In the KJV I grew up reading, Genesis 2:4 reads “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,” (Genesis 2:4, KJV)
And most English translations are very similar, following a very old tradition of translating the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHWH as “LORD.” However in my favorite translation, the Legacy Standard Bible, the translation is Yahweh.
Since Genesis 2:4 is the first mention of YHWH in the Old Testament, and since I am currently preaching through Genesis on Wednesday nights using the LSB (I pastor Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Hortense GA), this was a text that really interested me. I preached this subject on Wednesday night, and you can find the recording here: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/3272524193133
The name Yahweh appears in the LSB 6,844 times, while Lord only appears 1,287 times.
It must be important then.
WHY THE KJV and OTHERS TRANSLATE HIS NAME AS LORD.
The Mesoretic Jews of the inter-testament period were so concerned about taking the name of Yahweh in vain that they used Adonai instead of Yahweh in their translation.
Sure enough, right there in the third commandment, let’s read it:
“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, LSB)
But did He say not to use His name at all? No.
Further more, did the use of LORD in the stead of Yahweh prevent the using of God’s name in vain? Not at all. How often do we hear men and women use God or Lord in a non-reverent vain way?
Elohim means God, but as we saw it can also mean gods and can be applied to angels and men.
Adonai means Lord. This is also applied to the God of heaven but sometimes men. Example, Genesis 18:12.
So in your KJV for instance, Lord is Adonai but LORD is Yahweh….except in a few instances where the word is transliterated as Jehovah.
Jehovah is actually a misreading of YHWH when combined with Adonai.
John MacArthur writes in his book on Biblical Doctrine:
The Masoretic pointing of “YHWH” led Latin-writing Christians to transliterate the Masoretic writing of “YHWH” with its vowel markings as “Iehovah.”
It appears in Latin Christian writings as early as the twelfth century AD. So the church of the Middle Ages came to combine the consonants of “YHWH” (transliterated as “IHVH”) and the vowels of adonai to produce the name Iehovah. The Reformers embraced this transliteration, and William Tyndale also used it in some passages in his Old Testament translation (1530). Then the Authorized Version (or King James Version) of 1611 (cf. Ex. 6:3) and the English Revised Version of 1885 used “Jehovah” in a few passages, accepting the J in place of the I, and this was the usual translation of Yahweh in the American Standard Version of 1901. But most modern English versions have respected the tradition of not pronouncing the tetragrammaton by translating “YHWH” as “Lord,” generally set in small caps to differentiate it from adonai.[1]
[1] MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R., eds. (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 155–156). Crossway.
The translators of the LSB nor am I saying that the KJV was wrong in the way it was done in the past. However, I will go as far to say that if I have a choice between reading the actual name of Yahweh in the text or LORD in the text, I will choose the text which has Yahweh. Every time.
I’ve got no axes to grind or debates to win…..but I do want to warn. There is an idea, a teaching that is going around on the internet that says Yahweh is a false god…. Well,that is simply at its best dishonest. At worst, it is a violation of the third commandment or even blasphemy against God Almighty. I pray it is being done in ignorance. Be careful what you listen to, watch, and follow or repeat or share online.
Your favorite translation may not be the LSB. But at least be honest. Translating the tetragrammaton as Yahweh is not new with John MacArthur or the LSB translation. I have Baptist commentaries going back to the 1800s years with the name of God as Yahweh and even questioning the translation of Jehovah. It’s not as settled as the cultists (a few zealous KJVO guys and some Jehovah’s Witnesses) want to make it sound.
WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?
There is something lost in translation when the name of God gets muddled up. It can be confusing to keep track of Lord (Adonai) and LORD (Yahweh). Names mean something in the Old Testament and Yahweh God wanted us to know and remember His personal covenant name. Notice:
“Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” And God furthermore said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, 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 My memorial-name from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3:13–15, LSB)
Yahweh then means “to be.” It means, “ I AM who I AM.” This is His covenant name. This is the name of God, and no one else. This is the name He wants to be known as and remembered by.
““And I will bring the third part through the fire And refine them as silver is refined And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘Yahweh is my God.’” (Zechariah 13:9, LSB)
The relationship between Israel and God is personal. “Yahweh is my God.” The God of the Bible. This distinguishes between other gods and even in the future Millennial Kingdom, they will know Him as Yahweh.
Go and read Psalm 95:1-11 in the LSB. I have this blog set up so you can hover your mouse over the Bible reference and see the LSB text. Take time to read it.
He is high above all gods.
So, in our text, this section fills in the details of man’s creation on day six and the Creator is not just Elohim, but Yahweh Elohim. Yahweh God. Our great covenant keeping God. Man is different than the animals. He has a relationship with God. That was reflected in the text in Genesis 1. And we see that here as God reveals Himself as Yahweh, a name repeated over 6000 times in the Old Testament.
I have not hidden the fact that I love this translation, and all of my family and many of our church members also have copies of the Legacy Standard Bible. Perhaps you do too. It is growing in popularity and for good reason! Maybe you have noticed the name of Yahweh in the Old Testament but not in the New Testament….even though there are Old Testament passages quoted there. So, why don’t we see Yahweh in the New Testament?
Do not think it is simply because of some Jewish superstitions.
No, no. The Greek New Testament was just as inspired as the Hebrew Old Testament, and that includes the New Testament’s usage of the Old Testament.
Jesus is Yahweh, but there is a shift and the translation is Greek Kurios Lord. Jesus is Lord. Higher than even the Roman Ceasar. He is the promised Messiah. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.
What we find in the revelation of Jesus Christ the Messiah is a connection is being made that yes, Jesus is the Lord. Yes He is the Christ, the Messiah. But that is because He is Yahweh Himself.
He is Yahweh revealed. He is Yahweh in the flesh.
The name Jesus is Yashua – Yahweh saves.
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:56–59, LSB)
As Jesus said what He did here, He was saying He was Yahweh….the Jewish leaders picked up on this. That’s why they wanted to kill Him right away.
“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”” (Matthew 3:1–3, LSB)
This comes from Isaiah 40:3. Notice what was LORD in Matthew is Yahweh in the Old Testament.
Jesus is Yahweh!
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13, LSB)
This is a quote from Joel 2:32. Again the LORD in the New Testament is Yahweh in the Old.
Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11, LSB)
This is a reference to Isaiah 45:18-25. Once again, Jesus is Yahweh!
So, the name Yahweh is not in the New Testament…but hold on!
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great crowd in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His slaves shed by her hand.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His slaves, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like the voice of a great crowd and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” (Revelation 19:1-6)
Hallelujah is Praise Yahweh, or more precisely, Praise Yah!
If Yahweh is God’s personal name, Yah is His intimate name. Psalm 150.
CONCLUSION
In the context of our text, Elohim is Yahweh.
Jesus is Yahweh.
The Father is Yahweh.
The Holy Spirit is Yahweh.
As we look into the text of Scripture, and we begin to see in this in the first of over 6000 times, this is important because He has revealed His name to us. We ought not to cover it up with another word.
Not only do we see His name in the text, but we will see His character revealed more clearly as we navigate through the text.
Let us say with the Psalmist:
“I will bless Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in Yahweh; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify Yahweh with me, And let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:1-3)