Lost In Translation Part 1
The name you don't know (YHWH, Yahweh, LORD, Jehovah)
Scripture: The Name Revealed
In the Hebrew Scriptures, God identifies Himself not only by what He does or how He relates to people, but by a personal covenant name.
At the burning bush, Moses asks the question every Israelite would eventually ask: when this God acts in history, who is He? God’s response is deliberate and permanent.
“Say to the children of Israel, YHWH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”
— Exodus 3:15
This moment marks a turning point in Scripture. The God who had been known by titles and attributes now makes His personal covenant name known. From this point forward, Israel’s relationship with God is anchored not only in His power or promises, but in His revealed identity.
That name—YHWH—appears thousands of times throughout the Hebrew Bible. It is woven into the Psalms, the Prophets, the Law, and Israel’s prayers. It is spoken in covenant declarations, acts of deliverance, judgments, and promises of restoration.
Over time, a practice developed of treating the Name with exceptional reverence. Readers substituted Adonai when encountering it aloud. Greek translations rendered it as Kyrios. Latin followed with Dominus. English translations preserved the tradition by printing LORD in capital letters.
Even when the letters are hidden behind a title, the biblical text continues to assume that this God has a name and that the name matters. Scripture consistently distinguishes between generic deity language and the specific covenant identity of YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The names, titles, and descriptors found throughout the Hebrew Bible are not interchangeable. They function together to reveal who God is, how He acts, and how He relates to His people. The personal name stands at the center of that system, grounding every title, promise, and act of salvation in a specific, knowable identity.
This is the name carried forward in Israel’s prayers, remembered in covenant history, and embedded in the name Yeshua itself—the declaration that YHWH saves.
Context: How Names Work in Hebrew Thought
In the world of the Hebrew Scriptures, a name carries meaning, identity, and purpose. Names function as shorthand for character and calling. When a name is spoken, what it means is meant to be heard.
This pattern appears repeatedly in the biblical story. Abram becomes Abraham when a promise expands. Sarai becomes Sarah when a covenant takes shape. Jacob becomes Israel after an encounter that reshapes his future. In each case, a name marks a shift in identity and vocation.
The same logic governs the way Scripture speaks about God. Divine names are not interchangeable labels. They operate within a structured system that communicates relationship, authority, action, and covenant identity.
Scripture uses general deity terms such as El and Elohim to describe divine power and status. Relational titles such as Adonai express authority and lordship. Descriptive phrases such as El Shaddai or YHWH Roi speak to God’s character and actions within history. At the center stands YHWH, the personal covenant name that anchors all others.
This layered naming system allows the text to speak with precision. When Israel calls on YHWH, they are addressing a specific God known by name, history, and covenant—not an abstract concept of divinity.
The same pattern appears in Hebrew personal names. Theophoric names embed divine meaning directly into everyday speech. Names such as Yesha’yahu (Isaiah), Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah), and Eliyahu (Elijah) carry theological content whenever they are spoken.
Yehoshua (Joshua / Jesus) follows this same pattern. Formed from a shortened form of YHWH (Yeho-) and the verb yashaʿ (“to save”), the name declares that YHWH saves. It is first given prominence in Scripture when Moses renames Hoshea as Yehoshua, marking a calling tied to deliverance and inheritance.
By the Second Temple period, Yehoshua naturally shortened in common speech to Yeshua, while retaining its meaning. In Greek, this same name—whether referring to Joshua son of Nun or to Yeshua of Nazareth—appears as Iēsous. English later distinguished them as Joshua and Jesus, even though the underlying name is the same.
That shared name is not incidental. It signals continuity of purpose and invites deeper reflection on leadership, deliverance, and fulfillment—connections we will explore more fully in Part 2.
The structure and usage of God’s names throughout the Hebrew Bible reflect this same care and intentionality. Names carry meaning forward, preserving identity across generations, languages, and covenant history.
Covenant: Choice in a Time of Clarity
In the world of the Hebrew Scriptures, a name carries meaning, identity, and purpose. Names function as shorthand for character and calling. When a name is spoken, what it means is meant to be heard.
This pattern appears repeatedly in the biblical story. Abram becomes Abraham when a promise expands. Sarai becomes Sarah when a covenant takes shape. Jacob becomes Israel after an encounter that reshapes his future. In each case, a name marks a shift in identity and vocation.
The same logic governs the way Scripture speaks about God. Divine names are not interchangeable labels. They operate within a structured system that communicates relationship, authority, action, and covenant identity.
Scripture uses general deity terms such as El and Elohim to describe divine power and status. Relational titles such as Adonai express authority and lordship. Descriptive phrases such as El Shaddai or YHWH Roi speak to God’s character and actions within history. At the center stands YHWH, the personal covenant name that anchors all others.
In English, this name appears in several reconstructed forms—Yahweh, Yahuah, YHWH—reflecting different scholarly approaches to transliterating ancient Hebrew. Scripture itself preserves the consonantal form, and the theological significance of the name does not depend on settling a single pronunciation.
The form “Jehovah” emerged much later. Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels. When Jewish scribes added vowel markings in the Middle Ages, they placed the vowels of Adonai (“Lord”) around the consonants YHWH as a visual cue reminding readers to say Adonai rather than pronounce the Name. Later Christian readers, unfamiliar with this convention, combined those consonants and vowels as though they belonged together, producing YeHoVaH, which entered English as Jehovah. The form reflects a historical misunderstanding of scribal notation rather than an ancient pronunciation.
