and the vowels "a-o-a" were inserted into the text rendering I'A'H'O'V'A'H or "Iehovah" in 16th century English, which later became "Jehovah." This name originates from the 15th century teachings of Martin Luther. The name YHWH is likely to be the origin of the Yao of Gnosticism. A minority view considers it to be cognate to an uncertain reading "Yaw" for the god Yam in damaged text of the Baal Epic. If the Hehs in the Tetragrammaton are seen as sacred augmentation similar to those in ''Abraham'' (from ''Abram'') and ''Sarah'' (from ''Sarai''), then the association becomes clearer. Though the final Heh in ''Yahweh'' would not necessarily have been pronounced in classical Hebrew, the medial Heh would have almost certainly been pronounced. Other possible vocalizations include a mappiq in the final Heh, rendering it pronounced — most likely with a gliding ''Patah'' (a-sound) before it.
The prohibition of blasphemy, for which capital punishment is prescribed in Jewish law, refers only to the Tetragrammaton (Soferim iv., end; comp. Sanh. 66a).
Pronouncing the tetragrammaton
All modern denominations of Judaism teach that the four letter name of God, YHWH, is forbidden to be uttered except by the High Priest, in the Temple. Since the Temple in Jerusalem no longer exists, this name is never said in religious rituals by Jews, and the correct pronounciation is disputed. Orthodox and Conservative Jews never pronounce it for any reason. Some religious non-Orthodox Jews are willing to pronounce it, but for educational purposes only, and never in casual conversation or in prayer. Instead of pronouncing YHWH during prayer, Jews say ''Adonai''.
Substituting ''Adonai'' for YHWH dates back at least to the 3rd century BCE[2]. Passages such as:
:"And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, YHWH [be] with you. And they answered him, YHWH bless thee" (Ruth 2:4)
strongly indicate that there was a time when the name was in common usage. Also the fact that many Hebrew names consist of verb forms contracted with the tetragrammaton indicates that the people knew the verbalization of the name in order to understand the connection. The prohibition against verbalizing the name never applied to the forms of the name within these contractions (''yeho-'', ''yo-'', ''-yahoo'', ''-yah'') and their pronunciation remains known. (These known pronunciations do not in fact match the conjectured pronunciation ''yahweh'' for the stand alone form.)
English translations of the Bible generally render YHWH as "LORD" (all capitals) and ''Adonai'' as "Lord" (upper & lower case). In a few cases, where "Lord YHWH" (''Adonai'' YHWH) appears, the combination is written as "Lord GOD" (''Adonai elohim''). While neither "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" is recognized in Judaism, a number of Christian Bibles use the name. The form "Jehovah" is found in the King James Bible, the American Standard Version, and the New World Translation. The New Jerusalem Bible is the only translation to use the form "Yahweh".
Hashem
Jewish law requires that secondary rules be placed around the primary law, to reduce the chance that the main law will be broken. As such, it is common Jewish practice to restrict the use of the word ''Adonai'' to prayer only. In conversation, many Jewish people will call God "''Hashem''", which is Hebrew for "the Name" (this appears in Leviticus 24:11). Many Jews extend this prohibition to some of the other names listed below, and will add additional sounds to alter the pronunciation of a name when using it outside of a liturgical context, such as replacing the 'h' with a 'k' in names of God such as ''k'el' and 'elo'k'im'.
While other names of God in Judaism are generally restricted to use in a liturgical context, ''Hashem'' is used in more casual circumstances. ''Hashem'' is used by Orthodox Jews so as to avoid saying ''Adonai'' outside of a ritual context. For example, when Orthodox Jews make audio recordings of prayer services, they generally substitute ''Hashem'' for ''Adonai''--for example, this pattern is used during all prayers in the movie Ushpizin.
Adoshem
Up until the mid twentieth century, however, another convention was quite common, the use of the word, ''Adoshem'' - combining the first two syllables of the word ''Adonai'' with the last syllable of the word ''Hashem''. This convention was discouraged by Rabbi David HaLevi Segal (known as the Taz) in his commentary to the Shulchan Aruch. However, it took a few centuries for the word to fall into almost complete disuse. The rationale behind the Taz's reasoning was that it is disrespectful to combine a Name of God with another word. Despite being obsolete in most circles, it is used occasionally in conversation in place of ''Adonai'' by Orthodox Jews who do not wish to say ''Adonai'' but need to specify the use of the particular word as opposed to God.
