GODS JOB IN JOBS SUFFERING (exploration on the role of God in suffering)

I. Introduction Suffering is a complex reality that no one has completely figured out. It is a reality that everyone experiences, and yet, the meaning exceeds from the experience. When bad things happen to bad people, a common reaction is just it is normal. It is a consequence of his sinfulness and the search for meaning stops in that. We have limited the meaning of suffering as a form of punishment. But reality speaks otherwise because even the most righteous person suffers. The Job of the Bible is the perfect example for this. Righteous people are not excluded from that experience. For Kushner, There is only one question which really matters: why do bad things happen to good people?1 This is a moment of crisis in them that they start to question why it is happening to them. This is where the problem lies because we limit the meaning of suffering as a form of punishment. It seems that that kind of view would not simply apply to them. This is where the quest for a deeper meaning in suffering begins. Is there something more than just a consequence of sin? We cannot escape the fact that God has a hand to play in suffering. For the traditional view, it is God who punishes. But for the righteous, what is there to punish in them? And if it is not from God, why is there suffering at all? The very fact of suffering even questions the omnipotence of God. Others would reach in a conclusion that God is not all powerful because suffering thrives. When there is war, or massive violence, in the words of N. T. Wright, can there be a Just God in this Unjust World?2 They cannot

Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, (New York: Schocken Books, 1981) p. 6.
1 2

N. T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, (Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2006) p.

43.

comprehend a good God who seems indifferent in suffering. It is really a reality that no one has completely figured out. This paper tries to explore Gods role in suffering. The Book of Job is the primary basis in this exploration and the ideas to be found in Job regarding suffering and the role of God would be supported by other books that also joined in the quest for the deeper meaning of suffering. And this quest begins now.

II. Suffering Suffering is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as simply a pain of body or mind, or a feeling of pain or unhappiness.3 This plain definition already captures the encompassing aspects of suffering: it is not only physical, but also psychological and emotional. In the case of Job, the loss of his properties can be considered as a physical damage but when he lost his sons and daughters, was inflicted with boils, and was discriminated, the suffering is already on a deeper level that crept into his inner being.

A. As Consequence of Sin In this topic we try to go back to the original and traditional view of suffering as a consequence of sin. This is displayed vividly by one of the friends of Job who insists that he deserves punishment because of his guilt. Zophar says to Job, (Job 11:6b) Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves,4 It seems to suggest that Job might have done something wrong in his life and he must just have to admit it and ask
3

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English, Rev. 3rd Edition. P.

1178. The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, (Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 2000) p. 603.
4

forgiveness. But Job insists that he is a just and blameless man.5 In that case, Jobs suffering is not a consequence of his sin because there is no sin in the first place. We have to throw in the waste basket the idea that the only explanation for suffering is punishment.

B. Search for a Deeper Meaning When the traditional view of suffering does not work out, we seek for a deeper meaning in suffering. It is very hard to accept misfortune for people who have been faithful to God all their lives. Kushner writes: The misfortunes of good people are not only a problem to the people who suffer and to their families. They are a problem to everyone who wants to believe in a just and fair and livable world. They inevitably raise questions about the goodness, the kindness, even the existence of God.6 They just feel that they do not deserve such suffering. The common phrase is that I have been faithful all my life and this is what I get? . Such question is maybe an expression of resentment and those who quit in the search for deeper meaning ended up in atheism. They believe that the God that they have believed in is nothing because of the suffering. But for those who believe that God cannot do such thing- leaving his people in their pains, that question is the start for a deeper meaning. Even A. Van De Beek entitled his whole book Why? in his search for the meaning of suffering. 7 What prompted him to search for a deeper meaning is his faith in God as loving and almighty and that God is there in suffering.
5

Ibid., p. 604. Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, p. 6.

A. Van de Beek, Why? On Suffering, Guilt and God, trans. by John Vriend, (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990)
7

In the Book of Job, the silence of God prompted Job to be so desperate even to the point of challenging God. This is not a movement towards atheism. This is a search for a deeper meaning: Job 23:2-5- Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me.8 The last two phrases say it all. Job complains not only for the sake of it but he would like to learn and understand why he is suffering.

