I love the LORD because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live...." -- Psalm 116
This is my favorite "life verse" since my born again experience more than 30 years ago. At the time I called upon "God" I did not know who He was, if He was, or what Name He was called. Yet He heard my pathetic plea for help and reached out to me right where I was. (See "My Testimony" July 2007). Since then I have transitioned from a Roman Catholic concept of Jesus to a more Biblical concept of Jesus to a more Hebraic concept of Yeshua to my current understanding that Yeshua is YHVH in the flesh, my Saviour, Redeemer, Friend.
Fast forward to today, and concepts of who He is and what His Name is will vary amongst sincere believers, and there will be strong opinions about pronunciations, taking the Name in vain, pagan antecedents, etc.
Some say we should not call Him "Lord" because it is like calling Him "Baal". But the Hebrew word "Adonai" means Lord. Should we not use Adonai in addressing Him? I see nothing wrong with titles and circumlocutions and the various ways of addressing Him that people are comfortable with (Lord, Heavenly Father, HaShem, etc). I generally am most comfortable with calling Him LORD (all caps) which is a circumlocution for YHVH, the Tetragrammaton that elicits disagreements about pronunciation, or IF it should be pronounced.
When it comes to pronunciation, I favor Yehovah. Others insist on YaHUwah, or Yahweh, or other variations. Well meaning believers become highly opinionated about this, and cringe when hearing the Name pronounced incorrectly in their view, or pronounced at all. It becomes divisive in some circles, or at least uncomfortable when congregations don't agree and are of different mindsets. That's where a peaceful compromise could be the acceptance of a circumlocution such as Avinu Malcheinu (Our Father, Our King) avoiding the controversy altogether for the sake of harmony. Yeshua Himself taught us to pray to Avinu Shebashamayim (Our Father in Heaven).
While Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson have some good information on the Name issue, they are not the only ones I have consulted in coming to the conclusion that Yehovah is closer to correct, rather than Yahweh (the majority opinion). Jewish Messianic believer Asher Intrater offers these insights:
The root of the name YHVH in Hebrew means "to be." the letter V may well have been pronounced more like the sound W in ancient times. However, between the V or W pronunciation there is no difference in meaning, and therefore virtually no significance, in my opinion.
Biblical Hebrew was written only in consonants, as we see in the letters YHVH. Therefore the main question of pronunciation concerns which vowel (points) to add to the consonants. The vowels can make a difference in the meaning. If we add the vowels -- "e" -- "o" -- "a" -- to the consonants, we receive the name YeHoVah.
In this format, the "e" (sh'va) stands for the future tense, the "o" (holom) for the present tense, and the "a" (patach) refers to the past tense. That gives meaning to the name YeHoVah as "He will be, He is, He was." In other words, the Eternal One. This meaning fits the understanding of the early patriarchs.
Many scholars choose the pronunciation, YaHWeH, as representing the "causative" form in the Hebrew, meaning "he who caused existence." This is a possibility. However, there are other grammatical reasons that make YeHoVaH preferable in my view.
Hebrew vowels change form depending on the number of syllables, and on where the syllables are located in the name. If there is just one syllable, such as Yah, then the "a" vowel is correct. Or if the letters come at the end of the word, such as Eliyah (Elijah), then the "a" is also correct. Yet, when the vowel comes at the beginning with multiple syllables, it changes. This can easily be proved by checking a concordance of the Bible.
Such names as Yehoyachin or Yehoshua or Yehoyada or Yehoshaphat contain the same root letters as YHVH, in the same syllable arrangement. All of the names in this pattern display the vowels as "e" -- "o" -- "a". If that same pattern is placed in the letters YHVH, we see the name again as Yehovah. There is not one example in the Hebrew Scriptures of a three syllable name containing the root YHVH that does not use the vowel pattern of "e" -- "o" -- "a".
Since EVERY example of the YHVH root used in biblical names in this pattern shows the vowels as "e" -- "o" -- "a" one would have to show some other overwhelming evidence, textually or grammatically, to choose a different pronunciation. There is no such other overwhelming documentation weighty enough to refute the biblical and grammatical evidence.
In summary, 1) the meaning of the vowels, 2) the grammatical form and 3) the list of biblical examples, all point to Yehovah (or Yehowah) as the preferred pronunciation over Yahweh.
-- Appendix 3 of "Who Ate Lunch with Abraham" p. 150-151
I have often wondered if "Jesus Christ is YHVH" is the test in 1 John 4:2,3 and 2 John 1:7 and if these verses were purposely altered or obscured in times past. I also wonder if a Hebrew version of "Jesus is Lord" in 1 Cor. 12:3 (were one to be found) would say "Yeshua is YHVH". The Greek word for Lord (Kyrios) is used for YHVH in the Septuagint. Christian doctrine evolved into a dichotomy between Jesus and the "Old Testament YHVH" as if they are not one and the same Being. It is a divine mystery that is over our heads to understand how one Being can manifest in different forms, but I like to use the imperfect analogy of Clark Kent and Superman, a story originally developed by two Jewish teenagers, to try to get some kind of limited grasp on the concept. The Roman Catholic Trinity doctrine is a man-made explanation, as are other theological constructs over the centuries. It is not necessary to adhere to a man-made theological definition to believe that God is triune yet One Being. Since the Scriptures themselves clearly indicate triunity, it makes sense to me that His Divine Name would be a tri-syllable Name, rather then two syllables. Hebrew grammar teaches that 4 consonants demand 3 vowels. Four consonants plus three vowels add up to seven, a number associated with Perfection/Completion in Scripture.
For these reasons, and more, I believe the Name of God to be Yehovah, yet I will continue to refer to Him by the circumlocution LORD in general conversation for fear of "taking the Name of YHVH in vain." In my prayer time, or in hearing a blessing pronounced, I believe YeHoVah is appropriate to be expressed. Others may differ with me concerning the Divine Name, but I wanted to share my view. I also would recommend the book I am currently reading, "Who Ate Lunch with Abraham" by Asher Intrater for some interesting insights into the appearances of God as a Man throughout Scripture.
