The Name Yehovah Found 1015 Times in Ancient Hebrew Manuscripts

In this video published on January 25, 2018, Hebrew scholar, Nehemia Gordon discusses manuscript evidence for the pronunciation of the personal name of YHVH with his team of researchers. Gordon and his team have been searching ancient Hebrew manuscripts of the Tanakh (OT) that go back to the ninth century A.D. After searching through thousands of ancient manuscripts and visually looking for the Hebrew letters Y-H-V-H, they have found 1015 instances where the Jewish sages have filled in the vowel points of these four letters for the name of Elohim so that it reads Yehovah. To date, they have not found a single instance where Y-H-V-H has been written as Yahweh. At 41:40 in the video, Gordon and Keith Johnson discuss this fact. Gordon has put together a data base listing the places in the Bible where the name Yehovah occurs along with the name of the ancient manuscript in which Yehovah is found.

Here is a short version of this info:

In this short video, Nehemia Gordon explains why the six letter in the Hebrew alphabet is pronounced as a v and and not as a w. This information has a profound impact on how to vocalize or pronounce the personal name of YHVH.

This video is an abbreviated version of a much longer teaching Nehemia presented on his website where he gives more examples from ancient Hebrew manuscripts why the vav was correctly pronounced as a v and not as w by most ancient Hebrew speaking Jews, as well as how the w pronunciation came into the Hebrew language much later. He shows actual photos of these manuscripts in the longer version.


 

The Name of the Creator and How NOT to Pronounce It

Exodus 3:14–15, I AM THAT I AM. The name YHVH is Elohim’s memorial name forever. It reflects that fact that he is; that he is undefinable in human terms, and that he has always existed. This is the name by which he is to be remembered (not forgotten as is the case with the ineffable name concept of the rabbinic Jews whereby the names of deity are forbidden to be used).

In nearly all Bibles, whenever the tetragrammaton occurs, it has been substituted by the English word Lord. In some Bibles, Lord is written in all capital letters (i.e. LORD) to show that it’s the Hebrew word YHVH. This name has a variety of meanings including “the existing one” and “I am that I am.”

YHVH reveals his personal name in Exodus 3:14 and 15 where we read:

14 And Elohim said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM (EHYEH ASHER EHYEH): and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM (EHYEH VHVT) hath sent me unto you. 15 And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, YHVH (vuvh) the 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 [Heb. shem] for ever, and this is my memorial [Heb. zeker] unto all generations.

Here are some examples of how various Bible versions translate the name of YHVH:

  • I Am That I Am (KJV)
  • I Am Who I Am (NAS, NIV, NKJV
  • I Am That Which I Am (YLT)
  • I Shall Be As I Shall Be (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach)
  • I Will Be What I Will Be (The Gutnick Edition Chumash, JPS)
  • I Will Be There Howsoever I Will Be There (The Schocken Bible)
  • I Am the Being (LXX, Brenton)

Exodus 3:15 states that YHVH is the name Moses was to use when referring to I AM THAT I AM. Both the former and latter are forms of the Hebrew verb hayah meaning “to be.” YHVH instructed that YHVH was to be his memorial name forever. In other words, humans were to use YHVH to remember him by. There is no indication here that it was YHVH’s intention that his name was to be forgotten or hidden through euphemisation. The word memorial is the Hebrew word zeker (Strong’s H2143) and means “remembrance, memory.”

It must be noted here that we don’t refer to YHVH as I Am, for were we to do so it would be necessary to say “I Am,” and in all reality, we aren’t the I Am, but YHVH is the I Am. Just so there is no confusion when communicating YHVH’s name in every day speech, the Continue reading


 

Shabbat Shalom from My Garden of Eden to You

May these photos of flowers from my garden brighten you Shabbat day! Praise YHVH Elohim the Creator for the beauty of his creation, which is a love-gift to us. As he has made this earth beautiful for our enjoyment and  blessing, may we be a river of life to those around us as we brighten their days with YHVH’s love and beauty!

Multi-colored pansies in a pot at the door to my office.

Multi-colored pansies in a pot at the door to my office.

