A Word About My Use of the Sacred Names
A Word About…
My Use of the Sacred Names.
By
Stephen W. Kraner
Introduction.
You may have noticed that I make use of the Hebrew names for our Father in Heaven and His Son. This paper is to explain why I use these Hebrew names. I have five
primary reasons why I use my best knowledge of a transliteration of the Sacred Names:
FIRST: Because Yahuwah is the Memorial Name of the Creator(s) of heaven and earth (with the legitimately shorter forms of Yah, Yahh, Yahu). (Exodus 3:15) This
is the name by which the King of the Universe has required His people to remember Him.
SECOND: Because Isaiah 44:1-5 describes a “Sacred Name” movement in relationship to the outpouring of YHWH’s Spirit.
- “1. Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
- 2 Thus saith YHWH that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, [which] will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
- 3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
- 4 And they shall spring up [as] among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
- 5 One shall say, I [am] YHWH’S; and another shall call [himself] by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe [with] his hand unto YHWH, and surname [himself] by the name of Israel.”
Isaiah 44:1-5.
THIRD: Because YHWH requires His people to call upon His Name with a “pure language,” the Sacred Names should be annunciated in Hebrew.
- “9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of YHWH, to serve Him with one consent.” Zephaniah 3:9.
FOURTH: Because Yahushua is the name specified by heaven for the incarnate Son and given, as such, to Him by His earthly mother at the command of Heaven,
Yahushua, or the legitimately shortened form, Y’shua, is used by myself to respectfully refer to the name of our Savior.
FIFTH: Because in business and in foreign relations it is proper etiquette to spell and to pronounce, as accurately as possible, a dignitary’s name as it was given to
him by his father and mother. How much more so should we pronounce the Father’s Name, who is King of the Universe; and, how much more so His Son’s Name,
who is our “Lord” (Adonai) and Savior?
The King James Translators
Continued the Jewish Custom of the Substitution of Titles for the Sacred Name.
In the King James Version (and many other Bible translations) the words, “Lord” and “God” are titles. They are not “names.” In the King James Bible, the translators decided to
utilize the Jewish method of substitution of the Sacred Names and titles. The Jews substitute “Adon,” or, the plural possesive, “adonai” for the Sacred name, “Yahuwah”
(Hebrew letters: Yod, Hey, Wav, Hey). In the King James Bible, the ALL CAPITAL LETTERS: “LORD” and “GOD” are substitutions for the Sacred Name: Yahuwah. In the King
James Bible, the Hebrew titles, “El” and “Elohim,” are translated by the English word, “God.” When the Hebrew text has the Hebrew words, “adon YHWH,” so as to not have a
double occurrence of the word, “lord,” the King James translators translated the Hebrew word, “adon” or “adonai,” as “Lord,” but, then, substituted the ALL CAPITAL LETTERS,
“GOD,” for the Sacred Name, “YHWH.” Re-stating: In the KJV Bible, the Hebrew words, “adon YHWH” are represented as “Lord GOD.” In my writings (at least, the ones dated
after 2000 C.E.), I restore the title, “Elohim.” In my writings, I restore the sacred Name, “Yod, Hey, Wav, Hey,” with the transliteration letters, “YHWH.” In my writings I use the
Hebrew name of our Savior, Yahushua or, (shortened) Y’shua. And, I often (but not always) use the words, “Messiah” or “Meshiach” instead of the title, “Christ.”
The Name, Yahuwah, is YHWH’s Family Name
Each Member of His Family Is Named With His Name.
A favorite text of mine is Ephesians 3:14, and 15 which states:
- “14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
- 15 Of whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth IS NAMED,” Ephesians 3:14, 15.
A “Name” is involved in these verses. It is the “name” of the Father. Ephesians 3:14-15 informs us that each member of the Father’s family are named with His Name. In the
Hebrew, in Ecclesiastes 12:1, the word for “creator” is actually plural:
- “1. Remember now thy Creators in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” Ecclesiastes 12:1.
From Ecclesiastes 12:1, we know that there is a plurality of “Creators.” Proverbs 30:4, regarding the establishment of the ends of the earth, asks the question, “What is His
name and what is His Son’s name if you can tell?”
- “4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? WHAT [is] HIS NAME,
and WHAT [is] HIS SON’S NAME, if thou canst tell?”
