Yahweh Our Heavenly Father's Name

Yahweh, Yahshua, Messiah, Elohim, El Shaddai, Ruach Ha Qodesh, is the Names above all names, that's been hidden to us for 2000 years Thanks to the discovery of the Dead See Scrolls (DSS) the real, true Names of our Heavenly Father and His Son's Name have been revealed to the world,.and the world has come out of the dark to the light about this serious matter. Is this the start of a new religion? Not at all! It's just that we must know and use the right Names of our Heavenly Father, and everything that involved the Names.

When I was about 14 years old, I asked our Minister what is the name of our God? I thought every god has got a name, but I never heard our God's name. He was to say the least, very upset, nearly furious and abrupt answered me: "His name is God and that's it". It annoyed me for many years that our God has no name, but at last, nearly 30 years later, I discovered His name: YHWH - pronounced as YAHWEH. The image above presents the ancient or Paleo Hebrew script of the Tetragrammaton, the modern Hebrew and the English letters consisting of: Yod, Hey, Waw, Hey.

LETS LOOK INTO THE PREFACES OF SOME BIBLES.

The Century Bible, - Adeney and Bennett, Volume 1, P 90-91

Some time after the return from the Captivity, and before the beginning of the Christian era, the Yahdaim (Jews) came to believe that the Holy Name YAHWEH was too sacred to be uttered on ordinary occasions. It was said to be pronounced by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. At other times, when any one read or quoted aloud from what is called the Old Testa- ment, the word 'Adonay', 'Lord,' was usually substituted for YAHWEH, and similarly the LXX (Septuagint Version) has Kurios, the Vulgate dominus, and the E.V. LORD, where the Hebrew has YAHWEH. Hebrew was originally written with out vowels, but when the 'vowel points' were added, the vowels of 'Adonay' or 'Elohim' were written with YAHWEH, as a direc tion that these words were to be read INSTEAD of the word whose consonants were YAHWEH; thus we find the combina tions YeHoWaH and YeHoWiH. At the Reformation, the former being the more usual, was sometimes used as the Name of the (Mighty One) of Israyl, and owing to ignorance of its history was MISREAD as 'Jehovah,' a form which has established itself in English, but DOES NOT give the pronunciation of the Holy Name it represents.

In the Scriptures, the first instance of the Tetragrammaton occurs in Genesis 2:4, occurring over 150 times in Genesis and 400+ times in Exodus. That the name was known and used by individuals can be seen by the words of Pharaoh in response to Moses' request to release the Israelites, in Exodus 5:2: "Who is Yahweh," Pharaoh replied, "for me to obey what he says

and let Israel go? I know nothing of Yahweh, and I will not let Israel go." (New Jerusalem Bible)

Look at some reference dates. For more than a 100 years the Set Apart Name was known to men. Why didn't the translators, the scholars, and authorities use the proper Name when translating the Scriptures? Because of tradition?

The Emphasized Bible; A New Translation, by Joseph Bryant Rotherham - 1902

The Name, in its four essential letters (YHWH), was reverently transcribed by the Hebrew copyist, and therefore was necessarily placed before the eye of the Hebrew reader. The latter, however, was instructed not to pronounce it, but to utter instead a less sacred name -- ADONAY or ELOHIM. In this way The Name was not suffered to reach the ear of the listener. To that degree it was suppressed. The Septuagint, or ancient Greek version (LXX), made the concealment complete by re-

gularly substituting Kurios; as the Vulgate, in like manner, employed Dominius; both Kurios and Dominus having at the same time their own proper service to render as correctly answering to the Hebrew ADONAY, confessedly meaning 'Lord'. The English versions do nearly the same things, in rendering The Name as LORD, and occasionally GOD; these terms also having their own rightful office to fill as fitly representing the Hebrew titles Adonay and Elohim and El, so that the Tetragrammaton is nearly hidden in our public English versions. 'Confusion', then, is a term not a whit too strong to apply to these varying devices.

The Immediate CONSEQUENCES of the Suppression (i.) Partly literary, though more than that. Reference is here made to the confusion into which many things are thrown through this abnormal state of things. 'Baal' is 'lord', and so is 'Adon' (Adonay) that is distressing; but why add to the embarrassment by rendering YHWH also as 'Lord'? Worst of all is the confusion when 'Y' and Adonay occur together, as they do many times in the Book of Ezekiel (Yechetzqyah). Inasmuch as to say, 'Lord LORD' for 'Adonay Y', was too grotesque and misleading (positively false to the ear), the new device had to be resorted to of rendering this combination by 'Lord GOD'--'GOD' in this case, and not 'Lord' at all, standing for The Name. Even YH (the shorter form) and YHWH (the full form) of the tetragrammaton, coming together, caused a dilemma; though in these instances, the acuteness of the trouble compelled the adoption of a partial remedy, and 'the LORD JEHOVAH; is the result. 'Confusion', then, is a term not a whit too strong to apply to these varying devices. No wonder that even intelligent and edu- cated people are continually forgetting what they have heard or read concerning so involved a matter.

Rotherham then gives reasons why the Name Yahweh must be restored, and from now on retained in the Scriptures: Be- cause its suppression was a mistake. So grave a mistake cannot be corrected too soon. An unwarrantable liberty has been taken; the path of humility is to retrace our steps. The facts have only to be known to justify this verdict, and to vindicate the propriety of not employing it in a new and independent translation”.

The New International Version Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament by John R.Kohlenberger III,4 Volumes, - Vol. l, pp. 26

'Yahweh, the personal Name of (the Creator), is always translated 'Yahweh', against the practice in the NIV in rendering it as 'LORD'. On the one hand, this prevents confusion of this Name with the title (Adonai) 'my Lord', for the idea of lordship is NOT an integral element of the Name. On the other hand, it may be the use of YAHWEH in this work will encourage the reader to use the personal Name of (Yahweh) in prayer and praise, as is intended by the most common imperative in the Scriptures: (Hallelu Yahweh!) Psalm 104:35: Praise Yahweh!

