Ha'Shem - Bible Teaching #21

There are so many different transliterations of the same Hebrew word, Yod Hey Vaw Hey. Only 4 letters, Yod Hey Vaw Hey. So many wars and fights over how to truly pronounce it. But it is only 4 consonants, no vowels, (nikkud). How can one person say that they are more correct than the other? Yehova, Yahweh, Yahawah, Yahuah, these are just 4 of the numerous transliterations and imagined pronunciations if the simple 4 letter word.

People fight over what name is right. Claiming that we must not take God's name in vain, or that there is only 1 name under heaven by which we may be saved. So what pronunciation is correct? That matters much to many. But, this is all built on a misunderstanding of the Hebrew word, shem. 

Shem which is translated to the English word, name. That word is not encompassing a sequence of correct sounds or a special arrangement of letters. Shem is encompassing a reputation, a character. What reputation is brought up when you say a certain sequence of sounds or write a certain sequence of letters? 

For example, many people have nick names. At my job, I am both known as "Michael" and "Preach". Both names are correct. One is my legal name, one is my nick name. But both bring up the same "shem". The same person is addressed with either name. They could also say, Mike or Mikey, which are both names that I have been addressed by in the past, (Although not recently). It is the character or the reputation that is behind the sequence of sounds that you make, that is what a "shem" is.

So, from that, we see that no matter what you call Him verbally, as long as you are addressing the Creator, the God of Israel, YHVH; He knows who you are talking about. There is power in His reputation or character.

This brings me to yet another point. When the Bible says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain", in Exodus 20. That word for name is "Shem". So, this passage is really saying not to come proclaiming the shem of YHVH without actually being about Him. This is about hypocrisy. Practice what you preach.

Now we have transliterations. Yeshua in Hebrew, transliterated to Iesus in Greek, then transliterated to Jesus in English. All 3 names address the same person, the same shem. No need to be exclusive and feel the need to only use the Hebrew. All 3 transliterations are the same. As Michael in English is the same as, Miguel in Spanish, Mikael in Hebrew, Michael in the Greek. All the same shem, different transliteration between languages. All addressing Michael the Archangel.

I do hope that this helps smooth some tension between different camps of people. No matter what name you call YHVH, as long as the shem is that of the Creator, the God of Israel, the one True God, who sent His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. Then there is no need to fight over how to say His name or His Son's name.

May God bless you and Godspeed, Michael, a humble servant of Christ

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and am willing to discuss any of these topics and more, in great detail. If you would like.

Email:

Michael.servantofchrist@gmail.com