The Names of God Lesson 5, Part 1
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“For the propechy came not at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” I Peter 1:21
This is Part 1 of Lesson 1 of Basic Bible Truths written by Cecil Argetsinger and distributed by mail as a free Bible study resource many years ago.
This lesson is entitled Who Wrote the Bible? Subtitle: The Bible is a Revelation of God
Enjoy and meditate on this word about the Holy Word of God!
The Importance of God’s Names
In the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, the names of persons almost always have some meaning attached to them. Those meanings usually point to some incident or trait of character related to the one who bears the name. For example, the name Adam comes from a root meaning “red or ruddy” and almost certainly refers to the clay-type ground from which he was made. Eve, “the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20), comes from a Hebrew word meaning “life-giver” and has reference to her as the first woman and, in this sense, mother of all.
Oft-times when a character in the Bible underwent some momentous experience or change in his life his name would also be changed. Abram, meaning “father of many,” had his name changed to Abraham, “father of a multitude,” when God appeared to him and promised to make him the father of many nations (Gen. 17:1-8). Jacob, meaning “tricky one,” received the name Israel, “prince with God,” when he met God face to face and his life was subsequently changed (Gen. 32:24-30).
Especially do the names of God have meaning and significance. The Bible is a revelation of God and by His names, no less than by His acts, does God reveal Himself. Someone has rightly said, “It is the purpose of Divine Names to disclose God.” It should ever be kept in mind that the names of God are names that He Himself has made known to us; they have not been given to Him by men. God is, and can be, known only as He chooses to reveal Himself. It is just not true that men gave to God His various names as they, through experience and study, advanced in their knowledge of Him.
In Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament, God is designated by three primary names: Elohim, Adonai, and Jehovah. Those names, with few exceptions, do not appear in those forms in the King James Bible, its scholars did adopt a simple code that would inform the English reader as to which name was present in the original. In that version when Lord is presented with only the “L” capitalized it indicated that Adonai is the name in the original. God with only the first letter, “G”, in capitals indicated that Elohim is in view. GOD and LORD, all letters shown as capitals, are substituted for Jehovah. (The New American Standard Version and the New International Version follow the same rule).
What do these different names mean? Why did God use several names when speaking of Himself? We repeat: “It is just another way God used to make Himself known to man, to show Himself as He really is”. God could not at any one time fully reveal Himself for the simple reason that man is absolutely incapable of grasping such a revelation. So God used different names, appeared in different forms, came at different times, to touch man’s senses and reveal Himself. To the patriarchs of old, He appeared at different times in human form. His presence was manifested in the smoke that hung over the Ark and in the glory that filled the temple. Just so each name had its particular meaning, each one a new and further revelation of Him who can never be fully revealed. Each name stands as a symbol of some truth concerning Himself that He would have us know. Therefore His names are important.
Adonai
This name of God (Adonai-Lord) appears hundreds of times in the Old Testament and indicated Divine authority and dominion. It is applied to man as well as to God and when so applied is almost always translated as “lord” or “master” with no capitals. For example, Abraham was called lord by the family of Heth; “Hear us my lord (adonai): thou art a mighty prince among us” (Gen. 23:6). That it implies headship and lordship is easily seen by noticing how Scripture uses it.
“And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master (adonai) and departed for all the goods of his master (adonai) were in his hands…” (Gen. 24:10). The word master clearly implies dominion and authority (see also Ex. 21:4, 5, 6, 8, where the word master in each occurrence is a translation of adonai). Translated lord it is used of kings (I Sam. 25:15), rulers (Gen. 45:8-9), leaders like Moses (Num. 11:28), priests (I Sam. 1:15), and Sarah even calls her husband lord (adonai) (Gen. 18:12).
Clearly then Adonai, as applied to God, indicated God’s sovereign authority as Lord over all. It spells out His rights of Divine Master and man’s obligation to implicit obedience. The master-servant relationship is in view.
Elohim
Elohim, designated in the Old Testament as God, is His most frequently used name. In its root meaning it probably refers to God as “The Strong One”, the One to be feared and reverenced. It is in itself a plural word and by its use God is revealing Himself as only one God but a trinity of Persons.
That is is used as a plural word is evident. “And God (Elohim) said, Let us make man in our image and our likeness…” (Gen. 1:26). “And the Lord God (Elohim) said, Behold, the man is become as one of us…” (Gen. 3:22). That these passages foreshadow the New Testament revelation of the Trinity, there seems no doubt.