New International Version - 1978

""In regard to the divine name YHWH, commonly referred to as the Tetragrammaton, the translators adopted the device used in most English versions of rendering that name as 'LORD" in capital letters to distinguish it from Adonai, another Hebrew word rendered "Lord," for which small letters are used. Wherever the two names stand together in the Old Tes- tament as a compound name of God, they are rendered "Sovereign LORD."

Because for most readers today the phrases "the LORD of hosts" and "God of hosts" have little meaning, this version renders them "the LORD Almighty" and "God Almighty." These renderings convey the sense of the Hebrew, namely, "he who is sovereign overall the 'hosts' (powers) in heaven and on earth, especially over the 'hosts' (armies) of Israel." For readers unacquainted with Hebrew this does not make clear the distinction between Sabaoth ("hosts" or "Almighty") and Shaddai (which can also be translated "Almighty"), but the latter occurs infrequently and is always footnoted. When Adonai and YHWH Sabbaoth occur together, they are rendered "the Lord, the LORD Almighty.""

The Secretary of the Management Committee of the New International Version, Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., gave an interesting reason when he was asked why the name "YAHWEH" was omitted from this translation, He explained: "Here is the reason why we didn't use it. You've got it right when you said that "YAHWEH" is the distinctive Name for God, and that we actually should use it. But this translation cost us $2,5M, and a sure way to throw it in the water is to translate Psalm 23 to: Yahweh is my Sheppard" Immediately our translation would be in vain. Nobody would use it . Oh, maybe you and a few other.

But Christians had to be sensible and practical.(sic)”

In the New Testaments of the Bible they don’t even print Lord and God in small capital letters. The well beloved and praised King James or Authorised Version (KJV) doesn’t even print the pronouns in capital letters. Do we in any way pronounce a word in capital letters that it sound different or have a different meaning than the written word? Capitalization is a weak argument.

What does Yahweh’s Word say about traditions.

Mar 7:8 "Forsaking the commandment of Elohim, you hold fast to the tradition of men."

Mar 7:9 And He also said to them, "You nicely do away with the commandment of Elohim, in order to keep your tradition.

Mar 7:13 revoking the Word of Elohim by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things much like

that

Mat 15:3 And He answered and said to them, "And why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim on account

of your tradition?

Mat 15:6 …And you invalidate the Word (commandment)of Elohim on account of your tradition.

Mat 15:9 "'But in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines, the injuctions (Commandments) of men.

The Holy Bible - Revised Standard Version - 1952

""A major departure from the practice of the American Standard Version is the rendering of the Divine Name, the "Tetragrammaton." The ASV used the term "Jehovah"; the King James Version had employed this in four places, but everywhere else, except in three cases where it was employed as part of a proper name, used the English word LORD (or in Certain cases GOD) printed in capitals. The present revision returns to the procedure of the King James Version, which follows the prece dent of the ancient Greek and Latin translators and the long established practice in the reading of the Hebrew scriptures in the synagogue. While it is almost if not quite certain that the Name was originally pronounced "YAHWEH, this pronunciation was not indicated when the Masoretes added vowel signs to the consonantal Hebrew text. To the four consonants YHWH, of the Name, which had come to be regarded as too sacred to be pronounced, they attached vowel signs indicating that in its place should be read the Hebrew word Adonai meaning "LORD" (or Elohim meaning "God"). The ancient Greek translators substi- tuted the word Kyrios (Lord) for the Name. The Vulgate likewise used the Latin word Dominus.

The form "Jehovah" is of late medieval origin; it is a combination of the consonants of the Divine Name and the vowels attached to it by the Masoretes, but belonging to an entirely different word. The sound of Y is represented by J and the sound of W by V, as in Latin. For two reasons the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of the King James Version: (1) the word "Jehovah" does not accurately represent any form of the Name ever used in Hebrew; and (2) the use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom He had to be distinguished, was discontinued in Judaism before the Christian era and is entirely inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church.""

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) :

Jah, the everlasting

The New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopaedia, Vol. 12, p. 472 –

".the ground form of the name does not appear to be Yahu but Yahweh, while Yah in Hebrew seems to be a poetic or liturgic abbreviation; and this is attested by the form on the Moabite Stone where Mesha wrote Yhwh and not Yhw or Yh."

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :

Yahweh \Yah"weh\, Yahwe \Yah"we\, n. Also Jahveh \Jah"veh\,Jahve \Jah"ve\, etc.

A modern transliteration of the Hebrew word translated Jehovah in the Bible; -- used by some critics to discriminate the tribal god of the ancient Hebrews from the Christian Jehovah. Yahweh or Yahwe is the spelling now generally adopted by scholars.

Satan hates the name Yahweh and has schemed and intrigued to get the name to be forgotten. Satan is called Baal that is Lord in English and he loves people using that title. Even when people call their Creator Lord in all sincerity, Satan gloats because the glory due to Yahweh has been taken away.

Eph 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Master, that you walk no longer just as the nations also walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Eph 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of Elohim because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;

The New English Bible Introduction, Page XVI.

“The present translators have retained the incorrect but customary form [Jehovah] ... in four places, ... elsewhere they have followed the ancient translators in SUBSTITUTING “LORD” or “GOD”, printed in small capital letters for the Hebrew Name.”

IN OUR SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH WE MUST RETRACE OUR STEPS AND BOLDLY PROCLAIM HIS TRUE NAME, AND NOT FOLLOW TRADITION OR ERRONEOUS UNDERSTANDING, AND TRADITIONS OF MEN. HE REVEALED HIS NAME TO US 8 TIMES IN THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

The New American Standard Bible (a Protestant Version), The Lockman Foundation, 1963; Preface, Page IX.

