GOD'S NAME - IS IT IMPORTANT?

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LoveGodsWord

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Hi All,

IS KNOWING AND USING GOD'S NAME IMPORTANT?

First off yes it is important as it is reflected in the third commandment *Exodus 20:7 and we are not to use it in vain but what does that mean?

I just thought this was an interesting topic as I know people that believe God needs to be called by a specific name or else type of thing. So at some point I wanted to know if this is important or not. We know that in the new testament Jesus is God and we have God the father but in the old testament many believe that God's name is YAHWEH/JEHOVAH.

What I found interesting in this topic was the way the Hebrews named things. Unlike what we do in our culture, the names given by the Hebrews is very descriptive of what is being named. Sometimes parents of Children would not even name their new born babies until sometime later after they had the chance to study the child's character, then a name would be given based on the child's dominant character trait or something that the parents wanted for the child.

Anyhow I had a look and found that in the old and new testament scriptures the same concept applied when giving God names. God has many names that are descriptive of the character of God in the old and new testament. I believe that is because who can describe God with one name right?

................

QUESTIONS (scripture support if possible)

Q1. What name of God do you use in prayer and why?
Q2. Does it matter what we name God in your view and why?
Q3. Can we really put a single descriptive name on God if God goes beyond description
Q4. What does it mean to use God's name in vain? (answered linked)

.................

NAMES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Hebrew)

To me God has many names. For me I use Lord, Jesus and my Heavenly father. If you would like to use YAHWEH/JEHOVAH does it matter? To me personally it is where the heart is not what name you wish to call God as he has many names and he knows when you are trying to talk to him and seek him.

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “HE IS, SELF EXISTENT, LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God in the old testament. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

EH-YEH [haw-yaw]
: “I AM THAT I AM” or "I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE" (Exodus 3:14) The self existent one. Jesus claiming the title (John 8:58) εἰμί eimi meaning “I EXIST”

EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains.

ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).

EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.

YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]
: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.

YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]
: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]
: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.

EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). (see here for source)

NAMES OF GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (Greek)

JESUS: [Ἰησοῦς; Iēsous] From Matthew 1:21; John 1:1-4; 14. Jesus being God in the flesh that came to save all mankind sent by the father who loves all mankind (John 3:16). In the new testament God was given the name "JESUS" why? The angel said in Matthew 1:21 this name was to be given God because he shall save His people from their sins. Jesus in Greek is from the Hebrew name for Joshua; יהושׁוּע יהושׁע yehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ From H3068 and H3467; which means Jehovah-saved.

GOD: [θεός; theos] The most common word for God in the NT (1,318 times) is the Greek word theos (‘god’), used often by the LXX (more than 4,000 times) primarily as the translation of the usual Hebrew word for God, elohim. This word was also used by the LXX for the pagan gods, just as it was the standard word for the gods of the Greeks and Romans of NT times. Although the NT writers sometimes use ‘god’ for the pagan gods (e.g., 1 Corinthians 8:5) and on rare occasions apparently apply it theologically to the glorified Christ (e.g., John 20:28), the vast majority of cases refers to the God revealed in the history of Israel and in the person of Jesus. Thus, ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ is a frequent designation (e.g., Romans 15:6).

LORD: [κύριος; kurios; supreme in authority] In the OT , the chief title and representative name for God was the individual and personal name ‘Yahweh,’ translated kyrios (Gk., ‘Lord’) in the LXX and ‘the Lord‘ by several English versions. This name was used by OT authors more than 6,000 times, compared to about 2,500 times for elohim, ‘God.’ The NT continues to use ‘Lord’ for God (about 100 times), primarily in quotations from the LXX (e.g., Mark 1:3; 12:11; Acts of the Apostles 2:34) and in set phrases such as ‘hand of the Lord’ (Luke 1:66). The vast majority of the 719 occurrences of kyrios (‘Lord’) in the NT refers to Jesus, however, usually as the exalted Christ (e.g., Acts of the Apostles 2:36; John 20:28). Thus, the two most common OT names for deity, ‘God’ and ‘Lord,’ are used in the NT not only for God but also (though rarely in the case of the word ‘God’) for Jesus as the exalted Lord of the church’s faith. A much less common word for ‘Lord’ in the LXX, despoteµs (Gk., ‘lord,’ ‘sovereign,’ ‘master’) is also used in the NT both for God (Luke 2:29; Acts of the Apostles 4:24; Revelation 6:10) and for Christ (Jude 4; 2 Peter 2:1).

