Who is YHWH?

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

Is it the Triune God, or God the Father only?

I tried posting this in another forum, but this one seems more active. It seems to fit better in General Theology better than in the one I had it in, anyways.

In the Old Testament, God is referred to almost 7,000 times as YHWH (in most Bibles, this is rendered as "the LORD", in all capital letters), which is also known as the tetragrammaton. My question is, does this refer to the triune God, or only to God the Father?

As always, please explain the reason for your opinion, including Scriptural citation, of course!

Please, lets not let this thread descend into the the merits of pronounicng or not pronouncing the name, whether it should be pronounced Yahweh, Yahueh, Jehovah, etc. Lets stick to the main topic, which is does the Old Testament references to YHWH refer to the entire Trinity or to God the Father only.

Lion King · Mar 25, 2013

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. Deuteronomy 6:4

The term YHWH refers to the One God of Israel.

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

Lion King said:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. Deuteronomy 6:4

The term YHWH refers to the One God of Israel.

In your eyes, who is that? Is it the Triune God of Christianity? Or is it just the Father?

Lion King · Mar 25, 2013

ByronArn said:
In your eyes, who is that? Is it the Triune God of Christianity? Or is it just the Father?

I and my Father are one. John 10:30

Adaephon · Mar 25, 2013

ByronArn said:
In your eyes, who is that? Is it the Triune God of Christianity? Or is it just the Father?

God is a trinity.

yeshuasavedme · Mar 25, 2013

ByronArn said:
Is it the Triune God, or God the Father only?

I tried posting this in another forum, but this one seems more active. It seems to fit better in General Theology better than in the one I had it in, anyways.

In the Old Testament, God is referred to almost 7,000 times as YHWH (in most Bibles, this is rendered as "the LORD", in all capital letters), which is also known as the tetragrammaton. My question is, does this refer to the triune God, or only to God the Father?

As always, please explain the reason for your opinion, including Scriptural citation, of course!

Please, lets not let this thread descend into the the merits of pronounicng or not pronouncing the name, whether it should be pronounced Yahweh, Yahueh, Jehovah, etc. Lets stick to the main topic, which is does the Old Testament references to YHWH refer to the entire Trinity or to God the Father only.

YHWH is the Living Spirit, and YHWH means "LIFE/BREATH".

There are three persons in YHWH, and only one is seen by any created being.
The three persons in YHWH are a multiplicity of the one YHWH spirit.
The Spirit cannot be seen except in the "Image" which is God the Word, and God the Word is come in flesh, but He did not cease being God the Word, second person in YHWH when He "let down His holy arm into the flesh of New creation and took on the garment of created flesh as Kinsman/Redeemer to Adam.....

To understand the one Spirit multiplied in the three Persons, look at all creation for examples, and begin with Adam.

Adam is created as one spirit [Malachi 2:15] and made male and female in persons, both named Adam -Genesis 5:2.

So we are one created kind, which is the Adam spirit, the Adam flesh, and the persons male and female, and no matter how many persons in Adam multiply by the created seed from the loins of the firstborn of the race, we are still called "Adam" by the Creator as to our kind, but we are each separate persons in Adam..
YHWH is one YHWH, and three persons, not multiplying, and all persons are equally YHWH just as all female Adam persons and all male Adam persons are one Adam, in kind.

BTW: breathe in and out.
Listen to your breathing as the breath is taken in, and exhaled. You say "YHWH" properly with every breath you draw, and He loaned that breath to each of us when we come into the world, and He takes it back when we depart the body, and it is stamped with the Manufacturers Name.

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

You misunderstand me. I am not questioning the Trinity at all. I am a firm believer in the Trinity. My question was- Is YHWH the name of the Triune God, or is YHWH the name of just God the Father? IOW, when the Old Testament refers to YHWH, is it referring to God the Father, or is it referring to the Triune God?

From your explanation, I can see you believe that YHWH is the triune God. I think I agree, but I have not had enough time to ponder it in order to come to a conclusion.

yeshuasavedme said:
YHWH is the Living Spirit, and YHWH means "LIFE/BREATH".

There are three persons in YHWH, and only one is seen by any created being.
The three persons in YHWH are a multiplicity of the one YHWH spirit.
The Spirit cannot be seen except in the "Image" which is God the Word, and God the Word is come in flesh, but He did not cease being God the Word, second person in YHWH when He "let down His holy arm into the flesh of cecreation and took on the garment of created flesh as Kinsman/Redeemer to Adam.....