"There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as his special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH. This name has not been pronounced by the Jews because of the great sacredness of the Divine Name. Therefore it was consistently pronounced and translated LORD

“It is known that for many years YHWH has been translated as Yahweh. No complete certainty attaches to this pronunciation. However, it is felt by many who are in touch with the laity of our churches that this name conveys no religious or spiritual overtones. It is strange, uncommon, and without sufficient religious and devotional background. Hence it was decided to AVOID the use of this name in the translation proper.”

We ask the reader to think. Why is this name strange, uncommon, and without religious and devotional background? Is it not because the translators deleted the name Yahweh in their translations? Did they not follow the traditions of men? Had they retained it, The Name would not have become strange, uncommon, and without religious and devotional meaning. If The Name had not been deleted from the Scriptures every Bible reader today would be thoroughly acquainted with the name - Yahweh.

Isa 42:8 I am Yahweh: that is My Name: and My esteem I do not give to another, neither my praise to idols.

Rev 22:18 "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues which are written in this scroll;

Rev 22:19 "and if anyone takes away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his portion from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this scroll."

How well the translators of the popular versions of the Scriptures (Bible) have allowed themselves to be duped by the Adversary! Note this! They are admitting to taking away from and adding to Yahweh’s Word by substituting the Lord or God for the Set-Apart Name! (Proverbs 30:5,6) Their conclusion that the Set-Apart Name is "strange, uncommon, and without sufficient religious and devotional background" is meaningless as far as it comes to changing God's Word! And what they seek to change is the very identity of the One who spoke the words! If translators would not be so insistent on removing the Set-Apart Name from the Scriptures then the name of Yahweh would not sound so uncommon!

Almost any scholarly reference work will acknowledge that Rabbinic tradition has suppressed the true Name Yahweh centuries before the Messiah came at Bethlehem. Writing Yahweh’s Name in the Hebrew, Jewish scribes inserted a shewa (:) instead of the proper qamets (T), thus changing the vowel sound “ah” in “Yah” to “eh.” This was done to conceal the Set-Apart Name, thus yielding the improper Yehovah and Yeshua.

H3068

(Here you can see the tetregrammaton very clear)

yeho^va^h; yeh-ho-vaw'; From H1961; (the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: - Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050, H3069.

"Jehovah" is generally held to have been the invention of Pope Leo X.'s confessor, Peter Galatin ("De Arcanis Catholicæ Veritatis," 1518, folio xliii.), who was followed in the use of this hybrid form by Fagius

Shocking Implications of 'Jehovah'

We now see how the first part of the Set-Apart Name "Yah" was changed to "Jeh" as the "J" developed and the "a" was re- placed with "e" to hide the name.

The suffix "hovah" is No. 1943 in Strong's Hebrew Dictionary and has the meaning of "ruin: mischief." It is another form of No. 1942, havvah, which is translated "calamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness."

Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius says of No. 1943, hovah: "ruin, disaster."

From this we can see the folly of calling the Creator of this universe - the One we worship - Jehovah. For in calling upon this hybrid name we are in actuality beseeching a mighty one whose name carries the meaning "The One Who creates ruin, creates mischief, creates calamity, creates iniquity, creates naughtiness, creates perverse things, creates very wickedness."

Satan must certainly have a field day when mankind ignorantly refers to Yahweh by the name Je-hovah a name that perfectly fits Satan himself as the Destroyer! We are plainly told in the Scriptures that Yahweh is not the author of confusion, but Satan is. Whenever Satan speaks falsehood, from his own he speaks; for a liar he is and the father of lies. It is Satan - not Yahweh – that is known and worshipped by the world under numerous personal names like Lord and God.

For 'Christians' all Satan has to do is to get you to pray "to or through" another name. Then, whatever else happens, whatever else you do, whatever doctrines you do keep or do not keep, is completely immaterial from that point on. Therefore, as long as Satan can get you "to pray to or through some other name or being," then he has accomplished his goal. That is all he has to do to win against the individual 'Christian.'

Whoever, you obey is who you worship. If you obey the words of men whether written or spoken in "traditions," then those men who spoke or wrote the words that you obey are the ones you worship. Therefore, as long as Satan can get you "to obey any words other than the original Set-Apart Name" then he has accomplished his goal.

Be warned! For every Truth that transpires, Satan stands ready with an alternative.

Reverently consider His Name as did those we read of in Mal. 3:16: "They that feared Yahweh spoke often one to another: and Yahweh hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared Yahweh, and that thought upon His name." Not only are we told to proclaim and worship in His Name, YHWH even keeps and maintains a special book called the “Book of Remembrance”, where the names of those who "SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER" in YHWH's Name are recorded. May you reverence His Name so that your name will also be written in the "Book of Remembrance." Verses 17 and 18 show that this as an act of righteousness.

Eze 39:7 And I shall make My set-apart Name known in the midst of My people Yisra’el, and not let My set-apart Name be profaned any more. And the gentiles shall know that I am Yahweh, the set-apart One in Yisrael.

ORIGINALLY THE NAME OF YAHWEH STOOD ALONE IN THE LAW OR TORAH

The Meaning Of The Qumran Scrolls For The Bible, p. 164 – SEE IMAGE

"...These confusions in the text of the scroll thoroughly substantiate the traditional use of divine nominal surrogates as early as the second century B.C. (23). Actually this practice was much earlier, for one of the frequent discrepancies between the Masoretic and the presumed Hebrew Vorlage of the Septuagint is whether to read in a given passage Yahweh alone, or Yahweh Adonai. This inconsistency was occasioned by the fact that ORIGINALLY YAHWEH DID STAND ALONE, but that Adonai tended to be introduced alongside the Tetragrammaton by way of making explicit the surrogate. This was not understood by the Masorites, however, who FELT COMPELLED to vocalize both words. Neither was it understood by the scribes of the Qumran Scrolls, nor even by still earlier translators of the LXX. THAT YAHWEH ORIGINALLY STOOD ALONE IN MOST SUCH PASSAGES IS SUPPORTED BY THE FACT THAT, IN HEBREW POETRY, THE DOUBLE DESIGNATION OF THE DEITY USUALLY ADDS EXCESSIVE LENGTH TO THE POETIC STICH. The same sort of variations from the Masoretic text in the use of the single or the double name are frequently attested in the ancient scrolls..."

