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 Yahweh's Attribute of The Name
Rabbi Robert Miller

“…He saved them for His name's sake."
Psalm 106:8

      The Name of Yahweh is endowed with power. The Name and the power are synonyms. "By what power or by what name have you done this? (Acts 4:7)" As Messianic Believers, we have the covenant through the Messiah YahShua to call on the name Yahweh. There is power in the name of Yahweh.
 
     A.W. Tozer concluded that almost “everything wrong with our society is due to the fact that as a nation, we have been losing the knowledge of [Yahweh].” If this decline of the knowledge of Yahweh has brought on almost all of our troubles, then the rediscovery of the knowledge of Yahweh will go a long way toward curing them. If we would bring back true spiritual power to our lives and health to our people, we must think about Yahweh as He has revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures, not as we assume He is. The primary way to enrich our knowledge of Yahweh is by studying His name, titles and the metaphors used to describe Him.

The Seventy-two Lettered Name – Shem HaMeforash

     It was the invoked Seventy-two lettered name that was only allowed to be spoken in the Holy of Holies, only by the High Priest and only on the Day of Atonement that brought atonement from sin over Israel. This sacred name spoken three times in a whisper by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies before the dwelling of the glory of Yahweh upon the Ark of the Covenant gave the power of the offering to become a sacrifice to cleanse Israel and the Temple of Yahweh at Jerusalem once a year on Yom Kippur.

     As the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, he would say, “Anna baShem Kappur Na” meaning, “I beseech Thee on the Name make Thou atonement.” Yahweh would then accept the offering turning it into a sacrifice on the merit of His holy name. Then could the High Priest approach the people and say, “Now the Sanctuary is cleansed.”

“I will worship toward Your Holy Temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
 Psalm 138:2

     Some say the Seventy-two letter or syllable name of Yahweh is made up of the two hundred and sixteen letters of Exodus 14:19-21:

“And the Angel of Elohim, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.”

     The letters of verse nineteen are written down in separate form and in correct order. Then you are to write verse twenty in separate form in reverse. And verse twenty-one was written in correct order and form. By reading from above and down one obtains Seventy-two three lettered names all of which combine to make one.
  
     The Seventy-two lettered name of Yahweh is a mystery. However, it is undeniable that in ancient times when the correct pronunciation was known it was spoken on Yom Kippur and it had the power to atone.
    
Yahweh -The Tetragrammaton

     The term tetragrammaton comes from the four (tetra) letters (grammata) of Yahweh’s name. Quoting from the Jewish Encyclopedia of 1901, Vol. 1, p. 201-202:

     Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 1177 says:

     In the Preface of the New International Version they state; "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.

     Today's English Version in their Preface says; “Following an ancient tradition...begun by the first translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Septuagint) and followed by the vast majority of English translations, the distinctive Hebrew name for God (usually transliterated …Yahweh), is in this translation represented by "LORD." When Adonai, normally translated "Lord," occurs preposed to Yahweh, the combination is rendered by the phrase "Sovereign LORD."

     In the Introduction to the Old Testament in the Revised English Bible this statement is made; “The divine name (YHWH in Hebrew characters) was probably pronounced 'Yahweh',”

     The Moffatt Translation in its Introduction, Page 20 says; “Strictly speaking, this ought to be rendered Yahweh, which is familiar to the modern readers in the erroneous form of Jehovah.”

     What audacity! Who do they think they are? What gives any man or any group of men the right to overrule Scripture? Our Heavenly Father alone knows what is best and what is appropriate for His people.
 
     “In his revision of Frazer’s The Golden Bough, Theodor Gaster notes, ‘In primitive thought, the name of a person is not merely an appellation, but denotes what he is to the world outside of himself—that is, his “outer” as distinguished from his inner being. Thus, the “name of Yahweh” in the Bible is His outward manifestation in the world…” Not surprisingly, given the plethora of divine attributes, Yahweh has many titles in the Hebrew Bible and in Jewish liturgy, and those titles are multiplied by the inexactitude of the translator’s art.”
   
     In 1979, a strange item showed up in the Jewish Antiquity market in Jerusalem. It was a thumb-sized pomegranate believed to be the only known relic from Solomon's Temple. It was finally sold to the Israel Museum in 1988 for $550,000. It probably served as the decorative head of a ceremonial scepter used by the Temple priests during one of the ceremonies.
  
     But what makes this important to our discussion was what was written around the shoulder of the pomegranate. A carefully incised inscription in early Hebrew characters, part of which is broken off, which reads: "kodesh kohanim I-beyt [yahwe]h". "Sacred for the priests of (in) the House of [Yahwe]h." "House of Yahweh" refers to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
  
     So the sacred name of our Elohim should be pronounced “Ya-HOO-eh” letting it flow as a breath – Yahweh. Yahweh is the most sacred of all Names. It is referred to as the "essential Name (shem ha'etzem).

     How important is this name? In Joel 2:32 and Romans 10:13 it says "whosoever calls upon the Name of Yahweh shall be saved." By the time of Messiah, very few people knew the Name of the Creator because they were using a permutation of the Name, "Havayah" or using Adonai or HaShem and so what Messiah did was reveal Yahweh's Name to the world so that the People in the world could choose to be saved. It appears we are living in just such perilous times.
   
     When the true name is restored to the Scriptures, the Sacred Writings have more meaning, greater clarity, and greater revelation, and seem to bring the Almighty closer to us. Scriptures tell us every believer should love and call on the name Yahweh (Ps. 5:11; 69:36; 119:132; Isa. 56:6).

     Our Heavenly Father has a proper name stated plainly it is Yahweh (used 6823 times in the Tanach) the great I AM. If we seek a deeper more intimate relationship with Him we should call Him by His personal name as it has been revealed to us.

“For My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh speak, saying, ‘Yahweh has utterly separated me from His people’; nor let the eunuch say, ‘Here I am, a dry tree.’ For thus says Yahweh: ‘To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.’ Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to Yahweh, to serve Him, and to love the name of Yahweh, to be His servants-- Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant--Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations." Isaiah 56:1-7

     Sometimes the name is abbreviated as Yah, which means power. There is an inscription of the name in Ancient Negev Hebrew at the `Avedat Archeological Site 81: 1, & 2; that says, “Beloved, escape to my Elohim my Father, Yah.”
This abbreviation was added to many of the names of Israel such as YeshiYahu (Yahweh saves) and HezekYah (Yahweh strengthens).

       Another abbreviation is YaHo found in YaHosephat (Yahweh has judged) and YaHoash (Yahweh has come to help).
The Rabbis tell us that 1/3 of the 613 commandments gave to Israel at Mount Sinai forbade the people to cause Yahweh’s name to be nothing. In fact, the Mishnah recommends using Yahweh's Name when we greet one another. Berakhot 9:5.

       When the Scribes wrote the name of Yahweh he immersed seven times before picking up the pen. Before transcribing the divine name he prepares mentally to sanctify them. Once he begins the name he does not stop until it is finished, and he must not be interrupted while writing it, even to greet a king. If an error is made in writing it, it may not be erased, but a line must be drawn round it to show that it is canceled, and the whole page must be put in a genizah (the storeroom or depository in a synagogue because the Hebrew name of Yahweh, could not be thrown away) and a new page begun. This may seem extreme by today’s standards but holy men of Israel highly esteemed the name of Yahweh. Oh that we revere Yahweh’s name likewise today.

      Sadly, the people who were commissioned to never let the name of Yahweh be forgotten have long since forgotten it. Jews customarily do not pronounce nor use Yahweh’s name either in prayer or study. The usual practice is to substitute letters or syllables of the name Yahweh into His titles, so that Adonai becomes Adoshem or Ha-Shem, Elohaynu and Elohim become Elokaynu and Elokim. The Jews of Kurdistan and Iraq favored an eight-letter Name substitution. It was the Tetragrammaton interspersed with the word Adonai “Yahdonhe.”