This layered naming system allows the text to speak with precision. When Israel calls on YHWH, they are addressing a specific God known by name, history, and covenant—not an abstract concept of divinity.
The same pattern appears in Hebrew personal names. Theophoric names embed divine meaning directly into everyday speech. Names such as Yesha’yahu (Isaiah), Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah), and Eliyahu (Elijah) carry theological content whenever they are spoken.
Yehoshua (Joshua / Jesus) follows this same pattern. Formed from a shortened form of YHWH (Yeho-) and the verb yashaʿ (“to save”), the name declares that YHWH saves. It is first given prominence in Scripture when Moses renames Hoshea as Yehoshua, marking a calling tied to deliverance and inheritance.
By the Second Temple period, Yehoshua naturally shortened in common speech to Yeshua, while retaining its meaning. In Greek, this same name—whether referring to Joshua son of Nun or to Yeshua of Nazareth—appears as Iēsous. English later distinguished them as Joshua and Jesus, even though the underlying name is the same.
That shared name is not incidental. It signals continuity of purpose and invites deeper reflection on leadership, deliverance, and fulfillment—connections we will explore more fully in Part 2.
The structure and usage of God’s names throughout the Hebrew Bible reflect this same care and intentionality. Names carry meaning forward, preserving identity across generations, languages, and covenant history.
Practice: Living It Out
How Does This Change Our Walk?
Understanding the names of God does not require anyone to change the language they already use in prayer or worship. What it offers is awareness. When believers realize that Scripture preserves layers of meaning beneath familiar names, their walk can become more intentional and more informed.
This awareness creates choice. With greater access to historical and linguistic context than any previous generation, believers can decide how much of that understanding they want to carry into their daily walk. For some, the change will be subtle. For others, it may shape how they read Scripture, pray, or speak about God. The relationship itself remains the foundation.
A Real-World Example
Imagine growing up knowing your grandfather simply as Grandpa. Maybe you also knew an Americanized version of his name—shortened, smoothed out, easier to pronounce. It worked. It carried affection. It fit the world you lived in.
Years later, you learn that this was not his original name. You discover that in his homeland, his given name carried deep meaning for the family. It was a name passed down from father to son for generations. Every male in the family bore some form of it. The name told a story about where the family came from, what they valued, and how they understood themselves.
When your grandfather immigrated, that name was translated or shortened. Over time, the original form faded from daily use. The Americanized version remained and eventually became the name passed on to the next generation—familiar, functional, and fitting for its time.
Learning the original name does not change your relationship with your grandfather. You still love him. You still honor him. You still call him Grandpa. But now you carry a deeper understanding of who he was and where he came from. The name adds texture to the relationship and reconnects you to a lineage you did not know was there.
With that understanding, you might feel encouraged to carry that meaning forward. When it comes time to name your own child, you may choose to reclaim the original family name alongside—or in place of—the translated version. The choice flows from appreciation rather than correction. The name becomes a way of honoring both the family’s history and the fuller story now known.
Recovering the context of God’s names works in a similar way. Familiar names remain meaningful. Relationship remains intact. What changes is awareness. A name once heard only in translation is rediscovered in its original setting, carrying history, identity, and purpose that had always been there.
Three Practical Takeaways
Read Scripture with attention to the names and titles used for God, noticing how meaning shifts with context.
Allow understanding to deepen intimacy without creating pressure to change language or practice.
Decide intentionally how much of this recovered context you want to carry forward or pass on.
Three Discussion Questions
How does knowing that God revealed a personal name shape your understanding of covenant and relationship?
What responsibility, if any, comes with increased access to biblical context?
How can new understanding strengthen unity rather than create division?
Seven-Day Practice Rhythm
Day 1 – Reflection
Read Exodus 3:15 slowly. Reflect on what it means for God to say, “This is my name forever.” Write one sentence about how that affects the way you think about Him.
Day 2 – Prayer
In private prayer, address God using the language you are most comfortable with, while holding awareness that He has revealed Himself personally.
Day 3 – Community
Share this insight with a trusted friend or small group, not to persuade, but to listen. Notice how others respond.
Day 4 – Reflection
As you read Scripture today, notice which names or titles for God appear and consider why that particular name is used.
Day 5 – Prayer
Thank God for access to Scripture, language tools, and historical context that previous generations did not have.
Day 6 – Community
Practice grace toward differences in language and expression within your faith community.
Day 7 – Sabbath
Rest in the knowledge that God desires to be known. Let gratitude, rather than effort, shape your response.
Closing Blessing
May the God who revealed His name walk with you in clarity and peace.
May the One who chose to be known draw you into deeper trust and understanding.
May awareness lead to intimacy, and knowledge serve relationship.
As you read, pray, and walk forward, may you recognize the faithfulness that has carried generations before you, and the opportunity entrusted to this one.
May what has been uncovered strengthen humility rather than pride, curiosity rather than fear, and unity rather than division.
And may the God who saves—known by name and near by covenant—meet you where you are, and guide you as you respond to what is now visible.