Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Garth's Hotmail wrote:

> Rochelle,
>
> You have said, "The god of Israel does not have a name."
>
> The God of Israel has said, "ani YHWH hu' shemi",  "I am YHWH -that is my 
> name".
>
> It seems He deprives you of your argument.
>  

HH: I don't think Rochelle thought that God did not have a name in any 
sense. Obviously. God has a name in some sense; the text cannot be 
ignored. I think she was responding to Shoshanna the same way I was. You 
have to go  back and look at Shoshanna's comments to appreciate where 
Rochelle is coming from. Obviously God gave us a  name for Himself. That 
is not the issue. It's what kind of name that was the issue.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard

> You have said that 'monotheism' means 'God doesn't need a name'.  I see 
> errors in your logic.
>
> Firstly, need doesn't always determine reality.  As YHWH has a name, He has a 
> name whether He needs it or not.
>
> Secondly, 'monotheism' doesn't remove the need for God to have a name.  The one true God, YHWH, is not the 
> 'one God' of all who worship 'one God'.  Nor do they necessarily discern the words of YHWH God of Israel.  
> Nor are all the things they say about their 'one God' true of Israel's one YHWH.  I can ask a person, 
> "Do you believe in God?" and they can say, "yes" and go on to describe a completely 
> different person to YHWH.  But if I ask, "Do you believe in YHWH?" they either know what YHWH 
> says about Himself, or they would need to hear from the mouth of His prophets, who speak in the name of 
> YHWH.
>
>
> In this poly-monotheistic world where everyone has their own self-defined 
> 'God', the name of YHWH is not only just as real and relevant, but is an 
> opportunity for man to have his mouth shut and listen to what YHWH says about 
> Himself.
>
> He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
>
> Love from Garth Grenache,
> Moderator of YHWHgroup
> http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/YHWHgroup/
> A discussion of the pronunciation of the name YHWH.
>
> Come join the discussion!
>
>
>
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