There are other early fragments that also contain the sacred name in like manner. According to scholars, no copies of the Septuagint dated before the mid-2nd century CE/AD substitutes the Tetragrammaton (Yahweh's name) with "Kyrios" (the Greek word Lord).

The Ancient, and Honored, Name of Yahweh

The very oldest Scriptural text ever found, dating back almost 2,600 years, was found in a tiny silver amulet which contains a Seventh Century b.c.e. extract from the Book of Numbers (6:24-26), the Priestly Blessing. The rolled up amulet was part of a treasure hoard found by a Tel Aviv University archaeologist in a First Temple Period family tomb in Yerusalem, Israyl. When this amulet was written, the Temple of Solomon still stood, the heirs of King David still ruled on the throne, and the Dead Sea Scrolls would not be written for another 400 years.

It was three years after its discovery before this fragile amulet could be unrolled by technical experts at the Israyl Museum. On this amulet the NAME OF YAHWEH could be clearly read. Complete details of this magnificent find can be read in the

6-28-86 and 8-9-86 issues of The Jerusalem Post, and the 6-87 issue of The Readers Digest.

Collier's Encyclopedia; 1980 Ed. Vol 13; Page 534 -

“YHVH as the proper name of God was apparently used by the Israelites in Egypt before the Exodus. Some of the people in Egypt had close relationships with the Kanite and Rechabite tribes in the desert who were Yahveh worshipers. The Kenites subsequently attached themselves to Israel (Jud. 1:16; 4:2) The book of Exodus ascribes to Moses the first knowledge of God as YHVH (Ex. 3:14; 6:3) but possibly the name was used much earlier”. Morris A. Gutstein.

The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary . p 747.

-“[Yahweh’s] name reveals his character and salvation in which people may take refuge (Ps. 20:1; cf. Isa. 25:1, 56:6); to treat [Yahweh’s] name as empty is to despise his person (Ex. 20:7),”

Eze 36:21 But I had pity for Mine holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.

Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Master Yahweh; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy Name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

Eze 36:23 And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Yahweh, saith the Master Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in

you before their eyes.

THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE NAME OF YAHWEH WAS NEVER LOST

Jewish Encyclopaedia of 1901, Vol. 12, p. 119 –

" It thus becomes possible to determine with a fair degree of certainty the historical pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, the results agreeing with the statement of Ex. iii.14, in which YHWH terms Himself . "I will be," a phrase which is immediately proceeded by the fuller term "I will be that I will be," or, as in the English versions, "I am" and "I am that I am" The Name is accordingly derived from the root (=), and is regarded as an imperfect. This passage is decisive for the pronunciation "Yahweh"; for the etymology was undoubtedly based on the known word."

The Encyclopaedia Judaica, 1972, Keter Publishing House, Vol. 7, p. 680

"The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced "Yahweh.""

Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 1177

"Yahweh (ya' we). The Heb. tetragrammaton (YHWH) traditionally pronounced Jehovah (q.v.) is now known to be correctly vocalized Yahwê. New inscriptional evidence from the second and first millennia B.C. point toward this fact...."

Brown, Driver and Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, p 217

"Yahweh - the proper name of the God of Israel. On the basis of Exodus 12:7 and Leviticus 24:11," the Tetragrammaton "was regarded as a nomen ineffable, called by the Jews Hashem and by the Samaritans Shemah. The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus."

The Worth of the Set-apart Name.

Literally hundreds of verses in the Scriptures - over 480 - mention the importance of the Name of our Creator, Yahweh. Enhancing the fact that the Set-Apart Name is extremely valuable are the many scriptural statements regarding its worth. These include the remarks that we should love His Set-Apart Name, trust in it, give esteem to it, respect it, remember it, desire it, and seek safety in it; that the Name is great in power, majestic, and that it will be used to crush the enemies of Yahweh. Millions of Jews call Him "Hashem". Do you know what that means? It is Hebrew for "the name." How would you like to be referred to as "the name" rather than Mary, Johanna, George etc? It doesn't sound very appealing - or respectful, does it? I wonder if Yahweh even answers to it when people call on Him in that manner?.

Encyclopaedia Britannica - 15th Edition

"The Masoretes, Jewish biblical scholars of the Middle Ages, replaced the vowel signs that had appeared above or beneath the consonants of YHWH with the vowel signs of Adonai or of Elohim. Thus the artificial name Jehovah (YeHoWaH) came into being. Although Christian scholars after the Renaissance and Reformation periods used the term Jehovah for YHWH, in the 19th and 20th centuries biblical scholars again began to use the form Yahweh. Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century, had used the form Yahweh, thus this pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was never really lost. Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh."

Our culture today looks on names as little more than labels, although we still talk about having a “good name” and speak of being “true to one’s name.” These expressions are carryovers from a time when a name expressed and conveyed a person’s attributes and character.

Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, Marvin R. Wilson writes: “In Hebrew thought, the name of an individual was considered to be more than a title or a label for identification. Rather, a name was believed to reveal the essence, character, reputation, or destiny of the one to whom it was given. This is why the moral law of Moses forbids defamation of another’s name by false witness (Ex. 20:16). Thus the name of every Hebrew sent out some sort of message with it.”

The message of Yahweh’s Name throughout Scripture is that it is Separate, and one either accepts it or finds oneself in opposition to Him.