These words ask for the NAME(s) of the Father and Son Creators of heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8 answers this question:
- “8 Our help [is] in the NAME of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
The foundation of this verse is found in Genesis 2:4:
- “These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,” Genesis 2:4.
The all capital letters, “LORD,” are a substitution for the Hebrew letters that describe the NAME of the creators. The King James translators elected to follow the Jewish
custom of substituting the Hebrew word, “Adon,” for the actual Divine Name, “Yahuwah.” The English word, “lord,” especially from a medieval sense, is a very good translation
of “Adon,” where the “lord” is “lord”/ruler/owner of all his land and all that live upon his land, including people.) When the American Standard Bible came out, the translators
ceased from making the substitution of the Divine Name and used the best research of the day: “JEHOVAH.” The Hebrew letters are, “Yod,” “Hey,” “Vav or Wav,” “Hey.”
These Hebrew letters are often represented by the letters, “YHWH.” The current common scholar understanding of the pronunciation of these Hebrew letters is, “Yahweh.” In
my own research on the pronunciation of these Hebrew letters, I have come to understand that one of the following two pronunciations is more likely accurate:
- “Yahuah” (“Yah-hoo-ah”); or,
- “Yahuwah” (“Yah-hoo-wah”).
I have come to use the second spelled transliteration, where the “W” in “Yahuwah” is nearly silent in pronunciation. Because I limitedly share the Jewish concern that the
NAME of the true G-d is not to be taken in vain, therefore, for respect, I represent the Sacred Name by the letters, “YHWH.”
When Moses spoke to the Deity in the burning bush at Sinai, he asked, Who shall I say to Israel has sent me? And he received the following response:
- “13 And Moses said unto Elohim, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The Elohim of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What [is] His Name?
what shall I say unto them? - 14 And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [Double occurrence of Strong’s H1961, hayah, to exist]: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
- 15 And Elohim said moreover unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Yahuwah Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me
unto you: THIS [is] MY NAME FOR EVER, and THIS [is] MY MEMORIAL UNTO ALL GENERATIONS.” Exodus 3:13-15.
Please note that the phrase, “I am that I am,” in Hebrew is, “Hayah ashur hayah.” In order to appreciate the pronunciation of the Hebrew, YHWH, we shall examine the
Scripture revelations pertaining to the association of the Hebrew: Yod, Hey, Wav, Hey, to the Hebrew: “Hayah ashur hayah.”
A shortened form of Yahuwah is Yah or, Yahh:
- “4 Sing unto Elohim, sing praises to His name: extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him.” Psalm 68:4.
In the original King James Bibles, the letter “J” did not occur. The letter that was originally used in relationship to the Sacred Names was an English-Latin, “I.” We continue to
see this switch in the letters, “I” and “J,” in the two spellings: “alleluia” and “hallelujah.” (Praise Yah.) The letter “I” was pronounced with a “Y” sound as in the word,
“Yes.” The letter “J” was introduced into the King James Bible at a time when the “J” was pronounced, as it continues to be pronounced to this day in Germany, with a “Y”
sound as in the German word, “Ja,” (pronounced, “Ya”), which in German means, “Yes.” Thus, “Jah,” at the time of its introduction into the King James Bible, was pronounced
“Yah.” Further, in Hebrew, there is no soft “g” sound (gee). Consequently, it is impossible, in Hebrew, to say the sounds:
“Geezus” (KJV: Jesus)
or,
“Geehovah” (KJV: Jehovah).
We may understand how to pronounce the first portion of the Sacred Name, “YH,” by the revelation of the Sacred Name in the names of those persons of the Old Testament
that contain the Sacred Name. For example:
- Elijah: Strong’s H452 Eliyah {Ay-lee-yaw’} or prolonged Eliyahuw {ay-lee-yah’-hoo}.
- Jeremiah: Strong’s H3414 Yirmeyah {Yir-meh-yaw’} or {Yir-meh-yaw’-hoo}
- Josiah: Strong’s H2977 Yo>siyah (Yo-shee-yaw’} or {Yo-she-yaw’-hoo}
Notice that the longer, formal, older method of pronunciation of the Sacred Name is “Yaw’-hoo.”
| A very large “thank-you” and acknowledgment goes to Brian Allen, (The Oil Derrick, P.O. Box 574, Erin, TN 37061), for his insights on the pronunciation of the Sacred Name. The insight relative to names containing the “vah” or, “wah,” belongs to Brian Allen. (At least, as my source.) Brian Allen has done considerable research on the pronunciation of the Sacred Name. His news letter, The Oil Derrick, is quite informative. |
This leaves the last portion of the Sacred name, “Wav” “Hey” (WH), to be understood. First, an example that the “vav” is equal to the “wav” is found in the name, Phuvah.