C. Growth as the Deeper Meaning One of the most important things that any religion can teach us is what it means to be human.9 Suffering is a great teacher to remind us of our humanity- that we are vulnerable as human beings. This is a fact that most people forget especially when they are in the highest peek of their success. They sometimes think that they can do everything and then suddenly comes suffering. But this is not the case of Job. In the beginning of the book, it is even God who confirmed, that there is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.10 What kind of learning does Job need? Or what good does suffering bring to Job? Such question is a difficult one because the Book of Job did not explicitly say what he learned from that experience of suffering. The only thing sure is that he has proven his faithfulness to God. He learned that no matter what happens, he still believes in God. The
8

The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, p. 614. Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, p. 72. The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, p. 595.

10

experience of Jobs suffering has also showed that questioning God is reasonable. He has also learned a thing or two about God: I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 11 III. God Since the Book of Job is found in the Hebrew Bible, one can assume that it is a story of faith. Faith here means the relationship of man with God and this chapter explores the main theme of this paper: the role of God in suffering. God can be more understood if we explore the other perspectives in how they see Gods involvement in suffering before going directly to the Book of Job. There are three main perspectives in this: God as Indifferent, God as Punisher, and God as Potter.

A. God as Indifferent When it says indifferent, it means that God is not involved in anything. The blame on peoples suffering is on them because God in the first place has nothing to do with the activities of the world. This perspective is deeply influenced by the analogy in the creation of the world seeing God as the watchmaker. The watchmaker analogy, or watchmaker argument, is a teleological argument for the existence of God. By way of an analogy the argument states that design implies a designer. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the analogy was used (by Ren Descartes and Boyle, for instance) as a device for explaining the structure of the universe and God's. relationship to it. Later, the analogy played a prominent role in natural theology and the "argument from design," where it was used to
11

Ibid., 631.

support arguments for the existence of God and for the intelligent design of the universe.12 When someone finds a watch, he/she marvels at the intricate design and assumes that someone with an intelligent mind created it, but that maker does not care whatever happens to the watch. Two things are clear here: (1) God is recognized as creator of the universe, but (2) God left it on its own. Using this perspective, God has nothing to do with the sufferings of the universe. Everything that happens is just a product of nature which was left to work on its own. In this view, one cannot blame God for the suffering. Suffering is seen more as consequences of human action. As Van de Beek says, if we survey the suffering of the world, that suffering can never be isolated from the actions of human beings. The largest part of the misery that comes to us in daily news reports on television has to do with what people do or fail to do13 At the end, no one was to be blamed but humans themselves. God is never with the world who has forgotten Gods creation. To call for God is useless. This is what indifference mean- God is not turning a blind eye in a single or massive injustice in the world, God is simply not looking at the world.

B. God as Punisher This view is the most common perspective of the job of God in human suffering. This is deeply connected to the Hebrew tradition in seeing sickness and sin as interrelated. When one is sick, he/she is punished by God. This view has in its existence

12

http://tdwotd.blogspot.com/2009/03/watchmaker-analogy.html A. Van de Beek, Why? On Suffering, Guilt and God, p. 122.

13

since the time of Jesus which many people believe until now. The friends of Job hold this view that no ills befall the righteous.14

14

Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, p. 34.

