Names of God

—Biblical Data:

Like other Hebrew proper names, the name of God is more than a mere distinguishing title. It represents the Hebrew conception of the divine nature or character and of the relation of God to His people. It represents the Deity as He is known to His worshipers, and stands for all those attributes which He bears in relation to them and which are revealed to them through His activity on their behalf. A new manifestation of His interest or care may give rise to a new name. So, also, an old name may acquire new content and significance through new and varied experience of these sacred relations.

It can readily be understood, therefore, how the divine name is often spoken of as equivalent to the divine presence or power or glory. In Exodus 23:20-23 it is promised that Yhwh's angel will lead and give victory to His people, who must yield reverent obedience, for, the Lord says, "my name is in him." The devout Israelite will not take the name of a false god upon his lips (Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7; Hosea 2:16-17; Psalms 16:4). To make mention of Yhwh's name is to assert confidence in His strength and present and efficient aid. The name excites emotions of love, joy, and praise (Psalms 5:11; 7:17; 9:2; 20:1,7). That name is, therefore, especially connected with the altar or sanctuary, the place where God records His name (Exodus 20:24), or "the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there" (Deuteronomy 12:5; comp. 1 Kings 8:16,29; 9:3; Jeremiah 7:12). The Temple is "the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion" (Isaiah 18:7). In one or two comparatively late passages "the Name" (

YHWH.

Of the names of God in the Old Testament, that which occurs most frequently (6,823 times) is the so-called Tetragrammaton, Yhwh (

This name, according to the narrative in Exodus 3 (E), was made known to Moses in a vision at Horeb. In another, parallel narrative (Exodus 6:2,3, P) it is stated that the name was not known to the Patriarchs. It is used by one of the documentary sources of Genesis (J), but scarcely if at all by the others. Its use is avoided by some later writers also. It does not occur in Ecclesiastes, and in Daniel is found only in ch. The writer of Chronicles shows a preference for the form Elohim, and in Psalms 42- Elohim occurs much more frequently than Yhwh, probably having been substituted in some places for the latter name, as in Psalms 53 (comp. Psalms 14).

In appearance, Yhwh (

If the explanation of the form above given be the true one, the original pronunciation must have been Yahweh (

Various conjectures have been made in recent times respecting a possible foreign origin of this name. Some derive it from the Kenites, with whom Moses sojourned, Sinai, the ancient dwelling-place of Yhwh, having been, according to the oldest tradition, in the Kenite country. A Canaanite, and, again, a Babylonian, origin have been proposed, but upon grounds which are still uncertain. Various explanations of the meaning of the name, differing from that given above, have been proposed: e.g., (1) that it is derived from

Elohim.

The most common of the originally appellative names of God is Elohim (

The root-meaning of the word is unknown. The most probable theory is that it may be connected with the old Arabic verb "alih" (to be perplexed, afraid; to seek refuge because of fear). Eloah, Elohim, would, therefore, be "He who is the object of fear or reverence," or "He with whom one who is afraid takes refuge" (comp. the name "fear of Isaac" in Genesis 31:42,53; see also Isaiah 8:13; Psalms 76:12). The predominance of this name in the later writings, as compared with the more distinctively Hebrew national name Yhwh, may have been due to the broadening idea of God as the transcendent and universal Lord.

El.

The word El (

The commonly accepted derivation of this name from the Hebrew root

Shaddai and 'Elyon.

The word Shaddai (

The name 'Elyon (

Adonai and Ba'al.

Adonai (

Other titles applied to the God of Israel, but which can scarcely be called names, are the following: Abir ("Strong One" of Jacob or Israel; Genesis 49:24; Isaiah 1:24; etc.); Ḳedosh Yisrael ("Holy One of Israel"; Isaiah 14, 31:1; etc.); Ẓur ("Rock") and Ẓur Yisrael ("Rock of Israel"; 2 Samuel 23:3; Isaiah 30:29; Deuteronomy 32:4,18,30); Eben Yisrael ("Stone of Israel"; Genesis 49:24 [text doubtful]).

Ẓeba'ot.