Yahweh: The MOST Set-Apart of All Names Yahweh’s Name is high on a level all its own. No name is more important than the personal Name of the One we worship. Not only is this true because names have great significance in Hebrew, but also because Yahweh Himself tells us to revere His Name and not to bring it to obscurity through substitution and disuse, Exodus 20:7. The word “vain” in the Third Commandment – “Thou shalt not take the Name of Yahweh thy Elohim in vain” – is the Hebrew "shoaw", meaning to rush over, bring to devastation, uselessness, ruin, and by implication, neglect, devoid of real value, worth, or significance; idle, unprofitable, worthless; of no effect, force, or power; fruitless, futile, unavailing, unimportant.

We can bring His Name to ruin by falsifying it. If you remove an author’s name from the books he wrote and reprint them with another name in them you falsify his works. The same is true when translators take His Name from the Scriptures and insert generic titles in its place. Yet that is exactly what most English translators did. They took away and added to Yahweh's Word by replacing His personal name Yahweh with the capital letters LORD and GOD or with the hybrid word Jehovah. In perverting the text, the translators actually broke the Third Commandment since they made the name vain.

The one attribute describing Yahweh’s Name more than any other is its Separateness. His Name is not to be blasphemed (Lev. 24:16) or desecrated. It is to be treated with reverential awe, because it expresses the essence of Yahweh Himself.

Remained Unchanged Names

Whenever mankind was spoken to from the heavens, it was to those who understood Hebrew. Conversations between hu- mans and celestial beings recorded for us in the New Testament were to those who spoke Hebrew, such as the annun- ciation to Miriam (Mary), or to Paul on the Damascus road. There is reason to believe that Hebrew was spoken by Adam and Eve and is the heavenly language, which survived the confusion of tongues at Babel.

In order for English-speaking peoples to pronounce correctly the Heavenly Father’s name, it is necessary to bring the phone- tic sounds from the Hebrew language into the English. Bringing the exact sounds across to another language is known as “transliteration.” Names are transliterated, not translated. Translation: means to bring across the meaning of the word or phrase. "Transliteration": is to write what is actually or commonly written with the symbols of a given alphabet in the corresponding symbols of another. Transliteration of the Set-Apart Name is the process of representing the original Hebrew sound or combination of sounds which form a spoken word by which YHWH is known and identified, in the closest corres- ponding letters of a different alphabet.

Proper nouns of persons and places are seldom translated, but are transliterated and sound the same the world over. One can listen to a foreign newscast and note the names like “Bush,” “Saddam,” “Pretoria,” “Johannesburg” and “Durban” are easily discernible. Proper nouns simply do not change from language to language, but remain the same, allowing for ethnic accents. Our Scriptures has many names transliterated from the Hebrew, such as Adam, Reuben, Ruth, Esther, and Daniel. Yet the most important Name of all—Yahweh—was purposely, wrongfully changed!

Why the change, when even the name of the Adversary – Satan – retains its original Hebrew form and close pronunciation? (Saw-tawn, Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary No. 7854). The translators continue this practice so that the evil one can be readily identified, so that all will know who it is they are condemning.

But when it comes to our Heavenly Father’s revealed, eternal and Set-Apart, personal Name, the name by which the Almighty swears, and fulfill His words, the Name we are called upon to desire and love, and warned against blaspheming, profaning, or making worthless - by which He is identified to - this Name they feel entitled to forget. Certainly the Set-Apart Name “Yahweh” is no mere label to be easily cast aside as a relic of history.

Yahweh or Yahveh (vah)?

So what is the proper pronunciation of the Hebrew w (waw) in Yahweh’s Name? A few think the waw should have the pronun- ciation of the v; that the letter should be called “vav,” which would make the sacred Name “Yahveh” or Yahvah.” They point to Bibles lacking modern scholarship that show the Name in one of these forms.

It is true that a few Scriptures indeed spell the Separate Name in English with a v. Centuries ago this might have been proper, as the v, like a few other English letters, had variant pronunciations and had not become as fixed as today. The early Bible was published using either the letter u or the v to represent the Hebrew letter w (waw). The letter u and v were often used inter- changeably because of their equivalency. In the original 1611 version of the Bible the u and v are not differentiated.

It was not until the dictionary was published that a decided difference was made between the v and u. Later the w was added (“double u”). The u, v, and w occur together in our alphabet, making the 21st, 22nd, 23rd letters of the English alphabet, re- spectively. This fact is more than coincidence. It shows the relationship a common derivation (just as the J follows the I, to which it is related).

Sephardic vs. Ashkenazic Hebrew

In explaining the Hebrew language, Menahem Mansoor in Biblical Hebrew points out on page 33: “There are, generally speaking, two main pronunciations: the Ashkenazi, or German, originated by Central and Eastern European Jews and carried to all countries to which those Jews have emigrated (Western Europe, America, etc.): and the Sephardi, or Spanish, used by the Jews of Spanish or Portuguese stock in Europe and America and also by Jews from Oriental countries. In all universities and throughout Israel, the Sephardi pronunciation has been adopted, since it is generally believed that this is the pronuncia- tion nearest to the original…”

A response to a query about the proper pronunciation of waw/ vav, EKS Publishing responded, “In modern Hebrew it is pronounced VAV. Since our materials are geared for a predominantly Jewish audience, we give this pronunciation in our wall charts and most other publications. However, in Biblical times the letter was pronounced WAW. Because our book, A Simple Approach to O.T. Hebrew, is written for a Christian audience, we have given this Biblical Hebrew pronunciation for WAW and for a few other letters.”

Other sources relate that since the turn of the century the Jews returning to Palestine have been mostly from Eastern Europe. Thus, the heavy influence of Ashkenazic or Germanic pronunciation of vav instead of the Sephardic or biblical waw has become dominant in present-day Judaism, and is referred to as “Modern-Sephardic.” However, the Temple or Biblical Hebrew demands waw as the ancient and more correct pronunciation.