- Strong’s H6312, Puw’ah or Puvvah. See Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23.
Two Hebrew words, having the exact same meaning show the interchangeableness of the “yod” and “wav.” They are:
- Strong’s H2421, chayah {khaw-yaw’}, to live.
- Strong’s H2331, chawah (or, chavah), to live.
In the above example, the “y” and the “w” are interchangeable. In the Sacred Name, the “WH” portion also occurs in the name, Dodavah:
- Dodavah: Strong’s H1735 Dowdavahuw {Do-daw-vaw’-hoo} from H1730, dowd, and H3050, Yahh; love of Jah. See 2Chronicles 20:37.
The “vaw'”, is based upon the Askenazi “vav.” But, the Jews say that the Sephardic, “wav” is more accurate because the Sephardic Hebrew is less affected by the tongues of
the Gentiles than Askenazi Hebrew. Thus, Dodavah should be Dodawah. The “wah” represents “Jah” (Yah). This is the shortened form of the second “hayah” in Exodus 3:14.
Another example of a name ending with “wav” (or, “vav”) and “hey” (WH) is:
- Howdevah: Strong’s H1937 Howdevah, a form of H1938; Hodevah (or, Hodevjah), an Isr. See Nehemiah 7:43..
- Howdavyah: Strong’s H1938 Howdavyah, from H1935 howd and H3050 Yahh; majesty of Jah. See 1Chronicles 5:24; 9:7; Ezra 2:40.
Again, the “vaw'”, is based upon the Askenazi “vav.” But, the Jews say that the Sephardic, “wav” is more accurate. Thus, Hodevah should be Hodewah. The “wah” represents
“Jah” (Yah). Again, this is the shortened form of the second “hayah” in Exodus 3:14.
Thus, the “YH” of “YHWH” is pronounced, “Yahu.” It represents the first, “Hayah” of Exodus 3:14. The “WH” of “YHWH” is pronounced, “wah” or “wah-hoo.” It represents the
second “Hayah” of Exodus 3:14. Together, we have “Yahuwah” or, “Yahuwahu.”
In review, in Exodus 3:14-15, YHWH informed Moses to tell the children of Israel that:
“I am that I am hath sent me unto you…
…This is My Name forever. This is My Memorial unto all generations.”
The Hebrew words for “I am that I am” are “Hayah ashur Hayah.” The Sacred Name is a contraction of these words:
Hayah ashur Hayah
Further, we know from Hebrew names that the abbreviation, Yah and the abbreviation, wah (or, vah) are legitimate abbreviations of “Hayah.” Consequently, the formal name,
Hayah ashur hayah is represented thus:
Hayah ashur Hayah
Yah – u – wah
Yahuwah.
What is the Pre-incarnate Son’s Name?
Proverbs 30:4 asks, “What is His Son’s name?” In respect to the name of the Son, prior to the incarnation, Scripture reveals that His name was identical to His Father’s name,
Yahuwah. In 1Samuel 3:21, “YHWH” appears to Samuel, as “the Word of YHWH”:
- “21 And YHWH appeared again in Shiloh: for YHWH revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the Word of YHWH.” 1Samuel 3:21.
Everyone comprehends the idea of a “family tree.” Sons (and daughters) are represented as “branches” from the original “father” (and mother). In Jeremiah 1:11-12, YHWH
and His Word come to Jeremiah to explain that YHWH’s “Word” is His “branch,” His “rod.”
- “11. Moreover the Word of YHWH came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
- 12 Then said YHWH unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My Word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:11-12.
YHWH, the Father, informs Jeremiah that His Word is “the rod of an almond tree,” a Son of The Almond Tree, the Tree of Life.
From these texts we learn that the “Word of YHWH” was the pre-incarnate Son of YHWH. And, the “Word of YHWH” bore the Name of YHWH. Then, in John, chapter one
informs us:
- “1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G-d, and the Word was G-d.