LORD OF LORD'S:
[κύριος; kurios; κατακυριεύω; katakurieuo] king of kings and Lord of Lords] to rule, supreme ruler, 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16

FATHER: [πατήρ; patēr] This general designation of God as ‘Father’ is found in the NT: e.g., Hebrews 12:9 (‘Father of spirits’) and James 1:17 (‘Father of lights,’ i.e., the heavenly bodies). For Jesus as our Lord and example, ‘Father’ was the principal and most frequent designation for God. He used not only the common Jewish ‘our [or your] Father’ (e.g., Matthew 5:45; 6:9) but also the intimate family word for ‘father’ in his native Aramaic language, abba, which was also appropriated in the later liturgical practice of the church (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). Not only did the concept of God as ‘Father’ express the personal relationship to God affirmed by Jesus and the church (e.g., Matthew 11:25-27), but in that cultural setting the term included especially the connotations of obedience, agency, and inheritance. Those who address God as ‘Father’ acknowledge God as the one to whom absolute obedience is due (Matthew 7:21; 26:42) and themselves as the agents who represent God and through whom God works (Matthew 11:25-27; John 10:32) and as God’s heirs (Romans 8:16-17).

‘THE GOD OF THE FATHERS’: [θεός; theos; πατήρ; patēr] This significant OT title for God, as well as the more particular phrase of the same meaning, ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’ is found in the NT only in two Gospels (Mark 12:26; Matthew 22:32) and in the book of Acts. As in the OT , it emphasizes the continuity of Israel and the church’s faith, that the God of present experience is the same as the God revealed to the ancient patriarchs. Luke-Acts, which is especially interested in pointing out this continuity, thus uses the title four times (Acts of the Apostles 3:13; 5:30; 7:32; 22:14). In Paul and the literature dependent upon him, this title is replaced by ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Ephesians 1:3, 17; Colossians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3).

THE ALMIGHTY: [παντοκράτωρ; pantokratōr the all ruling God] The LXX had translated two of the Hebrew expressions for God in the OT , which probably meant ‘God, the one of the mountains’ (rsv: ‘God Almighty’) and ‘Yahweh of Hosts,’ with the more philosophical and formal pantokratoµr (Gk., ‘Almighty’), which the Greeks had also used for their gods. Jesus and the NT authors seem to avoid this appellation, which is found only in 2 Corinthians 6:18 and nine times in Revelation, mostly in self-designations of God or in ascriptions of praise in a liturgical context.

THE MOST HIGH: [ὕψιστος; hupsistos; Supreme God], or (neuter plural) the heavens: - most high, highest (Acts of the Apostles 7:48)

ALPHA AND THE OMEGA: [A; al'-fah; Ω Ō; o'-meg-ah; first and last] These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and thus represent God as the Beginning and the End, the source and goal of all creation, and thus the only God. The phrase itself is not found in the OT , but the basic formula from which it is derived is found in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. In the NT , only the author of Revelation uses this name for God (1:8; 21:6); he also applies it explicitly to Jesus Christ (22:13; 1:17; 2:8).

THE HOLY ONE: [ἅγιος; hagios]
This OT title for God, especially in Isaiah, explicitly refers to God only once in the NT (Revelation 16:5). It is used of Jesus in Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; and John 6:69. In 1 John 2:20, the reference may be either to God or to the exalted Christ.

General Terms:
The common impersonal words for ‘deity’ in Greek are absent from those LXX books that are derived from the Hebrew canon of the OT and appear only once in the remainder of the LXX (Wisd. of Sol. 18:9). Correspondingly, ‘Deity’ as a term for God is found in the NT only in Paul’s address to the Athenians in Acts of the Apostles 17:29, and in Colossians 2:9. (source here)

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God bless.
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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In the new testament God was given the name "JESUS" why? The angel said in Matthew 1:21 this name was to be given God because he shall save His people from their sins. Jesus in Greek is from the Hebrew name for Joshua; יהושׁוּע יהושׁע yehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ From H3068 and H3467; which means Jehovah-saved.

he shall save...Yoshia
 
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Mr. M

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Hi All,

IS KNOWING AND USING GOD'S NAME IMPORTANT?

