THE REVEALED NAME OF GOD YHWH (Part 4)
From the scientific etymology of a name to its spiritual meaning
In the Bible, a Hebrew or Aramaic name has an intrinsic etymological meaning that anyone understanding these languages can understand. However, to this scientific etymology is added a biblical spiritual significance (or message), that explains the meaning of this name, its authority, its mission. Take several known examples:
- Jesus: Scientific etymology: Yeshua or Yehoshua in Hebrew means “Jehovah is salvation”. The message or spiritual meaning of his name: “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
- Noah: Scientific etymology: Rest. The spiritual meaning of his name: consolation: “This one will bring us comfort from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that Jehovah has cursed” (Genesis 5:29).
- Israel: Scientific etymology: Struggle with God. The Spiritual Meaning of His Name: Fight and persevere with God and with men: “you have contended with God and with men and you have at last prevailed” (Genesis 32:28).
- Barnabas (name of Aramaic origin): Scientific etymology: Son of prophecy. The spiritual meaning of his name: Son of consolation: “So Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barʹna·bas (which means, when translated, “Son of Comfort”)” (Acts 4:36).
Here is the explanation found in “A History of the Divine Name” (page 41), regarding the discrepancies between the scientific etymology of a name and its spiritual meaning or biblical message:
“We can note the “chasm” separating these two kinds of etymologies: Rather than trying to make them coincide, we must remember that the explanation of these differences is always the same: the purpose of the Biblical definitions is to give above all, a religious message. Besides, what would be the point of explaining to a Hebrew the meaning of a Hebrew name? Thus, it is obvious to a Hebrew that the name Noah scientifically means “rest”; however the verse of Genesis 5:29 tells us that this “rest” will biblically mean “he will comfort”, because Noah was going to play a consoling prophetic role “.
Some people think that Jehovah’s statement concerning his Name, “I Will Become What I Choose to Become”, is to be considered as a scientific etymology of the Name, allowing at the same time a more exact vocalization of it (Exodus 3:14). This interpretation has two major obstacles:
1 — The Name itself, Jehovah (YHWH), has no proven Hebrew scientific etymology. What seems logical: To say that the proper Name Jehovah, would have a scientific etymology would be an anachronism that would suggest that the Hebrew language would have preceded the existence of the Divine Name. Now this Name is closely associated with an everlasting God who had no beginning (Genesis 1: 1)… Moreover, according to the inspired statements of the Apostle Paul, it does not seem that in the heavens one speaks Hebrew (1 Corinthians 13: 1 “tongues of angels”). It is more logical to think that the Hebrew language would be built around the Name, even allowing the children to vocalize it in all simplicity (It is pronounced according to its letters to use the expression of the Talmud, consisting of the three consonants/vowels of base for reading (YHW) (Matres Lecionis)): “”Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them: “Yes. Did you never read this, ‘Out of the mouth of children and infants, you have brought forth praise’?”” (Matthew 21:16 compare with 11:25).
2 — The context of the book of Exodus shows that the Israelites knew the name of the God of their ancestors (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), and therefore its vocalisation was known. The answer of God “I Will Become What I Choose to Become”, is not a scientific etymology of his Name (which would have helped Moses to better vocalize the Name), but rather a spiritual message regarding the “Memorial” of his Name (Exodus 3:15).
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