A number of Hebrew grammars for English students state that the Hebrew w (waw) is one of the weak letters, which often takes on the force of a vowel, along with the other letters of Yahweh’s Name. Here Yahweh has taken the lesser letters of the Hebrew alphabet and made them into the strongest in the universe by employing them in His Name!

When the J Was an I See the History of the J

The form of J was unknown in any alphabet until the 14th century. Either symbol (J,I) used initially generally had the consonantal sound of Y as in year. Gradually, the two symbols (J,l) were differentiated, the J usually acquiring consonantal force and thus becoming regarded as a consonant, and the I becoming a vowel. It was not until 1630 that the differentiation became general in England.

Because the letter J derived from the I, and had the same sound, it was classed as a vowel. The letter I comes from the Greek "iota," which is the Hebrew "yothe." Both have a vowel sound. There is no "J" sound in the Anglo-Saxon, let alone Hebrew, and no Roman form to work from. The J was first pronounced as the I until the printing press was introduced. Gradually the letter J acquired its own sound through French influence.

As a character it was formerly used interchangeably with "i," both letters having originally the same sound; and after the "j" sound came to be common in English, it was often written where this sound must have been pronounced. The separation of these two letters is of comparatively recent date, being brought about through the influence of the Dutch printers.

The New Book of Knowledge demonstrates that the I was derived from the Hebrew "yothe." The yothe is the same Hebrew letter that begins Yahweh's Name. It also begins the Savior's Name Yahshua.

The printing press soon replaced the laborious copying by scribes the longhand editions of the Scriptures. The initial copies of the King James Version did not use the letter J for the Savior's Name. No evidence has come to light that shows the letter I ever had the consonantal sound of the letter J. This is shown in the New Funk and Wagnall Encyclopedia:

“Not until the middle of the 17th century did this usage become universal in English books; in the King James Bible of 1611 for example, the words Jesus and judge are invariably Iesus and iudge.”

The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus; but was contested by Le Mercier, J. Drusius, and L. Capellus, as against grammatical and historical propriety.

The name of the Redeemer of Israel, who has the only name through which man can find salvation (Acts 4:12), has been given a Hellenistic/Latinized hybrid name that never existed in Hebrew and did not exist in English until 500 years ago. “Jesus” is less than 500 years old.

Equivalent Letter Necessary

If a foreign language uses an alphabet of Latin letters like English, French, Spanish, or German; the transliteration is much easier. If, however, the language uses another alphabet such as found in Russian, Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese or Hebrew, then we must employ letters from our English alphabet to express the same sound.

Therefore, to go from Hebrew to English it is necessary to seek the equivalent letter that best expresses or approximates a given sound. Linguists have already done that for us, and we can readily ascertain from many available charts the correct Hebrew letters of the Tetragrammaton and then “transliterate” these into English.

Bible scholars agree that the personal Name of the Mighty One of Israel is best expressed in Hebrew today as YHWH Yahweh. The Tetragrammaton is most often represented in English as YHWH.

The question before us is, what is the exact English equivalent of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (yothe, he, waw, he), YHWH?

‘Waw’ Considered a Vowel

Biblical Hebrew is a soft Hebrew known also as Sephardic or Temple Hebrew. Biblical Hebrew pronounces the w (the W in YHWH) as waw, or as u or w.

Bagster’s Helps to Bible Study p 238

“The a, h, w, and y are called vowel letters, as having been originally used to represent vowels, and they still frequently serve as vowels in combination with the points…Of these a represented the sound a; w o and u; y e and i; and h a, e and o final, but not i and u.”

How the Hebrew Language Grew -Edward Horowitz - p. 28,

He points out that there are three Hebrew letters which when spoken hastily, rapidly, or excitedly are slurred or dropped because they were weak and apparently unimportant. The interesting point is these letters are all used to make the sacred Name: the yothe = y; he = h; and waw =w.

It is the waw (w) upon which we wish to concentrate as it is central to the correct and proper pronunciation of the Name. Author Horowitz shows a number of words in the English in which the equivalent (w) is often silent, such as “answer, sword, law, two, write, etc.” He emphasizes that anciently; it was not a “vee” sound. “…the sound of w a long time ago wasn't “vav” at all but “w” and “w” is weak…The Yemenite Jews of Arabia who retain an ancient, correct, and pure pronunciation of Hebrew still pronounce the w as “w” –as does Arabic, the close sister language of Hebrew,” pp. 29-30.

Mark and Rogers’ A Beginners Handbook To Biblical Hebrew - p 7

“Originally Hebrew had no written vowels; the following consonants, however, were often used to indicate long vowels: a, h, w, y.” The yode = y, he = h, and waw = w, which are used in Yahweh’s Name are understood as being consonants which can be merged into vowels. Vowel sounds are spoken with the mouth open.

A Simple Approach to Old Testament Hebrew by EKS Pub. Co. - p 9

“…The Hebrew letter waw w can function as a consonant or a vowel. When the waw is a consonant it sounds like w, as in water, and usually has a vowel sign under it…When the waw functions as a vowel it has the sound of o as in row. With a dot above it, the waw sounds like o as in row: w. With a dot in its center, the waw sounds like oo as in pool. w Note: This dot in the center of waw is not a daghesh. Usually the waw is not both a vowel and a consonant at the same time. When a waw functions as a vowel, sounded o or oo, it does not have the sound of w as in water. The y, like waw, can be both vowel and consonant.”

Fagnani and Davidson’s Hebrew Primer and Grammar p 10:

“The four letters a, h, w, y may lose their consonantal force and be merged into vowels.”

Josephus tell us that the High Priest wore a miter or hat as a part of his habit, and the miter was inscribed with four vowels (YHWH) (Wars, 5:5:7 {235}). (The “v” is the erroneous “Yahveh” or “Yahvah” is consonantal and not a vowel sound.)

