This is an email conversation between Yada and I, because I was wondering when Yahweh revealed his name to the people and when it was first used in scripture. So see what Yada wrote and any other insight that you might have to my question would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Tiffany



Hi Tiffany,

Yahweh’s name first appears in Genesis 2. From that point on Yah’s name is the most oft repeated in Scripture—appearing 7,000 times. Based upon the way it is used in Genesis, it seems likely that Adam, Chawah, and their sons up through Noah called God Yahuweh.

Abraham’s dealings with Babylon , Haran , and later Egypt , and the subsequent enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt , would have made knowing and using the name a problem. The Babylonian and Egyptian sungod religions would have used it and applied their pagan traits to it. This is exactly what the Canaanites did, for example. While Yahweh’s name is repeated hundreds of times in the Genesis presentation of the Covenant with Abraham, it’s possible that God used Yah, Yahushua, or just His title, Elohiym (Mighty One), when dealing with Abraham.

It wasn’t until the Yahuwdym were set apart in the Promised Land that knowing and using Yah’s name was universally beneficial. That said, the one verse which suggests that Abraham didn’t call God Yahuweh is problematic. There are issues with Masoretic tampering and also with inaccurate translation. If I haven’t covered this passage already in the book, I’ll deal with it when I do my edit pass of the first Abraham chapter.

Since Genesis was dictated to Moses as you know, we know that he knew Yah’s name. Moshe asked for and was given Yahuweh’s name at the time he was called to duty. From that point on, knowing and using Yahweh’s name remains essential. And that’s all that really matters.

Yada

Edited by user Sunday, January 27, 2008 3:27:08 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

kp,

Since Moses wrote Genesis and that being the case does that allow Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to have the same kind of relationship with Yahuweh that those that are set-apart? Because when my friend brought it up my thought was of course Abraham knew his name because it says he was a friend of Yahuweh, so can you really be friends with Yah and not know his name? Does that change the importance of the name, when some of the biggest players in scripture did not know his name? Why did Yah hide his name?

Tiffany

Peace and Happiness Everyone,



I was always under the impression that this was the correct translation of that verse (without any proof, of course). But I feel the verse Gen 4:26 And to Shĕth, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the Name of יהוה ISR


Your Loving Brother,
Michael Browell

Perhaps you're right, bitnet. But remember, Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldeans---Sin city, literally: his neighbors worshiped the moon god Sin there. So even if Adam, and men up through Noah's time, knew Yahweh's name, it doesn't necessarily follow that this knowledge was retained by all mankind up until Abram's day, especially after the mystery religion of Babylon was instituted and the tongues of men were divided at the tower of Babel. I'm not saying it didn't happen; I'm only saying that it's hard to know for sure.

kp

what about Yahudah? If the etymology is correct as to the meaning then wouldn't that mean that at least Ya'aqob knew the name...making the rendering, "...I was not known to them." rather problematic and contradicary. It does have Yud Heh Waw as all of the other Yahwistic names. I also have read that Yosef was a contraction of Yahuseph...just as Yochanan is contraction of Yahuchanan.