“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last…Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am Yahweh your Elohim, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go."
Isaiah 48:10-12,17

     Our Faith does not prohibit writing or speaking the Name of Yahweh, it encourages it; it prohibits only obliterating or defacing the Name of Yahweh. We are to avoid writing or saying the Name of Yahweh casually because of the risk that the Name might be defaced, obliterated or destroyed on purpose or accidentally by one who does or does not know better. Be careful with His Name!

“Moses having now seen and heard these words that assured him of the truth of these promises of Elohim, had no reason left in him to disbelieve them, he entreated him to grant him that power when he should be in Egypt; and besought him to vouchsafe him the knowledge of his own name; and since he had heard and seen him, that he would also tell him his name, that when he offered sacrifice he might invoke him by such his name in his oblations. Whereupon Elohim declared to him his holy name, which had never been discovered to men before; concerning which it is not lawful for me to say any more."
Flavius Josephus -Antiquities of the Jews [first century CE], bk. 2, ch. 12, sec.4 p.66

“He selected three letters from among the simple ones and sealed them and formed them into a Great Name, Yod Heh Vauv, and with this He sealed the universe in six directions."
Sepher Yetzirah p.17

“It is thus written (Micah 2:13), "Yahweh is at their head." We have a rule that every Name that is written Yod, Heh, Vauv, Heh is specific to the Blessed Holy One and is sanctified with holiness.
The Bahir p. 25
 
“It is well known that all the names of HaShem occurring in Scripture are derived from His actions, except one, namely, the Tetragrammaton, which consists of the letters, Yod, Heh, Vauv, and Heh. This name is applied exclusively to HaShem, and is on that account called Shem ha-meforash, "The nomen proprium." It is the distinct and exclusive designation of the Divine Being; whilst His other names are common nouns, and are derived from actions...The derivation of the name, consisting of Yod, Heh, Vauv, and Heh, is not positively known, the word having no additional signification. This sacred name, which, as you know, was not pronounced except in the sanctuary by the appointed priests, when they gave the sacerdotal blessing, and by the high priest on the day of Atonement, undoubtably denotes something which is peculiar to HaShem, and is not found in any other being. It is possible that in the Hebrew language of which we have known now but a slight knowledge, the Tetragrammaton in the way it was pronounced conveyed the meaning of "absolute existence." In short the majesty of the name and the great dread of uttering it, are connected to the fact that it denotes HaShem Himself, without including in its meaning any names of the things created by Him."
RamBam – Rabbi Moses Maimonides - The Guide for the Perplexed [twelfth century], Friedlander translation pp. 89-90)”

The Titles of Yahweh

Eyeh Ashur Eyeh – I am Who I am – the Cause of all causes, Root of all roots

     The word "eh-yeh" being the first person future form of "hovah" (to be). Because this name comes from the Hebrew verb which means "to be." Yahweh emphasizes His absolute being. He is the source of all being, all reality, and all existence. He has being inherent in Himself. Everything else derives its being from Him. Yahweh denotes His complete transcendence in time. He is beyond His creation. He is without beginning and without end because He always was, always is, and always will be.
 
To Moses on Mount Sinai, Yahweh revealed the meaning of His name.

“…Moses said to Elohim, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, "The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, "What is His name?' what shall I say to them?"
 
And Elohim said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' Moreover Elohim said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: "Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
Exodus 3:13-15

El – the Might

"Blessed be the Most High EL"
Gen. 14:20

     El is the general title for Yahweh. It is used 250 times in the Tanach. The earliest combination of El Yah inscription (Late Bronze Age) was found on a beautiful Ewer, discovered in a rubbish heap of a temple at Lachish in 1934. The Lachish Ewer (1220 BCE) bares the title El coupled with the abbreviated name Yah embossed with the Menorah and a sacrificial ram.