About the ninth century B.C.E., Hebrew writing began to use certain letters for vowel sounds. The fact that the four letters of the Tetragrammaton are four vowels further substantiates the correct pronunciation, Yahweh!

Many people have the false notion that the Hebrew alphabet consists only of consonants. They fail to realize that the vowels were understood and inserted when read. Remember, the entire Old Testament is written in Hebrew and without vowels between consonants. Yet it is read from Genesis 1:1 to Malachi 4:6 and understood without vowels!

Even today people familiar with the Hebrew language can easily read it in the consonantal text alone. A modern Hebrew newspaper is printed without vowel points, and those readers for whom it is intended can read it without difficulty.

Every language uses vowels in order to be spoken, as vowels are the sounds uttered with the mouth open.

The Old Testament of the Scriptures was written in Hebrew and some few parts in Aramaic. A growing number of scholars are realizing that the greater part of the New Testament, or even all of it, was written in Hebrew.

It is obvious, therefore, that our best source of the proper pronunciation of the Set-Apart Name is to be found in the Hebrew texts, as this is where the true Name Yahweh, YHWH, was originally given.

Therefore, to pronounce the Creator’s Name properly, using the proper vowel form, we must call on “Yahweh” His majestic Name!

The Set-Apart Names has been removed from the Scriptures 6823 times.

Jewish Encyclopaedia of 1901, Vol. 1, p. 201-202

" ...In the early period of the Second Temple the Name was still IN COMMON USE, as may be learned from such proper names as Jehohanan, or from liturgical formulas, such as Halelu-Yah. At the beginning of the Hellenistic era, however, the use of the Name was reserved for the Temple. From Sifre to Num. vi.27, Mishnah Tamid, vii.2 and Sotah, vii.6 it appears that the priests were allowed to pronounce the Name at the benediction only in the Temple; elsewhere they were obligated to use the appellative name (kinnuy) "Adonai."...

...Pronunciation of the Name by the Temple priests...also gradually fell into disuse. Tosef., Sotah, xiii.8 quoted Menahot, 109b, and Yoma 39b, relates that "from the time Simon the Just died [this is the traditional expression for the beginning of the Hellenistic period], the priests refrained from blessing the people with the Name" -- in other words, they pronounced it indistinctly, or they mouthed or mumbled it. Thus says Tosef., Ber. vi.23: Formerly they used to greet each other with the Ineffable Name; WHEN THE TIME OF THE DECLINE OF THE STUDY OF THE LAW CAME the elders mumbled the "Name ...." Subsequently also the solemn utterance of the Name by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, that ought to have been heard by the priests and the people according to the Mishnah Yoma, vi.2, became inaudible or indistinct R. Tarfon (or Tryphon) relates (Yer. Yoma, iii.40d): "I was standing in the row of young priests, and I heard the high priest mumbling the Name, while the rest of the priests were chanting."... ...But while even among these the right pronunciation was forgotten in the course of time, and the hope was expressed by Phinehas b. Jair, "the Saint," that the knowledge and the correct use of the Name, so wondrously efficacious in the blessed days long gone by, would again be restored in the Messianic age (see Pes.50a, Midr.Teh. to Ps. xxxvi, and to Ps.xci.)..."

The Jewish Encyclopaedia 1901, Vol. 9, p. 162-163 –

“The name YHWH is considered as the Name proper; it was known in the earliest rabbinical works simply as the Name; also as Shem ha-Meyuhad ("the Extraordinary Name"; Sifre, Num. 143): as Shem ha-Meforash ("the Distinguished Name"; Yoma vi.2); as Shem ben The Name. Arba' Otiyyot ("the Tetragrammaton" or "the Quadrilateral Name"; Kid 71a); and as Yod He Waw He."

Jewish Encyclopaedia of 1901, Vol. 11, p. 263 –

"... When a very young priest, the well-known tanna Tarfon witnessed this ceremony; and he declares that the high priest uttered the holy name...so that his voice was merged in the song of priests (Yer. Yoma 40d, below; Kid. 71a; Eccl. R. iii.11), although it was believed that when, at this point in the ritual, the priest pronounced the name of God he was heard as far as Jericho (Tamid iii.7; comp. Yoma 39b). Tarfon's account, that the voice of the high priest was drowned by the voice of the priests, also confirms the synchronous statement (Yer. Yoma 40b) that IN FORMER TIMES THE HIGH PRIEST UTTERED THE NAME WITH A LOUD VOICE, but that subsequently, WHEN IMMORALITY HAD BECOME MORE AND MORE PRE-VALENT, HE LOWERED HIS VOICE LEST THE NAME SHOULD BE HEARD BY THOSE UNWORTHY TO HEAR IT...The Shem ha-Meforash as an object of the esoteric knowledge of scholars appears in the statement of Johanan (Kid. 71a): "Once each week the sages give their pupils the Four-Lettered Name," A tannaitic passage in Yer. Yoma 40d, however, says: "IN FORMER TIMES THE NAME WAS TAUGHT TO ALL; BUT WHEN IMMORALITY INCREASED IT WAS RESERVED FOR THE PIUS,"...."

Isa 43:27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.

Where did the rabbis get the idea of avoiding or suppressing the Name from, teaching the people that the Name is ineffable, or unutterable?

Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Yahweh, shall be put to death.

In the Mishnah, which is a compilation of the Jewish "Oral Laws (Some time after the return from the Captivity, the Yahdaim (Jews) came to believe that the Set-Apart Name YAHWEH was too sacred to be uttered) built upon the traditions of their fathers, and a misinterpretation of: “Lev 24:16 We find that a blasphemer was not culpable of a death sentence unless he exactly pronounced the name (Yahweh)" It stated also that at times it was permitted to break the written Law (commandments)

In the year that the Jewish high priest named Johnathan made an alliance with Rome and the Spartans, there existed three major Jewish schools. the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The Sadducees represented a class of wealthy aristocrats, merchants, and priests who adhered to a much more conservative stance. The Essenes were fed-up with the corruption of the Pharisees and separated themselves to Qumran near the Dead Sea, from where the Dead Sea Scrolls originates. Here you can see where the intermingling with the Romans started, which would bring devastating consequences for the Religious people to come.