I just thought this was an interesting topic as I know people that believe God needs to be called by a specific name or else type of thing. So at some point I wanted to know if this is important or not. We know that in the new testament Jesus is God and we have God the farther but in the old testament many believe that God's name is YAHWEH/JEHOVAH.

What I found interesting in this topic was the way the Hebrews use to name things. Unlike what we do in our culture, the names given by the Hebrews is very descriptive of what is being named. Sometimes parents of Children would not even name their new born babies until sometime later after they had the chance to study the child's character, then a name would be given based on the child's dominant character trait or something that the parents wanted for the child.

Anyhow I had a look and found that in the old testament scriptures the same concept applied when giving God names. God has many names that are descriptive of the character of God in the old testament. I believe that is because who can describe God with one name right?

NAMES OF GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (Greek)

JESUS: From Matthew 1:21; John 1:1-4; 14. Jesus being God in the flesh that came to save all mankind sent by the father tho loves all mankind (John 3:16). In the new testament God was given the name "JESUS" why? The angel said in Matthew 1:21 this name was to be given God because he shall save His people from their sins. Jesus in Greek is from the Hebrew name for Joshua; יהושׁוּע יהושׁע yehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ From H3068 and H3467; which means Jehovah-saved.

GOD: The most common word for God in the NT (1,318 times) is the Greek word theos (‘god’), used often by the LXX (more than 4,000 times) primarily as the translation of the usual Hebrew word for God, elohim. This word was also used by the LXX for the pagan gods, just as it was the standard word for the gods of the Greeks and Romans of NT times. Although the NT writers sometimes use ‘god’ for the pagan gods (e.g., 1 Corinthians 8:5) and on rare occasions apparently apply it theologically to the glorified Christ (e.g., John 20:28), the vast majority of cases refers to the God revealed in the history of Israel and in the person of Jesus. Thus, ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ is a frequent designation (e.g., Romans 15:6).

LORD: In the OT , the chief title and representative name for God was the individual and personal name ‘Yahweh,’ translated kyrios (Gk., ‘Lord’) in the LXX and ‘the Lord‘ by several English versions. This name was used by OT authors more than 6,000 times, compared to about 2,500 times for elohim, ‘God.’ The NT continues to use ‘Lord’ for God (about 100 times), primarily in quotations from the LXX (e.g., Mark 1:3; 12:11; Acts of the Apostles 2:34) and in set phrases such as ‘hand of the Lord’ (Luke 1:66). The vast majority of the 719 occurrences of kyrios (‘Lord’) in the NT refers to Jesus, however, usually as the exalted Christ (e.g., Acts of the Apostles 2:36; John 20:28). Thus, the two most common OT names for deity, ‘God’ and ‘Lord,’ are used in the NT not only for God but also (though rarely in the case of the word ‘God’) for Jesus as the exalted Lord of the church’s faith. A much less common word for ‘Lord’ in the LXX, despoteµs (Gk., ‘lord,’ ‘sovereign,’ ‘master’) is also used in the NT both for God (Luke 2:29; Acts of the Apostles 4:24; Revelation 6:10) and for Christ (Jude 4; 2 Peter 2:1).

LORD OF LORD'S:
[king of kings and Lord of Lords] to rule, supreme ruler 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16

FATHER: The common ancient Near Eastern idea that the deity is the father of the clan or nation was appropriated sparingly by Israel, which understood it in an adoptive, not biological, sense (Exodus 4:22-23; Hosea 11:1-4). Although ‘Father’ never became a common name for God in the OT , it was used more freely in the later OT period (e.g., Isaiah 63:16) and especially in post-ot Judaism. ‘Father’ was also a common name for deity among the Greeks, being applied to Zeus, for example, not only because of his rulership among the gods, but because of his love and care. This general designation of God as ‘Father’ is found only rarely in the NT : e.g., Hebrew 12:9 (‘Father of spirits’) and James 1:17 (‘Father of lights,’ i.e., the heavenly bodies).

