Yahweh

The Names of God, Part 6

I’m old enough, or old-fashioned enough, to remember when the accepted English form of the proper name of God was Jehovah. Younger people may not understand, but the old name has familial associations that are difficult to let go, and the new one sounds bland and pedantic by comparison. Yahweh may or may not be closer to the original Hebrew. We don’t actually know how Moses pronounced the name, and since I speak English, not ancient Hebrew, I prefer the old form.

Nonetheless, I don’t count it as a matter of very great importance, and I certainly don’t think we should adopt a legalistic conformity to one pronunciation or the other. The words we use certainly matter. God is not Allah, and He is not Baal of the Canaanites. But when the words we choose refer to the correct entity, the pronunciation of His name is of comparatively minor significance. Just as God doesn’t hear us because of the multitude of words we use, He also doesn’t make an issue over the pronunciation of them. God doesn’t make a man an offender for a word. He made every language, and He understands them all. The thing that matters to Him is trusting His character and His person.

Yahweh, Jehovah, Lord,
By every name adored.
The One who reads our hearts
And made our inward parts
Won’t scruple for the name.
He’s honored just the same
Whatever vowels we choose
Or native tongue we use.

The one important thing
Is not what sounds we sing,
But what our hearts believe
And whom our souls receive.
The Lord our God is known
Through Jesus Christ alone.
The meek and lowly Lamb
Unveils the Great I Am.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash