WHAT'S IN A NAME?

JOSHUA 7

There are 3 primary names for God in the Old Testament. Usually when you read "G-o-d" in the O.T. it is "Elohim", "L-o-r-d" is "Adonai" and "LORD" and/or "GOD" is "Jehovah" or more correctly, "Yahweh."

There are 3 secondary names compounded with "El" the root of "Elohim" meaning "God". El Shaddai, El Elyon, and El Olam.

There are also 9 names compounded with Yahweh. Which, Lord willing, we will discuss as a later time. But is is from the 3 basic names for God that we get the other names for God. All 3 of these names are given to us in JOSHUA 7.

7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord (Adonai) GOD (Yahweh), wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to GOD we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD (Yahweh) God(Elohim) of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

I. ELOHIM

Translated "God" in the KJV it appears at least 2500 times in the O.T., 32 times in Genesis 1. Elohim is derived from two root words

1. "El" meaning unlimited energy, might, power , strength (Gn. 1:1) It celebrates the divine attribute known as Omnipotence. (Heb. 1:3, Ps. 19:1)

2. "Alah" meaning "to swear". It celebrates the divine attribute of truth and activity of giving His Word. The covenant making and keeping God. (Num. 23:19, Heb. 6:17-18, Jn. 14:6, 17:17)

3. "Elohim" is a plural noun. (Gn. 1:26, 3:22, 11:7) This fits in perfectly with the doctrine of the Trinity expounded in the O.T. and N.T. alike (Ps. 2, Mt. 28:19, II Cor. 13:14)

II. YAHWEH (JEHOVAH)

Translated "LORD" about 6000 times and "GOD" about 300 times and thus is used more than any other name. The actual pronunciation was lost due to the Jews interpretation of Lev. 24:16
"And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death."

1. Derivation- It is derived from the Hebrew word "havah" meaning "to be" or "being" speaking of existence or rather, self-existence. Thus Yahweh is the eternal, self-existent One without beginning or end. (Heb. 13:8, Rev. 4:8)

2. Revelation- This is how He revealed Himself to Moses in Ex. 3:14, tied it with "Elohim" in 3:15 and with Jesus as revealed to the Jews in John 8:58.

3. Explanation- Ex. 6:2-3 doesn't say that they had never heard the name "Yahweh" before that time but it had not been explained to them fully until then. No use for JEDP (of documentary hypothesis infamy)

III. ADONAI

Translated "Lord" it occurs about 300 times in the O.T.

1. Plurality- Like Elohim it is plural attesting to the Trinity

2. Duality- it can be used of men(singular=adon) or God (differentiated in the KJV by the capital "L" when referring to God) and refers to one (or One) who exercises authority (Gn. 15:1-2)(Gn. 24:34-35 master=adon)

3. Morality- term or relationship in marriage, wife to husband, headship (Gn. 3:16, I Tm. 2:14, Ez. 16:8ff, 59-63, Eph. 5) We are to be faithful to Him as a wife is to be to a husband, the Lord, unlike men, is always faithful)I Jn. 1:9