‘THE GOD OF THE FATHERS’: This significant OT title for God, as well as the more particular phrase of the same meaning, ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’ is found in the NT only in two Gospels (Mark 12:26; Matthew 22:32) and in the book of Acts. As in the OT , it emphasizes the continuity of Israel and the church’s faith, that the God of present experience is the same as the God revealed to the ancient patriarchs. Luke-Acts, which is especially interested in pointing out this continuity, thus uses the title four times (Acts of the Apostles 3:13; 5:30; 7:32; 22:14). In Paul and the literature dependent upon him, this title is replaced by ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Ephesians 1:3, 17; Colossians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3).

THE ALMIGHTY: The LXX had translated two of the Hebrew expressions for God in the OT , which probably meant ‘God, the one of the mountains’ (rsv: ‘God Almighty’) and ‘Yahweh of Hosts,’ with the more philosophical and formal pantokratoµr (Gk., ‘Almighty’), which the Greeks had also used for their gods. Jesus and the NT authors seem to avoid this appellation, which is found only in 2 Corinthians 6:18 and nine times in Revelation, mostly in self-designations of God or in ascriptions of praise in a liturgical context.

ALPHA AND THE OMEGA: These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and thus represent God as the Beginning and the End, the source and goal of all creation, and thus the only God. The phrase itself is not found in the OT , but the basic formula from which it is derived is found in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12. In the NT , only the author of Revelation uses this name for God (1:8; 21:6); he also applies it explicitly to Jesus Christ (22:13; 1:17; 2:8).

THE HOLY ONE:
This OT title for God, especially in Isaiah, explicitly refers to God only once in the NT (Revelation 16:5). It is used of Jesus in Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34; and John 6:69. In 1 John 2:20, the reference may be either to God or to the exalted Christ.

General Terms:
The common impersonal words for ‘deity’ in Greek are absent from those LXX books that are derived from the Hebrew canon of the OT and appear only once in the remainder of the LXX (Wisd. of Sol. 18:9). Correspondingly, ‘Deity’ as a term for God is found in the NT only in Paul’s address to the Athenians in Acts of the Apostles 17:29, and in Colossians 2:9.

NAMES OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT (Hebrew)

To me God has many names. For me I use Lord, Jesus and my Heavenly farther. If you would like to use YAHWEH/JEHOVAH does it matter? To me personally it is where the heart is not what name you wish to call God as he has many names and he knows when you are trying to talk to him and seek him.

EH-YEH [haw-yaw]: “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14) The self existent one. Jesus claiming the title (John 8:58) εἰμί eimi meaning “I EXIST”

EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might” remains.

ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).

EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.

YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]
: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.

YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.

YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]
: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]
: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness (from the Hebrew word tsidkenu) to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means “hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.

EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). (see here for source)

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For Jesus, ‘Father’ was the principal and most frequent designation for God. He used not only the common Jewish ‘our [or your] Father’ (e.g., Matthew 5:45; 6:9) but also the intimate family word for ‘father’ in his native Aramaic language, abba, which was also appropriated in the later liturgical practice of the church (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Not only did the concept of God as ‘Father’ express the personal relationship to God affirmed by Jesus and the church (e.g., Matthew 11:25-27), but in that cultural setting the term included especially the connotations of obedience, agency, and inheritance. Those who address God as ‘Father’ acknowledge God as the one to whom absolute obedience is due (Matt. 7:21; 26:42) and themselves as the agents who represent God and through whom God works (Matthew 11:25-27; John 10:32) and as God’s heirs (Romans 8:16-17).

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QUESTIONS (scripture support if possible)

Q1. What name of God do you use in prayer and why?
Q2. Does it matter what we name God in your view and why?
Q3. Can we really put a descriptive name on God if God goes beyond description?

God bless.
His name is His Character and attributes.
In Exodus 34:5-7. YHVH proclaims His Name.
This is often referred to as "The Divine Attributes" in commentaries.
 
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LoveGodsWord

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he shall save...Yoshia
Absolutely Yesh! It is my preferred name as well as our Father in heaven or Lord. Do you think we can really put a descriptive name on God or does it matter what name we use as long as we are referring to God?
 