The names Yhwh and Elohim frequently occur with the word Ẓeba'ot ("hosts"), as Yhwh Elohe Ẓeba'ot ("Yhwh God of Hosts") or "God of Hosts"; or, most frequently, "Yhwh of Hosts." To this last Adonai is often prefixed, making the title "Lord Yhwh of Hosts." This compound divine name occurs chiefly in the prophetic literature and does not appear at all in the Pentateuch or in Joshua or Judges. The original meaning of Ẓeba'ot is probably to be found in 1 Samuel 17:45, where "Yhwh Ẓeba'ot" is interpreted as denoting "the God of the armies of Israel" (comp. Joshua 5:13-15; Isaiah 13:4). The word, apart from this special use, always means armies or hosts of men, as, for example, in Exodus 6:26, 7:4, 12:41, while the singular "ẓaba" is used to designate the heavenly host. It is noteworthy also that the name Yhwh Ẓeba'ot is more than once directly associated with the Ark, which was the symbol of God's presence in the midst of the hosts of His people (Numbers 10:35,36; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2). Later, and especially in prophetic usage, the word was transferred to the heavenly hosts, or rather the heavenly were added to the earthly hosts. For this idea of heavenly hosts joining their forces with those of God's people, or fighting on behalf of God's servants, compare Judges 5:20; 2 Kings 6:16,17; Psalms 34:7, 68:17.

Bibliography:

Gray, Hebrew Proper Names, London, 1896;
Driver, The Book of Genesis, excursus , pp. 402-409, London, 1904;
Spurrell, Hebrew Text of Genesis, Appendix;
Driver, on the Tetragrammaton, in Studia Biblica, vol. , Oxford, 1885;
Kuenen, Religion of Israel (English transl.), 1:41-42;
Monteflore, Religion of Hebrews, pp. 50-53, London, 1893.

E. C.

J. F. McL.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

The Rabbis as well as the cabalists steadfastly maintained their belief in monotheism. Hence they recognized only one proper name for the Deity, considering the other names as appellations or titles signifying divinity, perfection, and power, or as characterizing His acts as observed and appreciated by mankind in the various stages of their development. The cabalists illustrate this by the instance of one who looks at the sun through various-colored glasses, which change the impressions produced upon the observer, but do not affect the sun.

The Name.

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-Meyuḥad ("the Extraordinary Name"; Sifre, Num. 143); as Shem ha-Meforash ("the Distinguished Name"; Yoma 6:2); as Shem ben Arba' Otiyyot ("the Tetragrammaton" or "the Quadriliteral Name"; Ḳid. 71a); and as Yod He Waw He (spelling the letters of Yhwh). The pronunciation of the written Name was used only by the priests in the Temple when blessing the people (Numbers 6:22-27); outside the Temple they used the title "Adonai" (Soṭah 7:6; p. 38a). The high priest mentioned the Name on Yom Kippur ten times (Tosef., Yoma,; 39b). R. Johanan said the sages delivered to their disciples the key to the Name once in every Sabbatical year. The sages quoted, "This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations" (Exodus 3:15). Here the word "le-'olam" (forever) is written defectively, being without the "waw" for the vowel "o," which renders the reading "le-'allem" (to conceal; Ḳid. 71a). SHEM HA-MEFORASH.

The restriction upon communicating the Name proper probably originated in Oriental etiquette; in the East even a teacher was not called by name. For naming his master Elisha, Gehazi was punished with leprosy (2 Kings 8:5; Sanh. 100a). After the death of the high priest Simeon the Righteous, forty years prior to the destruction of the Temple, the priests ceased to pronounce the Name (Yoma39b). From that time the pronunciation of the Name was prohibited. "Whoever pronounces the Name forfeits his portion in the future world" (Sanh. 11:1). Hananiah ben Ṭeradion was punished for teaching his disciples the pronunciation of the Name ('Ab. Zarah 17b). It appears that a majority of the priests in the last days of the Temple were unworthy to pronounce the Name, and a combination of the letters or of the equivalents of the letters constituting the Name was employed by the priests in the Temple. Thus the Twelve-Lettered Name was substituted, which, a baraita says, was at first taught to every priest; but with the increase of the number of licentious priests the Name was revealed only to the pious ones, who "swallowed" its pronunciation while the other priests were chanting. Another combination, the Forty-two-Lettered Name, Rab says, was taught only to whomever was known to be of good character and disposition, temperate, and in the prime of life (Ḳid. 71a; comp. Rashi to 'Ab. Zarah 17b). Maimonides, in his "Moreh," thinks that these names were perhaps composed of several other divine names.

Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh.

The Incommunicable Name was pronounced "Adonai," and where Adonai and Yhwh occur together the latter was pronounced "Elohim." After the destruction of the Second Temple there remained no trace of knowledge as to the pronunciation of the Name (see JEHOVAH). The commentators, however, agree as to its interpretation, that it denotes the eternal and everlasting existence of God, and that it is a composition of

The name Yah (

Elohim denotes multiplied power, that is, the Almighty, and describes God as the Creator of nature. R. Jacob Asheri, the author of the "Ṭurim," in his annotations to the Pentateuch, says the numerical value of the letters in

The sacredness of the divine names must be recognized by the professional scribe who writes the Scriptures, or the chapters for the phylacteries and the mezuzah. Before transcribing any of the divine names he prepares mentally to sanctify them. Once he begins a 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 and a new page begun.

The Seven Names.

The number of divine names that require the scribe's special care is seven: El, Elohim, Adonai, Yhwh, Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, Shaddai, and Ẓeba'ot. R. Jose, however, considered Ẓeba'ot a common name (Soferim 4:1; Yer. R. H. 1:1; Ab. R. N.; "Sefer Yeẓirah," ). R. Ishmael held that even Elohim is common (Sanh. 66a). All other names, such as Merciful, Gracious, and Faithful, merely represent attributes that are common also to human beings (Sheb. 35a). The prohibition of blasphemy, for which capital punishment is prescribed, refers only to the Name proper—Yhwh (Soferim , end; comp. Sanh. 66a). In many of the passages in which "clohim" occurs in the Bible it refers to Gentile deities, or in some instances to powerful or learned men (comp. Genesis 3:5;

The Talmud says Shalom ("Peace"; Judges 6:23) is the name of God, consequently one is not permitted to greet another with the word "shalom" in unholy places (Shab. 10b). The name Shelomoh (from shalom) refers to the God of Peace, and the Rabbis assert that the Song of Solomon is a dramatization of the love of God: "Shalom" to His people Israel = "Shulamite." "King of kings" in Daniel 2:37 refers to God. "'Attiḳ Yamin" (ib. 7:9) refers to the Ancient One of the universe (see Yalḳ., Chron. 1076). The pronoun "Ani" (I) is a name of God (Suk. 4:5). The first verse in Ezekiel ("we-Ani") refers to God (Tos. Suk. 45a). Hillel's epigram "If I [am] here everything is here" (Suk. 53a) is interpreted as referring to God. The divine names are called in the Talmud "Azkarot," or "Adkarata" in the Aramaic form. Divine names that occur in the handwriting of minim should be excised and buried in the genizah (Shab. 116a; Cant. R. 2:4). God is named also Ha-Geburah ("The Majesty"; Shab.87a), but generally Ha-Maḳom. ("The Omnipresence"),accompanied with Baruk-hu ("Praised be He"). For other appellations see list below.

It became the custom at an early period to use the name of God in personal greetings, as "The Lord be with thee," or "The Lord bless thee" (Ruth 2:4; Ber. 9:1; comp. Mak. 23a). The Greek inquisition in Judea prohibited the utterance of God's name, but when the Hasmoneans became victorious they decreed that the Name should be mentioned even in notes and documents. The formula began: "On . . . in the year of the high priest Johanan, the servant of the Most High God." The sages, however, opposed this innovation, as they thought the Name would be defiled when the notes were canceled and thrown away as useless. Consequently on the third day of Tishri following, the record says, the Rabbis forbade the mention of God's name in documents (Meg. Ta'anit; R. H. 18b).

Cabalistic Use.

The cabalists, in their system of cosmology, explained the significance of the names and added other divine names. The most important name is that of the En Sof ("Infinite" or "Endless"), who is above the Sefirot. The Forty-two-Lettered Name contains the combined names of