Other names of God
Adonai
Jews also call God Adonai, Hebrew for "Lord" (Hebrew: אֲדֹנָי). Formally, this is plural ("my Lords"), but the plural is usually construed as a respectful, and not a syntactic plural. (The singular form is ''Adoni'', "my lord". This was used by the Phoenicians for the god Tammuz and is the origin of the Greek name Adonis. Jews only use the singular to refer to a distinguished person.)
Since pronouncing YHWH is considered sinful, Jews use ''Adonai'' instead in prayers, and colloquially would use ''Hashem'' ("the Name"). When the Masoretes added vowel pointings to the text of the Hebrew Bible around the eighth century CE, they gave the word YHWH the vowels of ''Adonai'', to remind the reader to say ''Adonai'' instead.
The Sephardi translators of the Ferrara Bible go further and substitute ''Adonai'' with ''A.''
Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh
The name ''Ehyeh'' (Hebrew: אֶהְיֶה) denotes God's potency in the immediate future, and is part of YHWH. The phrase ''"ehyeh-asher-ehyeh"'' (Exodus 3:14) is interpreted by some authorities as "I will be because I will be", using the second part as a gloss and referring to God's promise, "Certainly I will be [ehyeh] with thee" (Exodus 3:12). Other authorities claim that the whole phrase forms one name. The Targum Onkelos leaves the phrase untranslated and is so quoted in the Talmud (B. B. 73a). The "I am that I am" of the Authorized Version is based on this view.
"I am that I am" (Hebrew: אהיה אשר אהיה, pronounced ''Ehyeh asher ehyeh'') is the sole response used in (Exodus 3:14) when Moses asked for God's name. It is one of the most famous verses in the Hebrew Bible. ''Hayah'' means "existed" or "was" in Hebrew; ''ehyeh'' is the first-person singular imperfect form. ''Ehyeh asher ehyeh'' is generally interpreted to mean "I will be what I will be", ''I shall be what I shall be'' or ''I am that I am'' (King James Bible and others). The Tetragrammaton itself may derive from the same verbal root.
“I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL PROVE TO BE.” Heb., היהא רשׁא היהא (’Eh·yeh′ ’Asher′ ’Eh·yeh′), God’s own self-designation; Leeser, “I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE”; Rotherham, “I Will Become whatsoever I please.” Gr., E·go′ ei·mi ho on, “I am The Being,” or, “I am The Existing One”; Lat., e′go sum qui sum, “I am Who I am.” ’Eh·yeh′ comes from the Heb. verb ha·yah′, “become; prove to be.” Here ’Eh·yeh′ is in the imperfect state, first person sing., meaning “I shall become”; or, “I shall prove to be.” The reference here is not to God’s self-existence but to what he has in mind to become toward others. Compare Ge 2:4 ftn, “Jehovah,” where the kindred, but different, Heb. verb ha·wah′ appears in the divine name.[3]
El
Main articles: El (god)
The word ''El'' appears in other northwest Semitic languages such as Phoenician and Aramaic. In Akkadian, ''ilu'' is the ordinary word for god. It is also found in Old South Arabian and in Ethiopic, and, as in Hebrew, it is often used as an element in proper names. In northwest Semitic texts it often appears to be used of one single god, perhaps the head of the pantheon, sometimes specifically said to be the creator.
''El'' (Hebrew: אל) is used in both the singular and plural, both for other gods and for the God of Israel. As a name of God, however, it is used chiefly in poetry and prophetic discourse, rarely in prose, and then usually with some epithet attached, as "a jealous God." Other examples of its use with some attribute or epithet are: ''El `Elyon'' ("Most High God"), ''El Shaddai'' ("God Almighty"), ''El `Olam'' ("Everlasting God"), ''El Hai'' ("Living God"), ''El Ro'i'' ("God of Seeing"), ''El Elohe Israel'' ("God, the God of Israel"), ''El Gibbor'' ("God of Strength"). In addition, names such as Gabriel ("Strength of God"), Michael ("He Who is Like God"), Raphael ("God's medicine") and Daniel ("God is My Judge") use God's name in a similar fashion.