The Scribes - who belonged mainly to the party of the Pharisees, but as a body were distinct from them and were synony- mous with lawyers - "claimed this oral law was more important than the written law." Further these scribes "expected of their pupils a reverence beyond that given to parents."

The rabbis and scribes dominated by the Pharisee sect, were appalled by the religious persecution of law-loving Jews, both by foreigners and liberal Jews alike. Sabbath-keeping and the practice of circumcision had been forbidden under the pain of death; law-keeping Jews were subjected to every degradation and brutality imaginable; and pagan sacrifices and prostitution were established in the holy temple at Jerusalem. The reign of terror under Antiochus also brought with it the vile abuse and the prohibition against the Sacred Name as part of his program of forced Hellenization.

The Jewish leaders had in their own minds justified altering the commandments of the Scriptures. In the eyes of the rabbis and scribes, "in order to protect the Separate name", they must break the commandments of the Torah which instruct all men to know and use it. Their traditions had become so important in their minds that it was considered a greater virtue to observe the laws based upon their traditions that it was to follow the Torah.

In the time of the Messiah it was prohibited by Jewish Law (based upon rabbinical interpretation and not scriptural precedent) for all the people of the land, except for the high priest and a chosen few, to pronounce or use the Sacred Name; and even these men were permitted its utterance only under special circumstances. Transgression of the Jewish Law, was punishable by death.

The jealousy and hatred against Yahshua stemmed from the preference of the Jewish religious leaders to follow the oral traditions of their fathers. They also hated Yahshua because, as the Pharisees argued, "the world had gone after Him".

Nowhere is there a greater testimony given about the Messiah and His use of the Separate Name than the fact that He was falsely tried and then executed because He used the Name of His Father Yahweh, and the fact that He was much hated by them.

In conclusion it was a fact that the prohibition against any common man pronouncing the Set-Apart Name was a well established Law of the Jews.

Jer 8:8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity, Legge, p. 37

"The ineffability of divine names was an old idea in Egypt, especially in the Osirian religion, where it forms the base of the story of Ranad Isis. So the name of Osiris himself was said to be ineffable . . .The name of Marduk of Babylon is in the same way declared ineffable in an inscription of Neri.glissar. . , The name of Yahweh became ineffable directly after Alexander ... In every case, the magical idea that the god might be compelled by utterance of his secret name seems to be at the root of the practice."

Religion of the Ancient Babylonians, A.H. Sayce p. 4

"Religion has always loved to cloak itself in mystery, and a priesthood is notoriously averse from revealing in plain language the secrets of which it believes itself the possessor. The priest-hood of Babylonia formed no exception to the general rule . .and the true pronunciation of divine names was carefully hidden from the uninitiated multitude."

Furthermore, it is well-known that the Greeks, for a long period of time, preferred to avoid the names of their deities, and rather called them by a title. Usually kurios and theos were used. Thus, the un-Scriptural teaching of the rabbis of avoiding or hiding or masking the Name, was something which they had learnt from the Egyptians, Greeks and Babylonians. Their decision to avoid or hide or suppress the Name was significantly taken just after they came from Babylonian captivity.

Knowledge and undestanding of the true scriptural doctrines had become so poor that, as the prophet Jeremia states, the priests and those handling the Law of Yahweh, did not know even who Yahweh was. These Israelite leaders had convinced themselves that they were not really following the pagan deity named Baal. In their minds Yahweh were their Baal (Lord). Reasoning that they were following Scriptures they “Prophesied by Baal and caused my people Israel to go astray. In the exhortation in Chapter 2 of Jeremiah, Yahweh chastised the religious leaders of Israel asked:

Jer 2:23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done:…

How could they deny their worship of Baal? Because in their own minds their Baal (Lord) was the Elohim of the Scriptures. They had deliberately blinded themselves to the difference. Accordingly they prophesied and swore by Baal believing this name to be a tittle for a universal deity. Into this anomaly walked the prophets of Yahweh. When Yahweh send his loyal prophets in His Set-Apart or Sacret Name to correct this error, they were rejected, and is still rejected to this day. The message send in the Name of Yahweh was, not what the people wanted to hear:

Zec 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Zec 7:12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Yahweh of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from Yahweh

of hosts.

What was the ultimate result, all over the world, of this decision by the Jews to avoid or hide or suppress the Name? Just this: In all the countries of the world, the Name was replaced by a title which was previously used for a pagan deity of that particular pagan country. In many cases we find that the proper name of the local pagan deity was adopted to stand for the Name of Yahweh. In the Polish translation of the Scriptures Pan Bog was, and still is, used as a rendering for Yahweh Elohim. Both Pan and Bog were pagan deities. In South Africa the ancient pagan deity-names Modimo, uNkuhmkulu, and uTixo, were brought into the translations of the Scriptures of three different African languages, to call the Almighty by.

Jer 2:8 The priests did not say, “Where is Yahweh? “ And those who handle the Torah did not know Me, and the shepherds transgressed against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Ba’al, and walked after matters that did not profit

The fact of the matter is that it has been the traditions of men – traditions that teach that the Sacret or Set-Apart, eternal Name of our Heavenly Father is to be forgotten and cast aside as something without value, that have served as the source of error. Stemming from men’s traditions have come the numerous and contradictory translations of the scriptures, which try to disguise the importance of the Set-Apart Name YAHWEH.

Hos 4:1 Hear the word of Yahweh, you children of Yisra’el: for Yahweh has a case against the inhabitants of the land: “For there is no truth, or kindness or knowledge of Elohim in the land.