What is the Personal Name of God?

Hosea 12:5 the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name!

By Nick Bibile

I will try to answer in simple language in order for all to understand.  Why do we have names? Names are given to identify the real person. If there are five thousand people in a room and if we call the name John to come forward, many would come forward, so we have middle names and last names in order to filter to the correct person.

We know as per Bible there is only one God, he is the living God. (Psalm 42:2; Mark 12:27)

As He is the only God in heaven, does God need a name to identify himself? Really speaking, no. But many times God speaks to us in human terms so we can understand.

When Israelites were in Egypt for over 400 years, they were influenced by the Egyptian gods, and they had many gods. However they knew their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told Moses to go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go

 Exodus 3:13-15 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”

 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[b] 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 thus I am to be remembered

Moses told God people might ask what is the name of God, as they are used to many Egyptian gods, but they knew their ancestors. What was the answer of God?

“I am who I am.’ I AM has sent me to you.

Meaning God is always present, (I AM)  Then God even made it very clear saying,  He is God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

In Exodus 3:14 When God said, ““I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

The word “I AM” in Hebrew language which the Old Testament was written in, is YHWH. The name of God cannot be pronounced and it’s holy, no devout Jew will pronounce God’s holy name.

Leviticus 22:2 And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you,

How many movie stars and others are profaning God’s holy name today!

Deuteronomy 28:58 …. you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God,

Jesus told us to pray “Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9)

 Who came up with the name Yaweh or Jehovah?

A group of Jewish scholars named Masoretes, from 6-10 th century inserted vowels from Hebrew words Adonai (Meaning Lord, Master) and Elohim (God)  and came up with the name Yahweh.

The word Jehovah came from the Latin language, probably added by William Tyndale in translating the Bible from Latin to English.

There are many great preachers and Christian teachers whom I respect much, they pronounce God’s name as Yahweh or Jehovah, but with all due respect to them, I personally do not think we should pronounce man made Yahweh or Jehovah.

The King James Bible uses Jehovah, but the modern translations like NASB, ESV , NIV, don't use Jehovah or Yahweh, when it comes to God’s personal name they use LORD in Capital letters.

God’s personal name identifies his nature and character. God is unchangeable, He is always present. He shall never leave us nor forsake us.