BIBLIOGRAPHY N. T. Wright, Evil and the Justice of God, (Illinois, Intervarsity Press, 2006) p. 43.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAME YAHWEH

A Term Paper Presented to Fr. Rudolf Horst, SVD

In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Subject PENTATEUCH

Submitted by: Bon Llamado Arimbuyutan, MI

January 26, 2010 I. INTRODUCTION Central to the faith of the Israelites is the Exodus event where they remember how God had freed them from the bondage of slavery and had established a covenant with them. Whether or not it happened in history exactly as what is stated in Scriptures, what is definite is that the book of Exodus bears witness to the religious meaning of what took

place.15 Freedom from slavery from the Egyptians, the establishment of the covenant, and of course Moses, who was the instrument of God in making all these things to happen, are the most common subject matters that people always remember when Exodus is mentioned. But another theme which is as equally important as those three is the revelation of God. It is in this event that God had revealed who He is. It is in Exodus that His divine name is introduced for the first time. When Moses went up to Mt. Horeb to pasture the flock, he encountered a burning bush and it was through it that God has spoken to him. It was there He revealed His name:
13

But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.16 Names and titles reveal something of the identity of a being. Just by looking or listening to ones name somehow gives us a glimpse of the character of a being. In Exodus, I am who I am- is the name revealed coming from the mouth of God Himself as what was stated. This has been the most common interpretation from the Tetragrammaton YHWH, which for the Israelites is the personal name of God. When translated to English, it became Yahweh. But it has been still disputed if it is the right translation. Some even claimed that the real name is Jehovah. There are even arguments The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973) p. 67.
15

The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, (Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 2000) p. 55.
16

regarding the source of the name. Is it originally from God Himself? Some claim that it is from a pagan God. There are just many mysteries surrounding the name of Yahweh. This paper tries to explore this divine name of God, how it originated and how it was used before. The author does not assure that questions will be answered, rather, he expects that there will be more questions that will arise.

II. POSSIBLE ORIGINS OF THE NAME A. Other Tribes Many biblical experts claimed that Yahweh is a name that is not from the Israelites themselves, it is not God Himself who gave it. The possible origins can be traced through the people they encountered and the place they went. According to the Kenite hypothesis17, it probably came from the Kenites who were nomadic metalworkers. Their eponymous ancestor was Cain.18 They have a God named Yahweh who is associated with mountains and storms. From here it can be hypothesized that there are many gods and goddesses associated with nature like the goddess of rain, or harvest, etc. Yahweh is just one of the many gods and goddesses. This is implied in the Third commandment: You shall have no other gods before me.19 They should only worship Yahweh, not others. This tribe might have influenced them because they were later incorporated to the tribe of Judah as can be seen in 1 Chronicles 2:55 when the list of Judahs descendants was given: The families also of the scribes that lived at Jabez: the
17

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh.html

The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987) p. 620. 19 The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, p. 72.
18

Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, father of the house of Rechab.20 Another study done by Franklin Moore Cross, Jr. suggests that the name Yahweh came from the Amorites of the 2nd Millenium B.C.21 The Amorites have infiltrated the Fertile Crescent especially Babylon and there they established the first dynasty, Hammurabi being their first ruler. Many Biblical texts have proven that this tribe was met by the Israelites. Sihon, king of Hesbon and Og the king of BashanI, whom the Israelites have defeated, were rulers of Amorite city-states.22 The Amorites are associated with many deities. In the proper names of the gods of the Amorites like Yahwi-IL or Yahwi-Haddu, the root word Yahwi is there. The IL and HADDU are proper names of the gods. Yahwi is a verbal which indicates a causation of being. Thus Yahwi-IL means IL causes to be and Yahwi-HADDU means HADDU causes to be. 23

B. Jethro24 Jethro (also called Reuel and Hobab) as what was described in the Bible is a priest of Midian. Moses settled in Midian when he fled from Pharaoh after killing one Egyptian. He married one of the daughters of Jethro, Zipporah. Nothing was said much about the
20

Ibid., p. 400.
21

George V. Pixley, On Exodus, A Liberation Perspective (New York: Orbis Books Maryknoll, 1987), p. 70
22

The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, p. 51. George V. Pixley, On Exodus, A Liberation Perspective, p. 70
24

23

This topic was chiefly inspired by a discussion in class last January 19, 2010 with Fr. Rudolf Horst, SVD.

religion of Jethro. What was clear is that he is a priest, and it means that he has a God that he worships. He might have been the one who introduced Yahweh to him. Interestingly, in Exodus 18, when Moses came after delivering them out from Egypt and the people were inquiring about God, Jethro intervened in how Moses deal with the people and taught him how:
14

