|
On looking at the Hebrew used in Job I noticed that the name YHWH
is used by the narrator at the beginning and the end of the book,
but when the men are talking they use El or Eloah.
This made me wonder, as this is a very ancient book, some say
as old as Genesis.
Looking at Genesis I saw that the name YHWH is used from Genesis
2 onward.
Is this name then not exclusive to the Jews as a name for God?
If Moses w rote Genesis then one might say he was using the name
revealed to him, but who wrote Job and when? It is the only book
in the Hebrew scriptures not about Jews apparently – and seems
to be set in the patriarchal era, before the Torah given.
What exactly was the name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3 – most
people are under the impression it was YHWH – the I AM, and
we tend to think that the people before that time did not know
this was the name of God and addressed Him as El, which is a Canaanite
word for god, or "adonai", which Hebrew for my lord,
or master.
Ex 3 v 14 in the Hebrew Jerusalem Bible has on the English side
of the page
"EHEYE ASHER EHEYE (I will ever be what I now am)" Young’s
literal translation has "I am what I am", and when Moses
asks who shall he say sent him the reply is "Tell them EHEYE
(I am) has sent you ".
EHEYE is actually made up from the verb I am plus I will be. So
literally it is saying God’s name is "I am I will be" and
this who has sent you. " asher means "what " or "that" so
the whole phrase is" I am I will be what I am I will be."
This gives an impression of the constancy of God, and in the context
where he is saying to Moses I promised your forefathers and now
I am going to fulfil those promises .
The name YHWH is also from the verb to be but more the meaning
of "the one who causes to be"- the creator God.
Why do our English translations not bring out these subtleties
of meaning that give such depth of understanding about God Himself?
Could it be that YHWH is the name man has given God but EHEYE
is the name God has revealed and given to man as how he describes
Himself?
The Jewish prayer book has for the Lord God " YHWH elohim" the
eternal one, and both name convey that God is for ever and although
unchanging He has created a wonderful variety of other life, and
reveals Himself in His different facets in many ways to different
people: not only the Jews. It is the book of Job where it says " God
reveals Himself in many different ways" – there is much
wisdom in this non Jewish book about God.
It seems that in the same place as Moses encountered God in a
bush that was unchanged by fire, Elijah learned that God (YHWH)
was not in the earthquake, wind or fire but in the still small
voice. For Elijah the stillness was in contrast to the destructive
changes of the forces of nature around him.
So far I have not found this name EHEYE anywhere else but Ex.3 – the
usual name used is YHWH – so what is the sacred name? The
Jews today will not speak it – referring to God as" haShem "-
the Name. Modern Hebrew does not have a verb " to be" because
of this.
next section : Book of Revelation
|