- 2 The same was in the beginning with G-d.
- 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2, 14.
Not only did Yahushua come in His Father’s name (John 5:43) but, Ephesians 3:14-15 states that each member of the Father’s FAMILY is named with His name:
- “14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Master Yahushua ha’Messhiach,
- 15 Of whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is named,” Ephesians 3:14-15.
What is the Incarnate Son’s Name?
When the “Word…was made flesh,” Mary and Joseph were given a name to name the child:
- “21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS [Strong’s G2424, Iesous]: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21.
This name “Jesus” is an English transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew name of our Messiah, (which the Greek renders Iesous). [Again, the letter “J” previously
had a “Y” pronunciation, as did the Anglicized, Latin, “I” of the Greek, “Iesous.”] We know that our Messiah had a Hebrew name because in Acts 26:12-15, Luke records the
following experience of Paul on the road to Damascus:
- “13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
- 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and SAYING IN THE HEBREW TONGUE, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
- 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am JESUS [Yahushua] whom thou persecutest.” Acts 26:13-15.
The Greek text should have transliterated the Hebrew Name of our Savior. The point here is that the Savior identified Himself by His Hebrew Name. He did not identify
Himself by the Greek, Iesous. So, what is our Savior’s Hebrew name? A comparison of three New Testament texts reveals that our Savior was named with the same name as
Joshua, the son of Nun, who led Israel into the promised land after the death of Moses.
Matthew 1:21 “21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt | Acts 7:45 “45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in | Hebrews 4:8 “8 For if JESUS [Joshua; See Strong’s G2424, |
In the Hebrew Scripture references to “Joshua,” the Septuagint (LXX) (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures), has “Iesous,” the very same word used for Joshua in
Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8.
From the Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 texts we learn that the English, “Jesus” is used to represent “Joshua” “the son of Nun.” (E.g. Exodus 33:11) The Hebrew word for Joshua
is Strong’s H3091 is “Yehoshua.”
- Strong’s H3091, Yehoshua, from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah saved — Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.
The “e” in “Yehoshua” is due to the Jewish tradition of substituting the vowel points for the Hebrew word, Adonai into the Sacred Name, YHWH (Yahuwah). The “o” in
“Yehoshua is due to a language modification that occurred over centuries. Several authorities note that “Yahu” is the more correct pronunciation, than “Yeho” or, “Yaho.”
“Yehoshua,” (or, more accurately, “Yahushua”) means, “Yahuwah is my salvation” or, “Yahuwah saves.”
Why was the name, “Joshua,” chosen as the name for our Savior? Fiorst, because of the typology of Joshua’s leading Israel into the promised land. Second, because of the
prophetic typology of Joshua the high priest, in Zechariah 3:1-10, where verse 8’s use of “wondered at” sets the literal historic high priest, Joshua and his companions, to be a
type for what is described in Revelation, chapters four and five. And, third, because of the meaning of the name, in Hebrew, of Joshua, “YHWH saves” or, “in YHWH is
salvation.” In John 5:43, the Savior said, “I am come in My Father’s Name, and ye receive Me not:…” In Matthew 1:21, Joseph is instructed to name the baby’s name,
“Yahushua,” which means, “Yahuwah saves.” In Nehemiah 8:17, “Joshua the son of Nun” is referred to as “Jeshua the son of Nun.” In Hebrew, “Yeshua” or “Y’shua” has the
meaning: “salvation.”
Four hundred years before Yahushus was born, Ezra, in 2Esdras prophesied the following:
- “27 For My Son Jesus shall be revealed with those that be with Him, and they that remain shall rejoice within four hundred years.
- 28 After these years shall My Son Christ die…” 2Esdras 7:27, 28.
The Custom of Respectful Annunciation of Another’s Name.
Again, because in business and in foreign relations it is proper etiquette to spell and to pronounce a dignitary’s name as it was given to him by his father and
mother; because Yahuwah is the Memorial Name of the Creator(s) of heaven and earth (with the legitimately shorter forms of Yah, Yahh, Yahu); because Yahushua
is the name specified by heaven for the incarnate Son and given by, as such, to Him by His earthly mother, Yahuwahshua (the full, unshortened name), Yahuashua,
or the legitimately shortened forms, Yahushua, or, Y’shua, are used by myself to respectfully refer to the name of our Savior.