Like Adonai, Elohim is sometimes applied to others than God and almost invariably when that happens the word is used in a plural sense. Laban accused Jacob of stealing his idols (gods-elohim) (Gen. 31:30). Jacob responded and also referred to Laban’s idols as gods (elohim) (Gen. 31:32). Elohim is translated as judges (notice the plural) (Ex. 22:8-9). It is a name given to angels (again the plural) and is translated by the term “sons of God” (Gen. 6:4; Job 1:6 and 2:1).
But when used of God Himself, Elohim surely indicates the Trinity. At times, as already pointed out, it is used of God as a plurality of Persons. But clearly, Elohim, though often used in a plural sense, has reference to one God. The words of Deuteronomy 6:4 are clear to this point. “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God (Elohim) is one Lord.” Worth noting is the fact that here the Hebrew word for one is “edadh.” It is the word almost always used when speaking of something made up of unified parts as “…they (two) shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). “…we (many) shall become one people” (Gen. 34:16). “…and the evening and the morning were the first (Hebrew ehadh-one) day” (Gen. 1:5).
The Christian indeed owns but one God, but in that One God exists a trinity of Persons.
Jehovah
Jehovah (Jah Jahwe) is the third primary or basic name of God. According to His own explanation it means the eternal, self-existing God. He says of Himself that “I Am that I Am” (Ex. 3:14). In other words, what He is now He always was and always will be. It is interesting to note that in the French translation of the King James Bible, wherever the name Jehovah occurs in the original Hebrew, L’eternal (the Eternal) is substituted.
Jehovah is the personal and holy name of God. Though both Elohim and Adonai are used of others besides God, Jehovah belongs to Him alone. The Psalmist declares, “That men may know that Thou, Whose Name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18). “I am the LORD (Jehovah): that is My Name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8).
So special and holy was that name Jehovah that both its spelling and pronunciation have been lost. It was perhaps as much superstition as reverence but the Jews of old would neither write nor speak that Name. When reading Scripture or other writings the priest, when he came to that Name, would pause for a moment in silence. The scribe, in copying or writing, when he came to that Name would leave a blank space. All knew by the silence or the blank space that the precious and holy Name of Jehovah was in mind. Jehovah remains then as about the best way we can do in translating the original.
But, though we may not know how to pronounce it, there is no doubt as to the revelation of Himself that God gives in that holy Name. As has just been pointed out, He is the Holy One of Israel. And Jehovah Himself grants to Moses the meaning of the name and the character of the One who bears it. Responding to Moses’ request to see His glory, Jehovah said “…I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD (Jehovah) before thee: and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Ex. 33:19-also read vs. 17-23).
Jehovah then is the name of God the Redeemer, the gracious and merciful One. It is the name always used when linking God to man as his Savior. (Isaiah 44:6, 24; 43:1, 3, 11, 14 for examples).
This paper does not discuss the names of God in the New Testament. Some of those names have already been mentioned under another study. But this much needs to be said and considered with all the care and reverence possible. Jesus Christ of the New Testament is none other than the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Redeemer God come to earth to save men. The very same Jesus is a combination of the name Jehovah and another word meaning Savior. All the praise due Jehovah belongs also to our Lord Jesus Christ.
For your own benefit you might also want to examine some of the compound names of God. A few of these are: Jehovah-jireh – the Lord will provide (Gen. 22:14); Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord that healeth (Ex. 15:26); Jehovah-Shalom – the Lord our peace (Judges 6:23-24); El Shaddai-Almighty God (Gen. 17:1); El Olan-everlasting God (Gen. 21:33).
Questions for Lesson 5, Part 1
What are the three primary names of God?
How can you tell which name is which in the King James Bible?
What do each of these three names mean?
Give the New Testament name of Jehovah.
Who besides God is given the name of Elohim? Adonai?
Who besides God is given the name Jehovah?
Answers for Lesson 5, Part 1
The three primary names of God are Adonai, Elohim, and Jehovah.
In the King James Bible, when Lord is used with only the “L” capitalized, then the name in the original is Adonai. God, with only the “G” capitalized, stands for Elohim, and LORD and GOD, all capitalized, both stand for Jehovah.
Adonai means master or ruler and indicates that God is Lord over all. Elohim means “the Strong One.” Jehovah means the eternal, self-existing God.
Jesus Christ is the New Testament name of Jehovah.
Angels, men and idols are sometimes given the name Elohim. Men are also given the name Adonai.
God is the only one given the name of Jehovah (Psalm 83:18).
