If the title above means nothing to you, don’t worry about it. It has no connection to your soul’s salvation.
But this is the opposite of what some religious leaders teach. There are various religious groups that place great importance on the Old Testament Hebrew name for God, usually rendered in English letters as “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” The reason for the divergence is no one really knows for sure how to pronounce it. “The Tetragrammaton YHWH appears without its own vowels, and its exact pronunciation is debated (Jehovah, Yehovah, Jahweh, Yahweh)” (Vine, e-Sword).
Translations
Hebrew is a Semitic language, a family of languages totally different from the family to which English belongs. Any English speaking person who has ever attempted to learn Hebrew, which has a completely different alphabet, which reads right to left, and which has pronunciations sometimes almost impossible for our tongues, can attest this is a “burdensome” requirement (cf. 1 John 5:3).
Obedience to God is essential to our salvation (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9). The righteousness of the gospel is something readily available to all who come to Christ in faith (Romans 10:6-10). But if we must learn to pronounce Hebrew names, which not even Hebrew scholars know for sure how to pronounce, our salvation is hopeless.
Muslims claim we can’t really comprehend the beauty of the Qur’an unless we learn Arabic and read it in the original language. I’ve read the entire Qur’an in English, and I readily admit I see no beauty in it. You can appreciate the beauty of the Twenty-third Psalm without knowing a word of Hebrew.
When the apostles of Christ preached on Pentecost, although their audience was entirely Jewish, they preached in the languages of those assembled (Acts 2:5-11). The audience learned the will of God sufficiently that three thousand were saved in one day (Acts 2:41). Knowledge of Hebrew was unimportant.
“The word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Peter wrote that in Greek, I quoted it in English. “According to Tyndale Bible Translators, the Bible has been translated fully into 717 languages…” (grunge). Regardless of the language, if it’s a faithful translation, and you can read that language, you can learn all God’s will from it. This is one important way “the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Calling on the Name of the Lord
Calling on the name of the Lord does not mean to pronounce with the mouth a certain word or even to request with the mouth salvation from that being (Matthew 7:21). The sinner outside Christ calls on the Lord by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:13-17), believing in Christ (Romans 10:8-13), repenting of His sins (Acts 2:21, 38), confessing His faith in Christ (Romans 10:8-13), and being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:21, 38; 22:16). When one is baptized for the remission of sins, he is appealing to God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21, NASB).
Name of God Manifested
The Lord made His name known to Israel through Moses (Exodus 3:15-16). But almost 1500 years later Jesus prayed to His Father, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world” (John 17:6). The term “manifested” means “to bring to light, to set in a clear light; to manifest, display,” and in this passage means “to declare, make known”
(Mounce. 1302). The same term is translated “revealed” in both the New King James Version and New American Standard Bible in Mark 4:22. If Moses revealed the one divine name that all people must use for all time, how is it that Christ revealed the name of God to His apostles, who were all Jews?
The fact is the word “name” is used, not just of the appellation by which one is called, but “for all that a name implies, of authority, character, rank, majesty, power, excellence, etc., of everything that the name covers” (Vine. 3:100). “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1; cf. Ecclesiastes 7:1). Is Solomon commending a name that sounds good or a good reputation? We must “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Must we go about saying “Lord Jesus” or do all by His authority?
God is not concerned whether or not we pronounce a word correctly. Remember, no one knows for certain how to pronounce the tetragrammaton (Hebrew word translated “LORD”).
“Sacred name” devotees have a misunderstanding of the significance of names parallel to that of the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16). They thought the name “Jesus” was a magical talisman that, if pronounced, would accomplish wonders. This superstition nearly got them killed.
Our Father
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He did not teach them to use the Hebrew appellation for the one true and living God, but to address God as “our Father” (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2). When the apostle Paul blessed those to whom he wrote, he did not use the Old Covenant name but used “Father” (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; Philemon 1:3).
The Old Testament taught Israel the unique, uncreated, eternal existence of God (Exodus 3:13-16). The term “Father” expresses the closeness and the love God has for His people (Galatians 4:6-7). It is not sinful to address God by names which He taught Old Testament Israel to call Him. He still has the nature those names express. It is sinful to bind the use of Hebrew words, it is superstition to think the proper pronunciation of those terms is associated with salvation, and it is pride to show off some knowledge of Hebrew in our public prayers.
It is certainly true that most, although not all, of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. But, as we have seen, the New Testament was given by the Holy Spirit in Greek. And, when the New Testament writers quoted from the Old Testament, not only did they quote it in Greek, they characteristically quoted from the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the “Septuagint.” This includes passages which in the Old Testament contain the Hebrew name of the Lord, but in the New Testament that name has been translated into Greek (“kurios” – “Lord”) or is referred by the New Testament writer to Jesus, whose name is given in the Greek (“Iesous”) (e.g., Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2; Luke 3:4; 4:14; John 1:23; Acts 2:21,38; 4:26; Acts 15:17; Romans 2:24; 9:28; and Hebrews 13:6).
Conclusion
It is not necessary to know one word of Hebrew or even to know most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew to be saved.
“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matthew 11:25-26).
I decline to give up the blessed privilege of addressing God as “Father” to employ a Hebrew word used by Old Testament Israelites which I can’t even pronounce properly. Why return to “the weak and beggarly elements”? (Galatians 4:9)
Works Cited
Mounce, William D., Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
New American Standard Bible
Vine, W.E. Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
New American Standard Bible. e-Sword.
Vine, W.E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
https://www.grunge.com.