When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand about you from morning till evening?" 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions." 17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good. 18You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God; 20and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do25 It is very obvious how well Jethro knows God better than Moses. He spoke to him with authority telling Moses it was not the proper way and instructing him what to do. If he had not known Yahweh, Moses could have immediately ignored him telling him that God only revealed Himself to him. But Moses gave heed to the voice of his father-inlaw and did all that he had said.26

C. An Ecstatic Cry27 The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, p. 70 Ibid. p. 71

25

26

27

George V. Pixley, On Exodus, A Liberation Perspective, p. 70

It might sound absurd or funny but still some researchers like Bernard Dhum and even philosopher Martin Buber claim that Yahweh is derived from Yahu, which is found in Hebrew names like Jeremiah (Yirmiyahu) or Isaiah (Yeshayahu). Although other theories state that Yahu might come from a name of a god worshipped throughout the whole, or a great part, of the area occupied by the Western Semites 28, they believed it was just an ecstatic cry like the common Yahoo! Or Yehey! There might be some truth in this as what experience tells us. Whenever we come across a very beautiful scenery or have tasted the most delicious food in our lives, we resort to ecstatic cries. For Filipinos, we say Wow! Heaven! This is an expression of perfection or something that is beyond the mind cannot grasp. Ecstatic cries are brought by an overwhelming experience. Moses met God face-to-face and the experience is just too much for him. He belted out an ecstatic cry- Ya! Hu! With these three possible origins, it is still not clear where the name was really from. Actually, there are more interpretations of the origin of the name Yahweh but their ideas can be boiled down to three- it is either from other tribes, from a particular person, or from Moses himself. These three possible origins are represented in this part. We are now led to the question of what is really the fact on the name of Yahweh. The fact here means a truth that everyone agrees on regarding the name of Yahweh, the God of the Israelites. We are lucky because the name of Yahweh did not just pop out of nowhere, it was from the Hebrew text YHWH and no one will dispute on that matter. We shall now look into this Tetragrammaton as the source of the name Yahweh.

28

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html

III. THE TETRAGRAMMATON29 Tetragrammaton is a Greek word which means four letters. It is the name of the sacred God in Hebrew texts and has appeared 6,828 times in the Hebrew Bible. It has been translated into YHWH in English, IHVH in Latin and JHWH in German and French. The four letters in Hebrew are:

Hebrew

Letter name Yodh He Waw He

Pronunciation "Y" "H" "W" or placeholder for "O"/"U" vowel "H" (or often a silent letter at the end of a word)

The Tetragrammaton , letter name and Pronunciation are taken from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html
29

A. Origin These four letters as the name of God has no meaning at all in Hebrew language unlike other names in Hebrew. For instance, the name of Jesus (Yehosua) means Yahweh will save30 or Gabriel (Gabri-El) means man of God31. So there is an assumption that it came from another Hebrew word. According to Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, YHWH is most likely a verbal form of the Hebrew haya which was possibly hwy before. It means be, become or causes to be and like the yahwi from the Amorite hypothesis, it was also attached to the name of God, thus, Yahweh-El. Another Hebrew word which has been used in Exodus is Ehyeh which has almost the same meaning with haya. When Moses asked God what will he tell them of His name, God answered Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (I am who I am) and God added I AM (Ehyeh) has sent me to you. Let us now look at the explanation of Michael D. Guinan, OFM regarding this word: Ehyeh is a first person, imperfect, simple stem of the verb to be and can be translated I am/ am continually/ will be who I am/ am continually/ will be. Nor is this to be meant in an abstract sense. He added, God is not giving, nor would the Israelites have been interested in, a philosophy lesson. What is at issue here is dynamic, active, concerned presence For Israel, it meant the God who was/is present to and caring for Israel; the God they had known in their history; the God who heard their cry of distress.32