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LoveGodsWord

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This may be of interest: Yahweh or Jehovah? (the included video is 12 minutes long, if you care to watch it, just FYI).
Hi St_Worms, interesting article on the name Yahweh and the transliteration to Jehovah. Does it matter in your view, what name we use as long as we are referring to God? What are your thoughts?
 
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St_Worm2

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Hello again @LoveGodsWord, I knew about this (it all began with the Jews who thought it sinful to utter Lord's personal Name, YHWH ... something that they apparently did only once a year, on Yom Kippur).

The jury is still out with me, but I think it's important information to know.

Interestingly, the Lockman Foundation (the publisher of the NASB) has allowed for the production of another new NASB this year, this time by a separate, none Lockman translation team, who will use the Lord's personal name, Yahweh, instead of continuing to use the word LORD in its place.

The Bible is going to be called the Legacy Standard Bible and if you care to read more about it, go here:

God bless you!

--David
 
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LoveGodsWord

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Hello again @LoveGodsWord, I knew about this (it all began with the Jews who thought it sinful to utter Lord's personal Name, YHWH ... something that they apparently did only once a year, on Yom Kippur).

The jury is still out with me, but I think it's important information to know.

Interestingly, the Lockman Foundation (the publisher of the NASB) has allowed for the production of another new NASB this year, this time by a separate, none Lockman translation team, who will use the Lord's personal name, Yahweh, instead of continuing to use the word LORD in its place.

The Bible is going to be called the Legacy Standard Bible and if you care to read more about it, go here:

God bless you!

--David

Thanks David, that is interesting. I always wondered why some people were scared to say Gods name. So it sounds like a man-made teaching or tradition? For me I do not think that is the intent of the scriptures in my personal view. For example, "praising God" is not using God's name in vain. Also, how can we carry out the gospel commission without telling people about our heavenly father?
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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It is my preferred as well as our Father in heaven. Do you think we can really put a descriptive name on God or does it matter what name we use as long as we are referring to God?
Many just use Adonai (Lord) or HaShem (The Name) so as not to possibly use His Name in vain.
 
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This may be of interest: Yahweh or Jehovah? (the included video is 12 minutes long, if you care to watch it, just FYI).

Be careful listening to all these different groups that think they know how to pronounce the real "Sacred Name"...
 
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com7fy8

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the names given by the Hebrews is very descriptive of what is being named.
It is like this for Native American groups. And a name can be changed when it no longer applies to the person, or maybe when something else would be more up-to-date.

God changed Abram's name to Abraham, when the truth about Abram changed.

Hebrew names appear to be constructed of Hebrew vocabulary words, telling something about the person, possibly. But in English some number of names do not sound like they are constructed of English vocabulary words.

Anyhow I had a look and found that in the old and new testament scriptures the same concept applied when giving God names.
Yes, names for God have words which tell us something about God, so they are naming Him.

What really is His name, I would say, is His character with His power and His ways and authority and worthiness to be worshiped and obeyed and shared with as family. His love and how this love effects us, then, names Him, I think you could say.

NAMES OF GOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT (Greek)
Acts 7:48 > Stephen calls God "the Most High".
 
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Many just use Adonai (Lord) or HaShem (The Name) so as not to possibly use His Name in vain.

Thanks Yesh! I also use Lord sometimes in prayer as well thanks for reminding me. What is your understanding about using the name and in regards to why some people think to use God's name is using it in vain? For example as shown in the OP there are many names of God used to describe God in both the old and new testament scriptures. I am guess because God is indescribable. For me I do not think we are using God's name in vain in my personal view by using God's name with the right loving intent it should be used. For example, "praising God" and giving thanks to God is not in my view using God's name in vain. Then we have so many scripture examples of the prophets and God's people using God's name in prayer (e.g. 2 Chronicles 6:16-23). Also, how can we carry out the gospel commission without telling people about our heavenly father?
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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Thanks Yesh! I also use Lord sometimes in prayer as well thanks for reminding me. What is your understanding about using the name and in regards to why some people think to use God's name is using it in vain? For example as shown in the OP there are many names of God used to describe God in both the old and new testament scriptures. I am guess because God is indescribable. For me I do not think we are using God's name in vain in my personal view by using God's name with the right loving intent it should be used. For example, "praising God" and giving thanks to God is not in my view using God's name in vain. Then we have so many scripture examples of the prophets and God's people using God's name in prayer (e.g. 2 Chronicles 6:16-23). Also, how can we carry out the gospel commission without telling people about our heavenly father?