To understand the one Spirit multiplied int he three Persons, look at all creation for examples, and begin with Adam.

Adam is created as one spirit [Malachi 2:15] and made male and female in persons, both named Adam -Genesis 5:2.

So we are one created kind, which is the Adam spirit, the Adam flesh, and the persons male and female, and no matter how many persons in Adam multiply by the created seed from the loins of the firstborn of the race, we are still called "Adam" by the Creator as to our kind, but we are each separate persons in Adam..
YHWH is one YHWH, and three persons, not multiplying, and all persons are equally YHWH just as all females Adam persons and all male Adam persons are one Adam, in kind.

BTW: breathe in and out.Listen to your breathing as the breath is taken in, and exhaled. You say "YHWH" properly with every breath you draw, and He loaned that breath to each of us when we come into the world, and He takes it back when we depart the body, and it is stamped with the Manufacturers Name.

Rev Randy · Mar 25, 2013

ByronArn said:
You misunderstand me. I am not questioning the Trinity at all. I am a firm believer in the Trinity. My question was- Is YHWH the name of the Triune God, or is YHWH the name of just God the Father? IOW, when the Old Testament refers to YHWH, is it referring to God the Father, or is it referring to the Triune God?

From your explanation, I can see you believe that YHWH is the triune God. I think I agree, but I have not had enough time to ponder it in order to come to a conclusion.

I think your misunderstanding the answers. I in no way see you denying the Trinity and your question is a valid question. YHWH isn't an actual word. It's designed without Hebrew vowels as it truly cannot be spoken without such and in writing it one does not fully spell out the name of God which is against Jewish tradition to do so. The former poster is correct that it literally means Life/Breath (or the Living Spirit). It refers to God and not one individual person of God but all.When a specific person of God is being mentioned, the Title is given (ie Holy Ghost/Spirit, Father). YHWH is translated to English as God.

yeshuasavedme · Mar 25, 2013

Rev Randy said:
I think your misunderstanding the answers. I in no way see you denying the Trinity and your question is a valid question. YHWH isn't an actual word. It's designed without Hebrew vowels as it truly cannot be spoken without such and in writing it one does not fully spell out the name of God which is against Jewish tradition to do so. The former poster is correct that it literally means Life/Breath (or the Living Spirit). It refers to God and not one individual person of God but all.When a specific person of God is being mentioned, the Title is given (ie Holy Ghost/Spirit, Father). YHWH is translated to English as God.

Josephus said it was four vowels, written on the turban of the high Priest. YHWH or YHVH drawn out in the intake and outlet of breath is really the "pronouncing" of it -and I got that from Jews who wrote of it, but I do not know where the paper is to be found, now, which clued me in on that wonderful understanding.

It really is a breathed word, not a spoken word....And the Ancient Israeli's did "say it", and named their children with the "YH" in their names.

yeshuasavedme · Mar 25, 2013

ByronArn said:
You misunderstand me. I am not questioning the Trinity at all. I am a firm believer in the Trinity. My question was- Is YHWH the name of the Triune God, or is YHWH the name of just God the Father? IOW, when the Old Testament refers to YHWH, is it referring to God the Father, or is it referring to the Triune God?

From your explanation, I can see you believe that YHWH is the triune God. I think I agree, but I have not had enough time to ponder it in order to come to a conclusion.

You can do a study with a concordance and discover for yourself that all three persons: the Father, the Word/Son, the Holy Spirit are called "YHWH".
YHWH our Elohym is one YHWH" is in Deut 4, and so He is, just like Adam is one Adam, but many persons, both male and female.

Cappadocious · Mar 25, 2013

YHWH is the Father together with His Word and Spirit.

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

I disagree with the etymology you give for YHWH. Its directly related to the Hebrew verb hayah ("to be"). Exodus 3 directly ties YHWH to I AM (the first person singular imperfect form of hayah). As for the lack of vowels, originally NO HEBREW WORDS had vowels in the text. Vowels were added around the 9th century AD, more than 1300 years after the last books of the Hebrew Bible were written. And the vowels of Adonai ("My Lord") were added to remind the reader to read it as Adonai since the Jews have a superstition against pronouncing YHWH. In modern Hebrew texts, though, YHWH lacks the vowels while the rest of text includes it. That is a modern innovation though.

Also, in English YHWH is rendered as LORD in the vast majority of places, not God. (There a few places where it is rendered GOD, but only when YHWH is preced by Adonai in the original text.)