30

The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, p. 573. Ibid., p. 395

31

Michael D. Guinan, OFM, The Pentateuch, (Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1990) p. 45.
32

Although it is not certain that YHWH came from the Hebrew word Ehyeh, it somehow gives us an understanding of who is God for the Israelites- a God who is always present and walks with them in history. For the Yahwist, this is the core character of Yahweh who they present in their writings as an anthropomorphic God- He walks and talks with us.33

B. YHWH as Yahweh The question now arises if Yahweh is the right translation for the Tetragrammaton. There are many who claim that Yahweh is just a guess in translating YHWH because many names can be derived from the Tetragrammaton. Dr. G. Reckart posted that there are twenty-two (22) guess names:34

Yahueh (ya-hu-eh) Iahueh (i-a-hu-eh) Yahuah (ya-hu-ah) Iahuah (ia-hu-ah) Yahevahe (yah-e-va-he) Iahevahe (ia-he-va-he) Yohwah (yoh-wah) Iohwah (i-oh-wah) Yahveh (yah-veh) Jove (ho-ve)

Yohweh (yoh-weh) Iohweh (i-oh-weh) Yahwah (yah-wah) Iahwah (i-ah-wah) Yehwah (yeh-wah) Iehwah (i-eh-wah) Yehweh (yeh-weh) Iehweh (i-eh-weh) Yehveh (yeh-veh) Jehovah (je-ho-vah)

Yahweh (yah-weh) Iahweh (i-ah-weh) Yahwe (yah-we) Iahwe (i-ah-we) Yahohewah (yah-o-he-wah) Iahohewah (i-a-ho-he-wah) Yahuwah (ya-hu-wah) Iahuwah (i-a-hu-wah) Yahohevah (yah-o-he-vah) Iehovah (i-eh-ho-vah)

Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament, An Introduction, (Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 1993) p. 97.
33 34

http://www.jesus-messiah.com/studies/yahweh-full-copy.html

In the Bible that we have today, we never encountered the Tetragrammaton but only Yahweh. The probable beginning of this usage may be derived from the Greek pronunciation Jave first used by the Ancient Fathers in translating the Hebrew Tetragrammaton. One of these is St. Clement of Alexandria who wrote in his Stromata the translation of the four letters. Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, Who is shall be. The name of God, too, among the Greeks contains four letters.35 For the Roman Catholic Church, Iahveh was used as the translation of the Tetragrammaton. This is found in the official Vatican Nova Vulgata Bibliorum Sacrum, published in 1979.36 This is in Latin, so when the Bible was translated to English, it became Yahweh. Actually, the way Yahweh was pronounced in English may have been more close to the original pronunciation of the Jews. Yahweh enjoys a high degree of probability37 in the translation of YHWH. The Hebrew scholar Willhelm Gesenius has agreed to this translation saying that the vowel points of Yahweh are closer to the Tetragrammaton.38 He supported this by citing various Greek transcriptions dating from the first century AD. His proposal has been accepted by many Biblical scholars. Although the origin of the name Yahweh and the corresponding Hebrew for YHWH are not clear, the development of the name Yahweh from the Tetragrammaton is understandable now. But what about Jehovah as a translation of YHWH? Is it also Ibid. Ibid. Michael D. Guinan, OFM, The Pentateuch, 42. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html

35

36

37

38

acceptable since many are using that name? It is even a name of a religious denomination- Jehovahs Witnesses. We try to explore it in a separate part.

C. YHWH as Jehovah For the Jews, the name of God is too sacred that they dare not mention YHWH. Even during the time of Jesus, we see no mention of the name of Yahweh in the Gospels although the texts that they have been using have the inscriptions of the Tetragrammaton. Whenever they encounter the sacred name in their reading, they substitute YHWH with Adonai (my Lord) in their pronunciation.39 In the Hebrew text of the Bible starting from the first millenium, the Masoretes40 started putting the vowel points of Adonai with the consonant YHWH to remind the reader of what to pronounce. From this point will the term Jehovah comes in. Unfortunately, the resource books and pages in the internet did not provide the real culprit. It is just mentioned that some Christian readers have misunderstood the way it was written and took it as it is. They combined the consonants YHWH and the vowels of Adonai and created a non-existent word41. This resulted into Jehovah. This name existed because of a mistake. Other scholars said that if only they knew the background of how the Jews use the sacred name, Jehovah will never come into existence.