Elohim
Main articles: Elohim
A common name of God in the Hebrew Bible is ''Elohim'' (Hebrew: אלהים); as opposed to other names mentioned in this article, this name also describes gods of other religions.
Despite the ''-im'' ending common to many plural nouns in Hebrew, the word ''Elohim'', when referring to God is grammatically singular, and takes a singular verb in the Hebrew Bible. The word is identical to the usual plural of ''el'' meaning a god or magistrate, and is cognate to the 'lhm'' found in Ugaritic, where it is used for the pantheon of Canaanite Gods, the children of El and conventionally vocalized as "Elohim" although the original Ugaritic vowels are unknown. When the Hebrew Bible uses ''elohim'' not in reference to God, it is plural (for example, Exodus 20:3). There are a few other such uses in Hebrew, for example ''Behemoth''. In Modern Hebrew, the singular word ''ba'alim'' ("owner") looks plural, but likewise takes a singular verb.
Another popular explanation comes from the interpretation of ''El'' to mean "power"; ''Elohim'' is thus the plural construct "powers". Hebrew grammar allows for this form to mean "He is the Power (singular) over powers (plural)", just as the word ''Ba'alim'' means "owner" (see above). "He is lord (singular) even over any of those things that he owns that are lordly (plural)."
Other scholars interpret the ''-im'' ending as an expression of majesty (''pluralis majestatis'') or excellence (''pluralis excellentiae''), expressing high dignity or greatness: compare with the similar use of plurals of ''ba`al'' (master) and ''adon'' (lord). For these reasons many Trinitarians cite the apparent plurality of ''elohim'' as evidence for the basic Trinitarian doctrine of the Trinity. This was a traditional position but modern Christian theologians now largely accept that this is an exegetical fallacy.
Theologians who dispute this claim, cite the hypothesis that plurals of majesty came about in more modern times. Richard Toporoski, a classics scholar, asserts that plurals of majesty first appeared in the reign of Diocletian (284-305 CE)1. Indeed, Gesenius states in his book ''Hebrew Grammar'' 2 the following:
The Jewish grammarians call such plurals … ''plur. virium'' or ''virtutum''; later grammarians call them ''plur. excellentiae'', ''magnitudinis'', or ''plur. maiestaticus''.
This last name may have been suggested by the ''we'' used by kings when speaking of themselves (compare 1 Maccabees 10:19 and 11:31); and the plural used by God in Genesis 1:26 and 11:7; Isaiah 6:8 has been incorrectly explained in this way). It is, however, either ''communicative'' (including the attendant angels: so at all events in Isaiah 6:8 and Genesis 3:22), or according to others, an indication of ''the fullness of power and might'' implied. It is best explained as a plural of ''self-deliberation''. The use of the plural as a form of respectful address is quite foreign to Hebrew.
The plural form ending in ''-im'' can also be understood as denoting abstraction, as in the Hebrew words ''chayyim'' ("life") or ''betulim'' ("virginity"). If understood this way, ''Elohim'' means "divinity" or "deity". The word ''chayyim'' is similarly syntactically singular when used as a name but syntactically plural otherwise.
The Hebrew form ''Eloah'' (אלוה, which looks as though it might be a singular form of ''Elohim'') is comparatively rare, occurring only in poetry and late prose (in the Book of Job, 41 times). What is probably the same divine name is found in Arabic (''Ilah'' as singular "a god", as opposed to ''Allah'' meaning "The God" or "God") and in Aramaic (''Elaha''). This unusual singular form is used in six places for heathen deities (examples: 2 Chronicles 32:15; Daniel 11:37, 38;). The normal ''Elohim'' form is also used in the plural a few times, either for gods or images (Exodus 9:1, 12:12, 20:3; and so forth) or for one god (Exodus 32:1; Genesis 31:30, 32; and elsewhere). In the great majority of cases both are used as names of the one God of Israel.
