God has one name and many titles. His name is four Hebrew letters, written YHWH in English letters. It stands in the Hebrew Bible about 6,800 times. The King James Version prints LORD in its place. The American Standard Version prints Jehovah.
Pick a part below, or start at Part I.
YHWH is a name. It belongs to God alone.
God, Lord, King, Rock and Shepherd are titles. Part VI shows 36 titles and related terms, each with its cards.
LORD and GOD in capitals in the King James mean the Hebrew has the name. Part IV shows how to read them.
A title can be shared. The name is not shared. Psalm 83:18 says so.
That they may know that thou alone whose name is Jehovah Art the Most High over all the earth
“thou alone whose name is Jehovah”. Card 5 is the name. Card 6 is “alone.” Card 7 is Elyon, “Most High,” a title.
Open Psalm 83:18Moses asks God his name. God answers about himself first.
And God said unto Moses I am that I am and he said Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I am hath sent me unto you
Cards 5, 6 and 7 are “I am that I am”. Card 13 is “I am” again.
Open Exodus 3:14God gives the name, and says it is his name for ever.
And God said moreover unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel Jehovah the God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you this is my name for ever and this is my memorial unto all generations
Card 11 is the name. Card 23 is “is my name”. Card 24 is “for ever”.
Open Exodus 3:15God sets a title beside the name.
and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob as God Almighty but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them
Cards 8 and 9 are the title “God Almighty”. Card 11 is “my name Jehovah”.
Open Exodus 6:3God comes down in the cloud and proclaims his name.
And Jehovah descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of Jehovah
Verse 5: “proclaimed the name of Jehovah”. Card 9 is the name.
Open Exodus 34:5And Jehovah passed by before him and proclaimed Jehovah Jehovah a God merciful and gracious slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth
Verse 6: cards 2, 6 and 7 are the name. Card 8 is El, “God,” a title. The King James reads “goodness” where the ASV reads “lovingkindness.”
Open Exodus 34:6keeping lovingkindness for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children upon the third and upon the fourth generation
Verse 7 goes on: “keeping lovingkindness for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”.
Open Exodus 34:7The Hebrew has God’s name, YHWH. It also has the title Adonai, “Lord.” They are two different words, spelled differently.
Where the name is written, readers said Adonai. Where Adonai and the name stand side by side, they said Elohim, “God,” for the name.
It follows what readers said. The name is printed LORD, in capitals. Next to Adonai, the name is printed GOD, in capitals. Adonai is printed Lord.
Jehovah for the name, every time. Lord for Adonai. So the capitals are not needed.
| The Hebrew has | Readers said | King James prints | ASV prints | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God’s name | Adonai | LORD | Jehovah | Genesis 2:4, card 8 |
| God’s name, next to Adonai | Elohim | GOD | Jehovah | Genesis 15:2, card 4 |
| Adonai, a title of God | Adonai | Lord | Lord | Isaiah 6:1, card 7 |
| Adon, “lord,” said of a man | as written | lord | lord | Genesis 18:12, card 10 |
Capitals all the way through mean the Hebrew has the name. A capital L only means the title.
A Psalm of David Jehovah saith unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand Until I make thine enemies thy footstool
“Jehovah saith unto my Lord”. Card 4 is the name. Card 5 is “my lord.” King James: “The LORD said unto my Lord.”
Open Psalm 110:1O Jehovah our Lord How excellent is thy name in all the earth Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens
“O Jehovah our Lord”. Card 1 is the name. Card 2 is “our Lord.” King James: “O LORD our Lord.”
Open Psalm 8:1And Abram said O Lord Jehovah what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus
“O Lord Jehovah”. Card 3 is Adonai. Card 4 is the name. King James: “Lord GOD.”
Open Genesis 15:2In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and his train filled the temple
“I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne”. Card 7 is Adonai with no name beside it. King James: “the Lord.”
Open Isaiah 6:1Sources: The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), “Adonai”; Preface to the American Standard Version (1901).
And behold Boaz came from Beth lehem and said unto the reapers Jehovah be with you And they answered him Jehovah bless thee
Boaz greets the reapers with the name, and they answer with it. Cards 8 and 13.
Open Ruth 2:4The Mishnah says that in the Temple the priests blessed the people with the name as it is written. Outside the Temple they used a substitute word.
The Mishnah says that when the priests and the people in the Temple court heard the high priest say the name, they knelt, bowed down and fell on their faces.
The Romans destroy the Temple.
The Mishnah is written down. In it, Abba Shaul says that anyone who says the name by its letters has no share in the world to come.
The Babylonian Talmud says: “Not as I am written am I read.”
Sources: Mishnah, Sotah 7:6, Yoma 6:2 and Sanhedrin 10:1; Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 50a.
Sources: Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, edited by E. Kautzsch, translated by A. E. Cowley (1910), section 17c; The Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), “Adonai.”
The words for God and Lord on almost every page.
“God,” with one word after it. Each pair is two cards side by side.
God’s name, with one word after it. Read each verse: some name a place, an altar, a king or a city.
Titles that say what God does. In each verse, God says it of himself, or someone says it of him.
The same words are also used of people and things. The verse shows when they point to God.
because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved
Card 8 is kurios, “Lord.” Card 18 is theos, “God.”
Open Romans 10:9The Greek usually has kurios, “Lord.” Not always.
And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape as Jehovah hath said and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call
Card 6 is the name.
Open Joel 2:32for Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
Paul quotes Joel 2:32. Card 8 is kurios, “Lord.”
Open Romans 10:13And he believed in Jehovah and he reckoned it to him for righteousness
Card 2 is the name, with the small word “in.”
Open Genesis 15:6For what saith the scripture And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness
Paul quotes Genesis 15:6. Card 10 is theos, “God,” not kurios. Galatians 3:6 and James 2:23 quote the same verse.
Open Romans 4:3After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven saying Hallelujah Salvation and glory and power belong to our God
Card 13 is “Hallelujah”. Its last part is Yah, a short form of the name. It appears in Revelation 19:1, 3, 4 and 6. See Hebrew & Aramaic in the New Testament.
Open Revelation 19:1Tap card 3. It is Elohim, “God,” a title.
Open Genesis 1:1Elohim is in Genesis 1 thirty-two times. No card in the chapter shows YHWH.
Open Genesis 1Tap card 8. It shows YHWH and Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh. Card 9 is Elohim.
Open Genesis 2:4The ASV reads “Jehovah God.” The King James reads “the LORD God.” Genesis 2 has 11 cards for the name.
Open Genesis 2