39

George V. Pixley, On Exodus, A Liberation Perspective, p. 69.

These are Jewish scholars who guarded the transmission of the consonantal text and developed the vocalization signs as an effort to retain the traditional vocalizations of the words of the biblical text. In Hebrew, masoret means tradition. (Definition from Eerdmans Bible Dictionary)
40 41

Michael D. Guinan, OFM, The Pentateuch, 42.

IV. YAHWEH AND THE JEWS Yahweh is the God of the Jews. In knowing the Jews, we will know Yahweh. Culture and tradition holds a claim on a particular group of people. These two form their way of thinking and living, even their entire selves. To look at these will make things clearer for us to understand.

A. Jewish Tradition One reason why until now YHWH remains a mystery is because of the tradition of the Jews on how they regard a sacred name. YHWH is a name that they dare not to pronounce. It was only the high priest who is aloud to proclaim the Tetragrammaton and it is only during one occasion- the Yom Kippur. It is also known as the Day of Atonement- the most important annual Israelite fast, held on the tenth day of the seventh month. It is a day which included purification ceremony and a general fast.42 It was their practice when the temple of Jerusalem was still intact. So, the sacred name is pronounced but how come the scholars have the difficulty in determining the real pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton? Explanation of the uncertainty of the pronunciation follows: Since the destruction of Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Tetragrammaton is no longer pronounced, and while Jewish tradition holds that the correct pronunciation is known to a select few people in each generation, it is not generally known what this pronunciation is. Instead, common Jewish use has been to substitute the name "Adonai" ("My Lord") where the Tetragrammaton appears.43

42

The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, p. 106. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html

43

The practice of using the name Adonai instead of the sacred name of God is practiced until now. Another substitute that they have been using is Hashem (the Name). As can be seen here, the Jews did not really use the name Yahweh because of its sacredness. It is something that can be learned from them. While scholars dispute over the issue of pronunciation, the Jews, who actually own the Name by virtue of tradition dare not to pronounce it because of reverence.

B. The Yahwist44 This group has earned that title because of their usage of Yahweh in referring to God. The other group was called Elohist. With the Priestly and Deuteronomist, they are known as the Four Sources of origins in the Hebrew Bible. It is interesting to see the difference on how the Yahwist views God comparing to other traditions. As what was mentioned before, the Yahwist presents God as anthropomorphic. It means that God acts like human beings. In the stories presented especially in the Pentateuch, Yahweh as anthropomorphic abounds. These stories are not originally from the Yahwist, what the author/s did was to borrow stories, poems, myths and legends and remodel them according to their own context to bring a certain message. Yahweh in the their texts actually talks a lot because the Yahwist enjoys putting the long speeches to Gods own mouth.45 It is their way of putting authority on the message that they want to convey. Through the Yahwists way of introducing God, the Israelites have formed an image of God who is so close to his people. Yahweh has been there ever since the The group responsible for the J source of the Pentateuch. The J is from Jahveh which is the German spelling of Yahweh.
44 45

Lawrence Boadt, Reading the Old Testament, An Introduction, p. 98.

beginning of the world. And in his divine plan, He has chosen the Israelites to be his people. This is who and what is Yahweh for them.