The root-meaning of the word is unknown. One theory is that it may be connected with the old Arabic verb ''alih'' ("to be perplexed, afraid; to seek refuge because of fear"). ''Eloah'', ''Elohim'', would, therefore, be "He who is the object of fear or reverence", or "He with whom one who is afraid takes refuge".
In many of the passages in which ''Elohim'' occurs in the Bible it refers to non-Israelite deities, or in some instances to powerful men or judges (Exodus 21:6).
1R. Toporoski, "What was the origin of the royal "we" and why is it no longer used?", (The Times, May 29, 2002. Ed. F1, p. 32)
2Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (A. E. Cowley, ed., Oxford, 1976, p.398)
`Elyon
Main articles: Elyon
The name ''`Elyon'' (Hebrew: עליון) occurs in combination with ''El'', YHWH or ''Elohim'', and also alone. It appears chiefly in poetic and later Biblical passages. The modern Hebrew adjective "`Elyon" means "supreme" (as in "Supreme Court") or "Most High". ''El Elyon'' has been traditionally translated into English as 'God Most High'. The Phoenicians used what appears to be a similar name for God, Έλιον. It is cognate to the Arabic ''`Aliyy''.
Shaddai
Main articles: Shaddai
Shaddai was a late Bronze Age Amorite city on the banks of the Euphrates river, in northern Syria. The site of its ruin-mound is called ''Tell eth-Thadyen'': "Thadyen" being the modern Arabic rendering of the original West Semitic "Shaddai". It has been conjectured that ''El Shaddai'' was therefore the "god of Shaddai" and associated in tradition with Abraham, and the inclusion of the Abraham stories into the Hebrew Bible may have brought the northern name with them (see Documentary hypothesis).
In the vision of Balaam recorded in the Book of Numbers 24:4 and 16, the vision comes from Shaddai along with El. In the fragmentary inscriptions at Deir Alla, though Shaddai is not, or not fully present,[4] ''shaddayin'' appear, less figurations of Shaddai.[5] These have been tentatively identified with the ''ŝedim'' of Deuteronomy 34:17 and Psalm 106:37-38,[6] who are Canaanite deities.
According to Exodus 6:2, 3, ''Shaddai'' is the name by which God was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The name ''Shaddai'' (Hebrew: שַׁדַּי) is used as a name of God later in the Book of Job.
In the Septuagint and other early translations ''Shaddai'' was translated with words meaning "Almighty". The root word "shadad" (שדד) means "to overpower" or "to destroy". This would give ''Shaddai'' the meaning of "destroyer" as one of the aspects of God. Thus it is essentially an epithet. Harriet Lutzky has presented evidence that ''Shaddai'' was an attribute of a Semitic goddess, linking the epithet with Hebrew ''šad'' "breast" as "the one of the Breast", as Asherah at Ugarit is "the one of the Womb".[7]
Another theory is that ''Shaddai'' is a derivation of a Semitic stem that appears in the Akkadian ''shadû'' ("mountain") and ''shaddā`û'' or ''shaddû`a'' ("mountain-dweller"), one of the names of Amurru. This theory was popularized by W. F. Albright but was somewhat weakened when it was noticed that the doubling of the medial ''d'' is first documented only in the Neo-Assyrian period. However, the doubling in Hebrew might possibly be secondary. In this theory God is seen as inhabiting a mythical holy mountain, a concept not unknown in ancient West Asian mythology (see El), and also evident in the Syriac Christian writings of Ephrem the Syrian, who places Eden on an inaccessible mountaintop.
An alternative view proposed by Albright is that the name is connected to ''shadayim'' which means "breasts" in Hebrew. It may thus be connected to the notion of God’s fertility and blessings of the human race. In several instances it is connected with fruitfulness: "May God Almighty [El Shaddai] bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers…" (Gen. 28:3). "I am God Almighty [El Shaddai]: be fruitful and increase in number" (Gen. 35:11). "By the Almighty [El Shaddai] who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts [shadayim] and of the womb [racham]" (Gen. 49:25).
It is also given a Midrashic interpretation as an acronym standing for "Guardian of the Doors of Israel" (Hebrew: 'שׁ'וֹמֶר 'דְ'לָתוֹת 'יִ'שְׂרָאֶל), which is commonly found as carvings or writings upon the mezuzah, a vessel which houses a scroll of parchment with Biblical text written on it, that is situated upon all the door frames in a home or establishment.
Shalom
''Shalom'' ("Peace"; Hebrew: שלום)
The Talmud says "the name of God is 'Peace'" (''Pereq ha-Shalom'', Shab. 10b), (Judges 6:24); consequently, one is not permitted to greet another with the word ''shalom'' in unholy places such as a bathroom (Talmud, ''Shabbat'', 10b). The name ''Shlomo'', "His peace" (from ''shalom'', Solomon, שלומו), refers to the God of Peace. ''Shalom'' can also mean "hello" and "goodbye."
Shekhinah
''Shekhinah'' (Hebrew: שכינה) is the presence or manifestation of God which has descended to "dwell" among humanity. The term never appears in the Hebrew Bible; later rabbis used the word when speaking of God dwelling either in the Tabernacle or amongst the people of Israel. The root of the word means "dwelling". Of the principal names of God, it is the only one that is of the feminine gender in Hebrew grammar. Some believe that this was the name of a female counterpart of God, but this is unlikely as the name is always mentioned in conjunction an article (e.g.: "the Shekhina descended and dwelt among them" or "He removed Himself and His Shekhina from their midst"): this kind of usage does not occur in Semitic languages in conjunction with proper names.
The Arabic form of the word "Sakina سكينة" is also mentioned in the Quran.This mention is in the middle of the narrative of the choice of Saul to be king and is mentioned as descending with the ark of the covenant here the word is used to mean "security" and is derived from the root sa-ka-na which means dwell.
"And (further) their Prophet said to them: "A Sign of his authority is that there shall come to you the Ark of the Covenant, with (an assurance) therein of security from your Lord, and the relics left by the family of Moses and the family of Aaron, carried by angels. In this is a Symbol for you if ye indeed have faith." "
Yah
The name ''Yah'' is composed of the first two letters of YHWH. It appears often in names, such as Elijah. The Rastafarian Jah is derived from this, as well as the expression Hallelujah.
YHWH Tzevaot/Sabaoth
The name ''YHWH'' and the title ''Elohim'' frequently occur with the word ''tzevaot'' or ''sabaoth'' ("hosts" or "armies", Hebrew: צבאות) as ''YHWH Elohe Tzevaot'' ("YHWH God of Hosts"), ''Elohe Tzevaot'' ("God of Hosts"), ''Adonai YHWH Tzevaot'' ("Lord YHWH of Hosts") or, most frequently, ''YHWH Tzevaot'' ("YHWH of Hosts"). This name is traditionally transliterated in Latin as ''Sabaoth'', a form that will be more familiar to many English readers, as it was used in the King James Version of the Bible.
This compound divine name occurs chiefly in the prophetic literature and does not appear at all in the Pentateuch, Joshua or Judges. The original meaning of ''tzevaot'' may be found in 1 Samuel 17:45, where it is interpreted as denoting "the God of the armies of Israel". The word, apart from this special use, always means armies or hosts of men, as, for example, in Exodus 6:26, 7:4, 12:41, while the singular is used to designate the heavenly host.
The Latin spelling ''Sabaoth'' combined with the large, golden vine motif over the door on the Herodian Temple (built by the Idumean Herod the Great) led to identification by Romans with the god Sabazius. In Christianity this title is translated as "God of the Universe".
The name ''Sabaoth'' is also associated with a demi-god in the gnostic scriptures of the Nag Hammadi Text; he is the son of Yaltabaoth.
Seven Names of God
In medieval times, God was sometimes called ''The Seven.''[8] Among the ancient Hebrews, the seven names for the Deity over which the scribes had to exercise particular care were:[9]
#El
#Elohim
#Adonai
#YHWH (i.e. Jehovah)
#Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh
#Shaddai
#Zebaot
Lesser used names of God
★ ''Adir'' — "Strong One".
★ ''Adon Olam'' — "Master of the World".
★ ''Avinu Malkeinu'' — "Our Father, our King".
★ ''Boreh'' — "the Creator".
★ ''Ehiyeh sh'Ehiyeh'' — "I Am That I Am": a modern Hebrew version of "Ehyeh asher Ehyeh".
