What is God's Name? Hint: It's not "God."

Did you know God’s name is not “God”?

Elohim

In the beginning, in Genesis 1, the English word “God” was the Hebrew word elohim. If you know a bit of Hebrew, you’ll note that elohim is plural — it ends with the suffix “-im.” That in itself is seed for a lot of discussion and the entrance to many rabbit holes, so we’ll just keep it simple.

Although used to introduce us to the One who created all, the word elohim can refer to all sorts of spiritual beings. The root of this ancient Semitic word is el, meaning “strong one.” It’s used to refer to angels or other heavenly beings (Psalm 29:1; Job 1:6); it can refer to foreign gods (Exodus 12:12; Exodus 18:11; Joshua 24:20, 23); in a few cases, it may be translated “judges” (Exodus 21:6; 22:7–8) — translations vary. And yes, most often, when elohim appears in the Old Testament, it refers to the God of Israel.

That root — el — is often used in words that describe Him: El Shaddai, for example, means “the God Almighty” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5); El Elyon means “the God Most High” (Deuteronomy 26:19); and El Roi means “the God Who Sees” (Genesis 16:13).

But elohim is not a name. It is, for lack of a better term, a category, a generic term for deity that can be traced back through many Semitic languages, and Babylonian, Phoenician, and Aramaic as well. El, in fact, was the name for the head of the Canaanite’s countless gods! Translators, for clarity, I suppose, and as a show of deep respect, spell elohim with a capital “E” when referring to the God that is above all others — the God of Israel.

Adonai

Our God was called by another name among the Hebrews that is still used by us today: Adonai. Adonai is the Hebrew word for “lord.” In English, “lord” is defined as “someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.” In Hebrew, it is the same. In 1 Samuel 24:8, 26:17, and 29:8, David refers to Saul as “my lord the king,” using the word adonai. Some of Elisha’s followers called him adonai (2 Kings 2:19). And Joseph’s brothers called him adonai when they stood before him in Egypt. (If only they had known!) Adonai conveys the idea of rulership or dominion.

Adonai is one of the most common words used for God, but it is not His name. When you see “lord” with the initial “L” in either upper or lower case, whether referring to God or someone else, it is most likely the word adonai.

YHWH

And then there is YHWH. Four letters; no vowels; all caps. Because there are no vowels, no one is quite sure how to pronounce it. It is this four-letter Hebrew word that William Tyndale eventually translated into the name Jehovah.

Through the telescope of Genesis 1, we are introduced to Elohim, the Creator, acting from a distance, bringing amazing things out of nothing. But in Genesis 2:4, this elohim comes close — into the realm of man and the heavens that surround him — and He is introduced to us as the LORD God (Genesis 2:4). Since I don’t know how to format the following in a Medium draft, you’ll have to look in your Bible. See how the uppercase “L” is followed by a slightly smaller “ORD”? Did you ever wonder about that — why sometimes it’s “Lord” and sometimes it’s “LORD”? When you see the word “lord” or “Lord” it may be elohim or it could be adonai. But when you see “LORD,” you’re seeing a very holy name, the personal name of God: YHWH.

No one else is YHWH.

By the time the Hebrews were making bricks in Egypt, it seemed they had forgotten YHWH, their Adonai. It had been 300 years since Jacob had spoken His name (Genesis 49:18). He seemed a faraway god again, a memory at best. The godly midwives knew there was a god to fear, but to them, He was Elohim (Exodus 1:21).

But one day Moses, a child of God raised up in the ways of the Egyptians, who had doubtless heard the word elohim in the courts of the Pharoah, was tending to the sheep of a Midianite priest when a voice from a bush called his name. The voice told him he would go and do great exploits on His behalf, and understandably, Moses asked, “Who are you?” And the voice answered “YHWH.”

In a culture where gods were kept at a distance, God told Moses His name.

This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:15, NIV)

As strange as it may seem to those of us who use an abundance of words to say very little, this one four-letter word is the container for three Hebrew words: haya, hoveh, and yeheyeh — “past,” “present,” and “future.” YHWH always was, right now is, and forever shall be; YHWH transcends time. And while Elohim seemed far away, YHWH, the ever-present One, was near; YHWH transcends space. The four-letter name of God represents the infinite nature of the God who is beyond our comprehension.

The name of God was recognized by His children as so holy that, in later years, Jews ceased to utter it aloud. In its place, they said haShem (“the Name”) or adonai (“my lord”). As a result, the ancient pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton — the four letters of His name — was lost. So in the Middle Ages, when the Hebrew vowel system was developed, the rabbis transcribing the Scriptures chose to add the vowels from the word adonai to the Tetragrammaton to make a word that could be easily spoken and as a reminder not to say God’s personal name out loud.

Even today, when observant Jews see that arrangement of four letters — YHWH, they say “Adonai.” It was the melding of the two — YHWH and adonai — that resulted in today’s most commonly accepted spelling and pronunciation, Yahweh, but this, of course, is still debated. Because of the uncertainty, many simply write YHWH as His name. At some point, Latin-speaking Christian scholars replaced the “Y” — which does not exist in Latin — with an “I” or a “J.” Thus, the Tetragrammaton became Jehovah.

But He has never changed. Elohim, the Creator God, and Adonai, our Lord, has always been and forever shall be YHWH.

Yet, there is another name for God:

Abba

Abba is Jesus’ name for His Father. In His most vulnerable times, in intimacy Jesus cried out to Abba. (Mark 14:36)

Now, because we are His sons and daughters, and because YHWH wants to hold us close, He has sent the Spirit of his Son to take up residence in our hearts, and that Spirit cannot help but cry out, “Abba.” (Galatians 4:6)

And now that we rest in the reality of irrevocable adoption, as children before a Father who is always present, by the sonship Jesus bought us, we too can cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15).