Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 12/16/2011

Question
I AM A LITTLE BIT CONFUSE ABOUT THE REAL NAME OF THE CREATOR,SOME CALLED HIM JEHOVA WHILE OTHERS CALL HIM YAWEH.MY CONFUSION IS THAT IN WHICH OF THE BIBLE IS THE ORIGINAL NAME MENTIONED.THANKS

Answer
Shalom edoziem,

The four letter Sacred Name is used in the Bible more than 6749 times. It is usually translated as LORD (Hebrew: Adonai) in English language Bibles. When you see LORD in English Bibles the root word in the source material is the Sacred Name.

It is also used as parts of other words:

Y'shua (Jesus) means "Salvation is of Adonai."
Hallelujah means "Praise Adonai."
John means Adonai is Gracious
and so on. These and other name use the portion: Yah

Because the Sacred Name is so utterly holy Jews very seldom say it. When we see it we say "Adonai" instead to acknowledge our lack of worthiness to utter the Name.

The Sacred Name can be found in the King James and most other English versions at places like Exodus 6:3:

KJV: Exodus 6:3  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

The letter "J" does not exist in Hebrew (and didn't in English until the 1600's. The "J" in this translation of the Sacred Name should therefore be a "Y" and the correct pronunciation would be close.

The Sacred Name consists of four consonants (Hebrew has no vowels). Due to a lack of knowledge of Hebrew language various inaccurate versions have been created (like YAWEH which is incorrect).

It is preferable to refer to God as either HaShem ("the Name") or Adonai ("the Lord") rather than ever use the Sacred Name:

"Adonai" is translated as LORD, proclaiming that the Named One is LORD over all lords. In the following verse from the Complete Jewish Bible note how the Name has been rendered as "ADONAI."

Exodus 20:7 "You are not to use lightly the name of ADONAI your God, because ADONAI will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.

Whereas the Authorized King James Version has it this way:

Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Hope this helps,
~ Rabbi Yochanan Levine
http://yeshivabethhashem.org