Teaching Team
The Name Game
Tags: messianic, Yahshua, Yahweh, Yaveh, YHVH, YHWH
Should we be pronouncing the Name of God aloud? It's about time someone in the Messianic movement addressed this issue in a formal manner.
When I was a teenager, I once made the mistake of calling my father by his first name. He sternly corrected me, saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt." His point was that he and I are not peers. Though our relationship is that of a father and son, we are not peers. I am the son, and as such, I have an obligation to honor my father, and one way I do that, is by not using his first name as if we were next door neighbors or college buddies.
I would be surprised if there is a Messianic Rabbi or congregational leader in the world who has not had to deal with the question of how to use God's sacred name Y/H/V/H. According to conventional Christian and Jewish practice, God's name is not pronounced as it is spelled. Instead, it is rendered in English as "LORD," and in Hebrew as "HaShem" (which means, "The Name") or as "Adonai" (which means "Lord"). These substitutions for the Name of God are called circumlocutions. By using substitutions instead of pronouncing God's Name, Christianity and Judaism seek to protect the sanctity of God's Name.
On the other hand, the Sacred Name theology teaches that, contrary to standard Christian and Jewish practice, God's Hebrew Name should be pronounced as it is spelled. That certainly seems like a reasonable conclusion. Why shouldn't we be pronouncing the Name of God as it is spelled?
Adherents of this theological position often choose to import the first syllable of God's name into the Master's name as well. That is why you might sometimes here people speaking of "Yahshua" instead of "Yeshua." Last year, I posted a blog on this subject, and it incited a flurry of responses. You can read that discussion here.
If you have ever struggled with these questions and would like to get the facts, check out the new book from First Fruits of Zion: Hallowed Be Your Name. Click here to see the product.
As a leader in a Messianic synagogue, I have been waiting for this book for a long time. I am thrilled and relieved. I think every Messianic leader needs to buy a case of these and hand them out to anyone who has questions about the pronunciation of the Name of God or the Name of the Master. Aaron Eby and Toby Janicki have done a bang-up job of presenting the facts impartially while making the case for keeping with the practice of Yeshua and the Apostles. It is a great piece of scholarship that will make an enduring contribution to the Messianic movement and help to bring closure and healing to one of the most divisive issues we have had to deal with in recent years.
On behalf of Messianic leaders everywhere, My thanks to Eby and Janicki, and to Boaz Michael and the whole ministry-team of First Fruits of Zion for not being afraid to tackle this issue.
D. Thomas Lancaster
Elul 15, 5768
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Archived Comments
I remain curious about this aspect of worship and look forward to reading /considering FFOZ's position.
Danuta Lesko | September 20, 2008 11:26 PM
When speaking to the queen of England, the propper form of addressing her is "Your Majesty". When addressing her son, "Your Highness" is the correct term. When talking to the president of the United States, you should call him "Mr. President". But all of these people have names and it is not wrong to use them when it is appropriate. There is nothing inappropriate about saying "George W. Bush's term of office will end next January" or "Prince Charles will become king when Elizabeth II dies". Similarly, you don't address God by his name, but there can be situations where it is not inappropriate to use it. For example, if you were reading Jeremiah 16:21 out loud, it would not be wrong to say "Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is YHVH." The term "The LORD", which replaces God's name in most translations, isn't even a name. It's a title.
Kristinn | September 20, 2008 7:42 AM
When I lived in Africa, I had a very good black friend - Grandpa Jacky, who came to the L-rd in 1948! He would not call his wife by her name, out of respect for her. He would call her, or refer to her only as "James' Mom." (James being their eldest son.)
My own sister was 21 years older than me, and I never called her by her first name either. And my parents? No way!
I do not (try) say HaShem's "Name" and it grieves me when friends do pronounce The Name as they feel it should be said. For me the halacha of not attempting to pronounce the tetragramaton, is mainly rooted in "respect", and I have read up on it a fair bit too.
BUT I see many of my friends just do not "get (understand) that".
Can't wait to read the book and pass it on. Thanks to all who made it possible!
Shalom, Liz
Liz | September 16, 2008 2:03 AM
After going through both of these resources, you can't say enough in support for this type of academic and respectful approach. Regardless of where you choose to stand in the greater discussion about the Sacred Name.
Cliff | September 15, 2008 7:25 PM