      This title draws attention to the fact that one is worshipping the one true El. This is the most common title for Yahweh and comes from the ancient Hebrew word “ul” meaning, “to be strong.” In other Semitic tongues El is referred as Ellah (Ancient Hebrew - Ezra 5:11), Eloah (Hebrew - Deut. 32:17), Ilu (Akkadian), Elahh (Chaldean), and Allah (Arabic – though this was applied to the Arab moon deity also called Sin of Sinai).

"If this were an authentic history, the textbook would explain that the god of Muhammad was man's creation. Arabia was a pagan nation that worshiped over 300 gods. One of those was the moon god named, al-ilah. Legend has it that the moon god mated with the sun god and had two daughters, both of whom were worshiped as goddesses. When Muhammad claimed to have had his `vision' and `revelation from Gabriel' he chose al-ilah as the god to build his army around. Muhammad shortened the name, al-ilah, to, Allah, and declared that he alone should be worshiped. He forbade the worship of the daughters. To this day, a crescent moon can be found at the front of every mosque, acknowledging that Allah was, and is the moon god."

     Earlier Arabs used the word El as a single name for the deity the same way it is used in the Hebrew Scriptures. The word became iyal as a plural form of majesty like we use Elohim.

     El Elyon is derived from the Hebrew word “alah” meaning to ascend. It speaks of Yahweh’s exaltation, His highness, His total supremacy, His awesomeness. He is the possessor of Heaven and earth – the All in All. It is Hupsistos Theos in the Greek.

“Blessed be Abram of El Elyon, Possessor of heaven and earth…blessed be El Elyon."
Genesis 14:19, 20

Sometimes the title is used as just Elyon, Most High.

“I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Elyon."
Psalm 9:2

“Yahweh thundered from heaven, and Elyon uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire."
Psalm 18:13

“For the king trusts in Yahweh, and through the mercy of Elyon he shall not be moved."
Psalm 21:7

“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of Elohim, the Holy Place of the Tabernacle of Elyon."
Psalm 46:4

“And they say, "How does Elohim know? And is there knowledge in Elyon?"
Psalm 73:11

“That they may know that You, whose name alone is Yahweh, are Elyon over all the earth."
Psalm 83:18

“And of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her; and Elyon Himself shall establish her.’ Psalm 87:5

“He who dwells in the secret place of Elyon shall abide under the shadow of El Shaddai… Because you have made Yahweh, who is my refuge, even Elyon, your dwelling place."
Psalm 91:1, 9

Elyon is coupled with the sacred name of Yahweh to construct the title Yahweh Most High.

“I will praise Yahweh according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Elyon." Psalm 7:17
 
“For Yahweh Elyon is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth."
Psalm 47:2

“For You, Yahweh Elyon are above all the earth; You are exalted far above all elohim."
Psalm 97:9

The combination of Elohim and Elyon form the title Most High Mighty One.

“I will cry out to Elohim Elyon, to Elohim who fulfills {his purpose} for me."
Psalm 57:2

“Yet they tested and provoked Elohim Elyon, and did not keep His testimonies."
Psalm 78:56

The abbreviated form of Elyon “Aly” is also used.

“They return, but not to Aly; they are like a treacherous bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the cursings of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt."
Hosea 7:16

“My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to Aly, none at all exalt Him."
Hosea 11:7

“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, If you know?"
Proverbs 30:4

    King Messiah YahShua, the Adam Kadmon, is the express “ image of the invisible Elohim” The incarnate manifestation of the title Elyon.

“For thus says Elyon Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and Holy Place, with Him Who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Isaiah 57:15

“…the Elohim of our King Messiah YahShua, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Tzadikkim (saints), and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the assembly, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Ephesians 1:17-23

     We believe that the name of Yahweh’s “only begotten son” is YahShua as revealed in Matthew 1:21. “…you shall call His name YahShua, for He will save His people from their sins." The name YahShua means, “Yahweh is my salvation” so the revelation of that name is efficacious and important to our personal salvation.

