Throughout Genesis 1, we see the name of God, the Hebrew word “Elohim,” in the creation. “In the beginning God [Elohim] …”1 Elohim is a plural word for God because it is referring to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Elohim is the Creator God.
In chapter 2 where we see passages referring to the creation of man, we have the introduction of the name, LORD GOD, or in Hebrew “Yahweh Elohim.”2
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)3
Yahweh (also called Jehovah4) is considered the most holy name of all the names of God, and even today the Jewish people will not pronounce it because they believe it is too sacred to utter. To say this word is considered blasphemous to Jewish people, and is looked upon as the worst kind of presumption. They call it the tetragrammaton5 because it has four (tetra) Hebrew letters, Yud Hei Vav Hei. Instead of saying Yahweh, they will say “the name,” or they use the name Adonai6 which means “my Lord, master, owner.” Yahweh is translated LORD in English with all caps in most English translations. However, when you find Lord (with just the L capitalized), it’s not Yahweh, it’s Adonai.
Yahweh is the LORD who was, who is, and who is to come. He is the great “I AM.” Yahweh is the covenant-keeping God, the self-existing God, and the intimate God. He is the relational God. The reason we can say Yahweh is because the New Covenant in His blood has removed every barrier between us. The veil has been torn. We as believers in the New Covenant are in union with the covenant-keeping God of intimate relationship.
(from pages 82-83 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
Shop Unveiling Jesus Products
Unveiling Jesus Book
Unveiling Jesus 20-Part Series
Original Unveiling Jesus, 10-part series
1H430 (elohiym), Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H430&t=KJV, accessed 5-19-14
2Genesis 2:7, Blue Letter Bible (interlinear tab), website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=2&t=KJV&ss=1#s=t_conc_2007, accessed 6-21-14
3Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
4H3068 (Yĕhovah), Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, website: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3068&t=KJV, accessed 5-19-14
5S. Michael Houdmann, “What is YHWH? What is the tetragrammaton?” Got Questions?.org, http://www.gotquestions.org/YHWH-tetragrammaton.html, accessed on 6-13-14
6Adonai, “The Hebrew Names for the Lord,” website: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Adonai/adonai.html, accessed 5-19-14