★ ''Elohei Avraham'', Elohei Yitzchak ve Elohei Ya`aqov — "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob".
★ ''El ha-Gibbor'' — "God the hero" or "God the strong one".
★ ''Emet'' — "Truth".
★ ''E'in Sof'' — "endless, infinite", Kabbalistic name of God.
★ ''Ro'eh Yisra'el'' — "Shepherd of Israel".
★ ''Ha-Kaddosh, Baruch Hu'' — "The Holy One, Blessed be He".
★ ''Kaddosh Israel'' — "Holy One of Israel".
★ ''Melech ha-Melachim'' — "The King of Kings" or Melech Malchei ha-Melachim "King of Kings of Kings", to express superiority to the earthly rulers title.
★ ''Makom'' or ''Hamakom'' — literally "the place", meaning "The Omnipresent"; see Tzimtzum.
★ ''Magen Avraham'' — "Shield of Abraham".
★ ''Ribbono shel `Olam'' — "Master of the World".
★ ''YHWH-Yireh (Jehovah-jireh)'' — "The Lord will provide" ().
★ ''YHWH-Rapha'' — "The Lord that healeth" ().
★ ''YHWH-Niss"i (Yahweh-Nissi)'' — "The Lord our Banner" ().
★ ''YHWH-Shalom'' — "The Lord our Peace" ().
★ ''YHWH-Ra-ah'' — "The Lord my Shepherd" ().
★ '' YHWH-Tsidkenu'' — "The Lord our Righteousness" ().
★ ''YHWH-Shammah (Jehovah-shammah)'' — "The Lord is present" ().
★ ''Tzur Israel'' — "Rock of Israel".
In English
The words God and Lord (Adonai) are often written by many Jews as 'G-d' and 'L-rd' as a way of avoiding writing a name of God, as to avoid the risk of the sin of erasing or defacing the name. Any Hebrew name of God is forbidden to be erased. In Deuteronomy 12:3-4, the Torah exhorts one to destroy idolatry, and from here it is understood not to erase the name of God. However, since this is in English, it is often considered unnecessary since only the Hebrew name is considered God's actual name, but since God is God's name in English, it is often done out of a sign of respect and just an extra precaution. There is a dispute to the degree of holiness that the word "God" is. The common rabbinic opinion on whether this applies only to Hebrew names of God—or to the English word "God" as well—is that "God" written in any language other than Hebrew has no holiness and can be erased. So while considered unnecessary, it is still often written with a hyphen as to give the Name proper respect. It is considered necessary by some, a minhag (custom) by most, and not done at all by others. Most Orthodox Jews and many Jews in general will write G-d in this manner. The Orthodox Jewish information website, Aish.com, uses God instead of G-d. They cite the reason that many users coming to the Aish HaTorah website are unfamilar with Judaism and would be initially unfamilar with the spelling G-d, so since it is not required that G-d is written, only preferred, they do not do it. According to their website, spelling it G-d is not according to halacha (Jewish law), so according to "leading Torah scholars", non-Hebrew names can be erased.[2] Other Jewish websites, such as Chabad.org, spell it G-d, and this is the version commonly found on most Jewish publications.
British folklore
A partial coincidence with this list appears in a medieval verbal charm from British folk medicine:
:† El † Elye † Sabaoth
:† Adonay † Alpha † Omega † Messias
:† Pastor † Agnus † Fons[10][11]
Kabbalistic use
The seventy-two names.
The forty-two-lettered name contains the combined names אהיה יהוה אדוני הויה, that when spelled in letters it contains 42 letters. The equivalent in value of YHWH (spelled הא יוד הא וו = 45) is the forty-five-lettered name.
The seventy-two-lettered name is based from three verses in Exodus (14:19-21) beginning with "Vayyissa," "Vayyabo," "Vayyet," respectively. Each of the verses contains 72 letters, and when combined they form 72 names, known collectively as the Shemhamphorasch.
The kabbalistic book Sefer Yetzirah explains that the creation of the world was achieved by the manipulation of the sacred letters that form the names of God. Much in the same way, a golem is created using all permutations of God's name.