As for me misunderstanding the some of the answers I have been getting, its quite possible. Wouldn't be the first time.

Rev Randy said:
I think your misunderstanding the answers. I in no way see you denying the Trinity and your question is a valid question. YHWH isn't an actual word. It's designed without Hebrew vowels as it truly cannot be spoken without such and in writing it one does not fully spell out the name of God which is against Jewish tradition to do so. The former poster is correct that it literally means Life/Breath (or the Living Spirit). It refers to God and not one individual person of God but all.When a specific person of God is being mentioned, the Title is given (ie Holy Ghost/Spirit, Father). YHWH is translated to English as God.

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

yeshuasavedme said:
You can do a study with a concordance and discover for yourself that all three persons: the Father, the Word/Son, the Holy Spirit are called "YHWH".

Oh, that would be most helpful to me trying to sort this out. Do you have a link to such a study done before on another website. It would be most helpful.

Rev Randy · Mar 25, 2013

yeshuasavedme said:
Josephus said it was four vowels, written on the turban of the high Priest. YHWH or YHVH drawn out in the intake and outlet of breath is really the "pronouncing" of it -and I got that from Jews who wrote of it, but I do not know where the paper is to be found, now, which clued me in on that wonderful understanding.

It really is a breathed word, not a spoken word....And the Ancient Israeli's did "say it", and named their children with the "YH" in their names.

You are correct, it is only vowels. I got it backwards. And yes not pronounced but breathed.

ByronArn · Mar 25, 2013

Rev Randy said:
You are correct, it is only vowels. I got it backwards. And yes not pronounced but breathed.

I disagree with the whole not pronounced thing. It is used quite extensively in the Hebrew Bible, and is used in conversation. If people hadn't said it, then the Bible would be misquoting these people. I believe the doctrine of inerrancy of Scripture makes that impossible. I agree with most modern scholars, and the early Church fathers, that it is pronounced "Yahweh".

But then again, the whole issue of pronunciation of the tetragrammaton is quite off topic here.

LaSpino3 · Mar 26, 2013

Byronarn, you asked "who is YHWH?"

Phil replies, "The titles LORD and God are translated from the Hebrew and Greek words, Elohim and Jehovah. Other titles used by God in the Scriptures are, Elahh, El, Adhonai, I Am, Theos, etc.

The first time we see the name God in Scripture is Gen.1:1. In the beginning God created. Here its the Hebrew word Elohim.

Elohim is not Gods proper name, but describes Gods real essence. Elohim is a compound word which signifies that God is Almighty; omniscient; omnipresent; a pure and perfect Spirit who preserves and governs all things; The one who is, who was, and who will be.

Is Jehovah a proper name for God? This Hebrew word is an English rendering of the tetragrammation YHWH. Its original pronunciation is unknown. Jehovah is derived from the verb "to be." and implies that God is eternal, that He is Absolute, the Uncaused One; this describing God's real essence.

When the Jews read the Scriptures they made no attempt to pronounce Y.H.W.A. because of its sacredness, taking seriously the third commandment written in,

Exod.17:15, "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain."

It is written that God will hold those who do take his name in vain, guilty. Also, after their captivity in Babylon the true pronunciation was lost.

Because "Yahweh," was also considered a sacred name for God, the Jews replaced it with LORD and God. Yet in the English Bibles we can find the name Jehovah written seven times.

How did the Hebrew Y.H.W.H. become Yahweh, then Jehovah? Two vowels, A and E were added for easier reading and pronunciation, rendering it, YaHWeH, or Yahweh.

Lets talk about the English translation for Jehovah. In the English alphabet until 1600 hundred, there was no letter "J". The name Jehovah was written in English as, "Yahweh." The letter J was introduced later into our alphabet for an easier pronunciation of words.

The W, in early English is the union of two Vs. This V being in the form of the Roman capital letter we call U today. The W is properly a vowel, but does not retain that distinction today.

To conclude, Y was changed to J, and W was changed to V, or J.H.V.H. The vowels were added for pronunciation purposes, and now rendered in the English as Jehovah. Later when the English Bible was published, Jehovah was written Lord, LORD, or God.

Phil LaSpino

ViaCrucis · Mar 26, 2013

YHVH is God, God is YHVH.

YHVH = The Trinity.
God = The Trinity.

The Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Father is God, the Father is YHVH.
The Son is God, the Son is YHVH.
The Holy Spirit is God, the Holy Spirit is YHVH.

-CryptoLutheran

Who is YHWH?

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