The increasingly popular "I AM" as a reference to the Judeo-Christian God is not entirely incorrect, but it is an oversimplification. An expression which more accurately approximates the flavor of the original Hebrew is "I Shall Prove To Be What I Shall Prove To Be"; the Almighty is more than a 'snapshot' in time, but an ongoing manifestation of His own ability to do and be anything.
(Exodus 3:13-14) Moses said to the true God: “Suppose I am now come to the sons of Israel and I do say to them, ‘The God of your forefathers has sent me to you,’ and they do say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 At this God said to Moses: “I SHALL PROVE TO BE WHAT I SHALL PROVE TO BE.” And he added: “This is what you are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘I SHALL PROVE TO BE has sent me to you.’”
Leeser, “I WILL BE THAT I WILL BE”
Rotherham, “I Will Become whatsoever I please.”
That Exodus 3:14 expression is rich in meaning, but the Scriptures themselves actually include the Divine Name itself nearly 7000 times. The name "Jehovah" is an English translation of the Hebrew name pronounced as or similar to "Yahweh" or "Yehowah"; the exact original pronunciation is unknown. The four Hebrew characters corresponding to the letters "YHWH" are well-recognized as the biblical personal name of Almighty God, and are universally designated as "the Tetragrammaton" or "the Tetragram".
For centuries, most Jews have superstitiously refrained from pronouncing aloud any form of the divine Name. They base that superstition on the third of the Ten Commandments given to Moses:
(Exodus 20:7) You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/bible/ex/chapter_020.htm?bk=Ex;chp=20;vs=7;citation#bk7
Over the centuries, that Jewish superstition has expanded to also forbid writing or engraving any form of "YHWH", even when simply copying from one of the nearly 7000 occurences in the Hebrew Scriptures. In recent centuries, some superstitious Jews have even forbade unabbreviated EUPHEMISMS for "YHWH"; capitalized terms such as "Tetragrammaton" and (amazingly) even "the Name" are forbidden by such superstitions.
More recently, the Jewish superstition has ballooned out of all reasonableness by also forbidding respectful impersonal TERMS referring to the Almighty; thus many Jews insist upon writing "G-d" or "G~d" rather than "God". They may even refrain from capitalizing impersonal terms such as "Creator" and "Almighty".
Naturally, the religious and superstitious practices of a person are between him and his Creator. However, in recent decades these superstitious Jews have worked to impose their superstitious sensibilities beyond their religious communities, and onto the entire populace. Thus, although "YHWH' is unanimously recognized as the personal name of God, few today use any form of it in their writings and conversation.
Interestingly, Christendom has largely joined with superstitious Jews in suppressing the use of "Yahweh" and "Jehovah". However, it seems that Christiandom's anti-YHWH bias largely devolves from their hatred of Jehovah's Witnesses, the religion almost single-handedly responsible for the growing public recognition that the Almighty God of Judaism and Christianity actually does a personal name.
It seems that too many are more interested in coddling superstition than in allowing intellectual honesty and respect for the Almighty.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/na/
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20040122/
Interestingly, Encyclopaedia Judaica says that “the avoidance of pronouncing the name YHWH ... was caused by a misunderstanding of the Third Commandment.”
http://www.jehovantodistajat.fi/e/20040122/article_02.htm
(Psalms 83:18) That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth
(John 17:26) [Jesus said] I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them
2007-12-07 21:42:08
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answer #1
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answered by achtung_heiss 7
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The usual deity within the early Jewish faith was once named El Elyon (El of the mountains, or El the Most High). There are nonetheless many humans named after him in these days: Michael, Rachel, Israel, Gabriel, Ishmael, and many others. His son, Yah Weh (one among 70 "sons of El", see Job a million: 6), usurped the position of foremost Judaic deity after the go back from the Babylonian exile -- and thereafter the Jewish scriptures have been converted -- at any place the names El or Yah Weh confirmed up, the phrase "Adonai" was once substituted -- that means "the Lord". Many humans in these days are named after this usurper "god": Joshua, Joseph, Jacob, and many others. (you'll seem all of this up - do not take my phrase for it -- you are now not going to love what you discover, regardless that)(seek phrases: ebla, canaan gods, ugarit) The biblical Jesus was once now not "God" till the Roman Catholics made up our minds they wanted him to be a deity if the brand new faith was once going to be ready to compete with the Roman faith, and with an Emperor broadly viewed a "God." It's nonsense.
2016-09-05 11:30:00
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answer #2
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answered by ? 4
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This not only has anything to do with history, it's has nothing to do with logic....
If you don't mind, I'd like to ask the background of what you're saying.
"Jehovah" (or rather YHWH) and "I AM" are linguistically connected. Thus, their meanings are connected.
Why do you say Jehovah is dead? You did not give logical reasoning for your suggesting that "Jehovah is dead". We need more than just that to understand the logistics of your statements.
2007-12-07 14:17:03
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answer #3
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answered by Ken Prince 4
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This has nothing to do with the History Category, ask it in the correct category.
2007-12-07 14:15:13
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answer #4
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answered by Randy 7
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