Because if they do not know how to correctly use it and pronounce it, because it is Holy and Sacred, it is best to use HaShem or Adonai IMO. Father (Abba) is fine too. The names you posted (Tzevaot, Gibbor, etc) are not in fact "names" but descriptors.

"And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall NOT do so unto the Lord your God."
 
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Because if they do not know how to correctly use it and pronounce it, because it is Holy and Sacred, it is best to use HaShem or Adonai IMO. Father (Abba) is fine too. The names you posted (Tzevaot, Gibbor, etc) are not in fact "names" but descriptors.

"And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Ye shall NOT do so unto the Lord your God."

Thanks Yesh! That was my point I guess, all the names of God are descriptions of God. That is why God has many names. I do not believe God can be named with a single name because he is God. Thanks for sharing your view.
 
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Thanks Yesh! That was my point I guess, all the names of God are descriptions of God. That is why God has many names. I do not believe God can be named with a single name because he is God. Thanks for sharing your view.

Those are not His "names", they describe His attributes...Exodus 3:14-15
 
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Those are not His "names", they describe His attributes...Exodus 3:14-15
True that is what Hebrew names do and that is the point of the OP. God's names as shown in the OP are all descriptions of God and His character and attributes. God has many names because he is God and a single name cannot describe the majesty and holiness and omnipotence of God. The people of God have always used God's name "YAHWEH" in prayer and praise in the old covenant (e.g. 2 Chronicles 6:16-23). There is nothing wrong with using Gods name in my view as long as it is used with the right intentions. I think there is more to understanding the third commandment in my view. May share more about this latter.
 
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LoveGodsWord

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It is like this for Native American groups. And a name can be changed when it no longer applies to the person, or maybe when something else would be more up-to-date.

God changed Abram's name to Abraham, when the truth about Abram changed.

Hebrew names appear to be constructed of Hebrew vocabulary words, telling something about the person, possibly. But in English some number of names do not sound like they are constructed of English vocabulary words.

Yes, names for God have words which tell us something about God, so they are naming Him.

What really is His name, I would say, is His character with His power and His ways and authority and worthiness to be worshiped and obeyed and shared with as family. His love and how this love effects us, then, names Him, I think you could say.


Acts 7:48 > Stephen calls God "the Most High".

Thanks com7fy8 for the typo advice and also for the scripture reference in Acts. I have added it to the OP in the new testament. I think that is why there is so many names for our God to be honest. There is no single name that can describe God and his character, who he is, His name is above naming for He is God and cannot be described by a single human name. Thanks for adding to the OP.
 
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His name is His Character and attributes.
In Exodus 34:5-7. YHVH proclaims His Name.
This is often referred to as "The Divine Attributes" in commentaries.
Indeed thanks MM, that is why there are many names of God. What name of God do you use in prayer and why? Does it matter what we name God in your view and why? Can we really put a single descriptive name on God?
 
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What name of God do you use in prayer and why?
What I see in the Gospels is an anticipation by the Lord regarding the controversies we see in this
regard. It is obvious that He always made reference to The Father. He taught us to pray "Our Father".
Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption by which we can say "Abba, Father."
If we have the faith to profess that we are children of God, we would do the same, and when we
are alone with Him, we can even call Him Daddy.
As to the name of the Lord, I often use Yeshua, but I don't get hives over Jesus.
Paul also wrote that the Lord is the Spirit, therefore I speak directly to the ever present Holy
Spirit as Lord. For example, I simply ask, "Lord, help me give a clear, edifying response on this post".
I call these "instant prayers", but they are in truth the ongoing dialog I maintain with Him.
Does it matter what we name God in your view and why?
It should matter to everyone at a personal level, and should express the level of intimacy you have
found with Him. This is not something I debate.
Can we really put a single descriptive name on God?
The Bible does not. He told Moses I Am That I Am.
Ask Him, are you my Savior?
He answers I Am.
Are you my Consoler?
Are you my Healer?
I Am That
 
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