Laws of writing divine names
The Psalms in Hebrew and Latin. Manuscript on parchment, 12th century.
The tradition of seven divine names
According to Jewish tradition, the number of divine names that require the scribe's special care is seven: ''El'', ''Elohim'', ''Adonai'', ''YHWH'', ''Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh'', ''Shaddai'', and ''Tzevaot''.
However, Rabbi Jose considered ''Tzevaot'' a common name (Soferim 4:1; Yer. R. H. 1:1; Ab. R. N. 34). Rabbi Ishmael held that even ''Elohim'' is common (Sanh. 66a). All other names, such as "Merciful," "Gracious," and "Faithful," merely represent attributes that are common also to human beings (Sheb. 35a).
See also
★ Alaha
★ Baal Shem
★ Names given to the divine
★ 99 Names of God in the Qur'an
★ Names of God
★ Ten Commandments
Notes
1. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/%20Tetragrammaton%20)
2. Harris, Stephen L.. Understanding the Bible: a reader's introduction, 2nd ed. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. page 21.
3. New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., International Bible Students Association, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., Exodus 3:14, Footnote
4. The inscription offers only a fragmentary ''Sh...'' (Harriet Lutzky, "Ambivalence toward Balaam" ''Vetus Testamentum'' '49'.3 [July 1999, pp. 421-425] pp 421f.
5. Lutzky 1999:421.
6. J.A. Hackett, "Some observations on the Balaam tradition at Deir 'Alla'" ''Biblical Archaeology'' '49' (1986), p. 220.
7. Harriet Lutzky, "Shadday as a goddess epithet" ''Vetus Testamentum'' '48' (1998) pp 15-36.
8. ''The Reader's Encyclopedia'', Second Edition 1965, publisher Thomas Y. Crowell Co., New York, editions 1948, 1955. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-12510, page 918
9. ''The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins'' (Robert Hendrickson, 1987) [1] ISBN 0816040885 ISBN 978-0816040889
10.
11. Forbes, Thomas R. "Verbal Charms in British Folk Medicine". ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society''. '115'(4). Aug 1971. pp. 293-316. p 297.
References
★ Driver, S.R., ''Recent Theories on the Origin and Nature of the Tetragrammaton'', Studia Biblica vol. i, Oxford, (1885)
★ Mansoor, Menahem, ''The Dead Sea Scrolls''. Grand Rapids: Baker, (1983)
★ W. F. Albright, ''The Names Shaddai and Abram". Journal of Biblical Literature'', 54 (1935): 173–210
Bibliography
★ Harris Laird, Archer, Gleason Jr. and Waltke, Bruce K. (eds.) ''Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament'', 2 vol.,, Moody Press, Chicago, 1980.
★ Hoffman, Joel M. ''In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language'', NYU Press (2004). ISBN 0-8147-3690-4.
★ Joffe, Laura, ''The Elohistic Pslater: What, How and why?'', Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, vol 15-1, pp. 142-169 Taylor & Francis AS, part of the Taylor & Francis Group., June 2001.
★ Kearney, Richard, ''The God Who May be: A Hermeneutics of Religion'', Modern Theology, January 2002, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 75-85(11)
★ Kretzmann, Paul E., ''Popular Commentary of the Bible, The Old Testament'', Vol. 1. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 1923.
★ Shaller, John, ''The Hidden God'', The Wauwatosa Theology, vol. 2, pp. 169-187, Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1997.
★ Stern, David. ''Jewish New Testament Commentary'', Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., Clarkville, Maryland, 1996.
★ Strong, James, ''The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible'', Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, New York and Nashville, 1890.
★ Tov, E., ''Copying a Biblical Scroll'', Journal of Religious History, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 189-209(21), Blackwell Publishing, June 2001
★ Vriezen, Th. C., ''The Religion of Ancient Israel'', The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1967.
External links
★ A Christian Discussion of the pronunciation of YHWH, including a new theory that explains all theophoric elements
★ God's names in Jewish thought and in the light of Kabbalah
★ Explanation on why not to spell out God's name.
★ The Name of God as Revealed in Exodus 3:14 - an explanation of its meaning.
★ Bibliography on Divine Names in the Dead Sea Scrolls
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