     This title is derived from the Hebrew words “sha” (Who) and “dai” (sufficient). So the title could also be translated as All Sufficient One.

     There are various expressions of these two word combinations such as “shadad” meaning to over power.
El Shaddai is used 7 times in the Tanach and 41 times as just Shaddai, 31 coming from the Book of Job. In the Greek the title is Theos Pantokrator.

     In a perfect example that words and especially titles and names mean something, the Syrians heard the Hebrews referring to Yahweh as El Shaddai and thought they were saying El Shaddu, El is a mountain.

“And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their Elohim is El Shaddu; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they."
1 Kings 20:23

Because of the misunderstanding of the title El Shaddai the Syrians made a very bad miscalculation.

"This is what Yahweh says: 'Because the Arameans think Yahweh is El Shaddu and not a Elohim of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am Yahweh .' " For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room."
1 Kings 20:28,29

     El Shaddu was not His name, His name is Yahweh and He is Elohim over the mountains, valleys, over all the earth, over the universe and over all creation.

     Yahweh revealed Himself to Abram as El Shaddai letting him know He had the power to make him Abraham, the father of many nations (Genesis 7:1-8). When Isaac saw that Yahweh overruled his attempt to give the “blessing” to Esau, Isaac remembered that Yahweh is El Shaddai and blessed Jacob

“And Elohim said to him, "I am El Shaddai ; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."
Genesis 35:11, 12

       When Joseph was Viceroy of Egypt and his brothers were commanded to bring Benjamin to Joseph. The only way Jacob would let Benjamin go to Egypt was because of his faith in El Shaddai.

“…may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
Genesis 43:14

At the end of Jacob’s life he drew near to Joseph and reminded him of the Covenant and blessed him.

"I am El Shaddai; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."
Genesis 35:11,12

Elohim – the Mighty One - 2,570 times in the Tanach

    As Romans 1:21-23 indicates, “…although they knew Elohim, they did not glorify Him as Elohim, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible Elohim into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

   The plural form of EL. It is used of false gods, but when used of the true El, it is a plural of majesty and speaks of His manifestations. It is especially used to show Yahweh’s sovereignty, creative work and mighty works for Israel (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 32:27; Gen. 1:1; Isa. 45:18; Deut. 5:23; 8:15; Ps. 68:7).

     The title Elohim shows the plurality of Yahweh’s unity. Not as the hyper-trinitarians teach, but rather it reflects all that is His deity. All that is Divine. All is summed up in Yahweh as Elohim and found only in Him. It was Yahweh, our Father Creator that took from within Himself the Adam Kadmon that became the Messiah that came down to earth as the man YahShua (John 1:18). It was Yahweh as Father Creator Who breathed His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) upon the waters of earth that created the primordial environment to create (Genesis 1:2). It is that same Ruach (Spirit or Breath) that was breathed into man to make him a living soul (Genesis 1:26 & 2:7) and it that residual of Yahweh’s Spirit that becomes our spirit. Understand that all things are contingent on Yahweh for what comes from the Father must return to the Father (John 14:28-31).

“Tell and bring forth your case; yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, Yahweh? And there is no other Elohim besides Me, a just Elohim and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am Elohim, and there is no other."
Isaiah 45:21, 22

Other titles are:

“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your Elohim in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
Exodus 20:7

“Oh, dear [Yah], this commandment reminds me…how You have poured Your Holy Name into my soul and mind. Yes out of Your name has it sprung and You have given me authority to rule over all things with Your name so that out of my mouth, by Your power, it is to flow forth and rule all things; yes, I was to form and fashion holy figures and images with my mouth and expression…You have given Your Word with Your Holy Name into my soul and mind, so that I, as a form and image of Your will, am to express Your wondrous works also. What You, O Great [Yah], have formed bodily and creaturely through Your Word, I was to form spiritually for Your praise and fashion it with Your wisdom and not to form in my mouth a strange image contrary to Your creation and order."
Jacob Boheme, “Way To Christ” , 1624

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