Camellia

Camellia

 

Oregon grape—Oregon's state flower

Oregon grape—Oregon’s state flower

Azalea

Azalea

Pieris Japonica or lilly of the valley shrub (also known as andromeda)

Pieris Japonica or lilly of the valley shrub (also known as andromeda)

 

 

Another variety of pieris Japonica

Another variety of pieris Japonica

What's a spring garden without a daffodil?

What’s a spring garden without a daffodil?

 

Heal-all is a wild edible and medicinal plant.

Heal-all is a wild edible and medicinal plant.

Rosemary

Rosemary

Primrose

Primrose

Skimmia Japonica

Skimmia Japonica

Hardy cyclamen

Hardy cyclamen

Wild mustard

Wild mustard

Dandelion—even the flowering weeds are gorgeous. One man's weed is another man's ornamental flower.

Dandelion—even the flowering weeds are gorgeous. One man’s weed is another man’s ornamental flower.

Marsh marigold

Marsh marigold

 

To some people, marsh marigold is a noxious weed, but if planted in the right spot, it makes a wonderful addition to the garden. This teaches us that each person (who in YHVH’s sight is like a flower) if planted in the right place can become a blessing to YHVH’s creation. Each person has his own place to grow and bloom in YHVH’s kingdom.


 

New Video: Why Use the Hebrew Names of Elohim?

Why use the Hebrew names for Elohim? Short answer: Because the Bible, the Word of Elohim tells us to do so. Men in their “wisdom” always have “better ideas” about things than to follow the simple commands of Elohim. Both the mainstream church and mainstream Judaism are guilty of adhering to doctrines and traditions of men by which the Word of Elohim has been made of none-effect. The is definitely true with regard to their non-use of the biblical Hebrew names of Elohim.

This video addresses the following issues: What’s the big deal with the Hebrew names of Elohim as found in the Bible? Should we be using them? What’s wrong with the pagan name substitutes for Elohim that are found in our English Bibles? How is the resurgence of the use of the Hebrew names among Bible believers worldwide a fulfillment of biblical prophecy? What do the Scriptures say about the importance of using the Hebrew names for Elohim? This video answers these questions and much more.


 

The Importance of Using the Biblical Names of Elohim

The Scriptures clearly teach us that YHVH wants his people to use his Hebrew names and titles (e.g., YHVH, Yah, El, Elohim, Adonai and Yeshua). If not, than why is “YHVH,” the personal name of the biblical deity, found in the Tanakh (or Old Testament) almost 7000 times?

YHVH

Despite the proliferation of the name YHVH in the Bible, men are not to use his name carelessly as the third commandments teaches us (Exod 20:7).

The problem is that YHVH’s people have forgotten YHVH’s Hebrew names and worshipped pagan gods instead (Ps 44:20; Jer 23:27). Interesting, it’s a fact that most of our common English substitutes for the Hebrew names of Elohim derive from the names of pagan deities (e.g., God, Lord, Holy, Christ, Jesus). At the same time, the Scriptures prophesy that YHVH’s name will be restored and used again (Jer 23:6; 31:23; Ezek 39:7).

Interestingly, Satan’s name has never been changed down through the millennia from one language to another. The names of significant Hebrew biblical personalities along with Greek and Roman notable historical figures remain essentially unchanged to our day. However, the Hebrew names of Elohim and his Messiah not only have been changed, but often masked under the names of pre-exisiting pagan deities. Doesn’t this sound like a satanic conspiracy to hide the true identity of the Elohim of the Bible? It’s time for the YHVH’s people to stop acquiescing to these demonic plots begin using the true Hebrew names of Elohim.

In biblical times, YHVH’s name was so precious to his people that the Israelites used it respectfully as a common greeting (Ruth 2:4; Ps 129:8; Jer 31:23).

In the future, the Hebrew name YHVH will be applied to Yeshua at his second coming (Ps 118:26; Matt 23:39). Why shouldn’t his people start using it once again?

The prohibition of the rabbinic Jews about using Elohim’s Hebrew names is not Continue reading