C. The Other Names of Yahweh In Jewish tradition, names play an important role not only as identification but more importantly, the nature of its bearer. Names somehow give a sense of understanding not only of who but what the being is. Yahweh has been considered the most important name of God because along with the revelation of this name is their covenant. But aside from that, God has acquired several names before and after he was called Yahweh. Exploring these names somehow gives us an understanding how the Israelites see God. Let us explore some of the names of God:46 1. Elohim Among the names of God, Elohim appeared the most in the texts of the Old Testament specifically in the Pentateuch. Elohistic and Priestly tradition are said to be the sources. The etymology is unclear but the root meaning is probably strength or power. Other studies show that Elohim is a plural of El, which is the name of the highest Canaanite God. Although it implies a polytheistic background as if God is with a divine council, the way it was written was clearly monotheistic.

2. El Elyon, El Shaddai, Elyon and Shaddai are adjectives of El (God). Elyon is translated most high. This title has been found in earliest biblical poetry. El Shaddai is generally translated as The definitions of the names of God came mainly from Eerdmans Bible Dictionary.
46

God Almighty in English versions. But scholars translate it God of the mountain as the alleged root is sadu (mountain) from the Akkadian. These two are not actually names of God but rather attributes to God. These are descriptions of who is God and there are more of these kinds.

3. Adonai The existence of this name had been explained in the earlier part together with the Tetragrammaton. Adonai (my Lord) is the substitute for the unspeakable name of God. Examining the other names of God, Yahweh stands out from the rest because it is regarded not merely as a title of God but the personal name of God Himself. The reverence they give to Yahweh cannot be equal to how they use the other names of God. For the Jews, there is really something divine in Yahweh. They regard the Name as too sacred to be used for common activities.47

V. CONCLUSION A. Summary In the first two parts of the paper, we try to establish the scientific grounding of the divine name of God. We try to determine the facts about the name Yahweh by citing the possible origins because the background will somehow give us an understanding of why it came to be like that. The Tetragrammaton is a fact about Yahweh. Without it, we will never know where to start, or we might never know the name of God. Through scientific studies, we can have a clearer understanding grounded in facts. But these do not http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html

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guarantee the final answer. These are possible answers, in short, hypotheses. These are given in Chapters II and III. The last part is focused on how the Jews regard the name Yahweh. It is to put ourselves into their own context because the name Yahweh comes from them. Although the scientific aspect has failed to give the clearest explanation about the name, Jewish tradition has made it clear who or what is Yahweh for them. Two important points are revealed: Yahweh is a God who walks with them and utmost reverence must be given to His name. The name Yahweh is above every other name of God.

B. Evaluation To know who or what Yahweh is, we have to know the people who worship Yahweh. The revelation of the name of God is closely connected to the story of the Israelites. To study the name of God as independent object of study might lead us stray. Scientific explorations have been a big help in deepening our knowledge about what, when, and how things happened. But it can become a hindrance when we regard science as the ultimate source of truth. Until now, the name of Yahweh is not clear in the world of science, but for the Jews, who and what is Yahweh has long been answered. When we ask, What does Yahweh mean? We try to put Yahweh out of its context. To know Yahweh, we should always be connected with the people- What does Yahweh mean for them? So in this exploration, what we really try to discover is not really who God is, but how the Israelites view God. What we discover is not knowledge about some being that is beyond our realm but of a group of people who envisions a God who is with them:

13

But Moses said to God, "If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." He said further, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.48 We can give a lot of interpretations about the name of God. But in the beginning, it was made clear already. God is the God of presence. We will only be convinced of this answer if we experienced how God works in our everyday lives. The Israelites experienced the abiding presence of Yahweh. To know Yahweh, we have to know the people who worship Yahweh.

The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version, (Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 2000) p. 55.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Boadt, Lawrence. Reading the Old Testament, An Introduction. Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 1993. Guinan, Michael. The Pentateuch. Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1990. Pixley, George. On Exodus, A Liberation Perspective. New York: Orbis Books Maryknoll, 1987. Zimmerli, Walter. I am Yahweh, trans. By Douglas W. Stott. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. References The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987. The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version. Makati City: St. Pauls Publication Philippines, 2000. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. Journal Janzen, Gerard. Whats In A Name? Yahweh in Exodus 3 and the Wider Biblical Context. Interpretation, July 1979. Internet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton.html http://www.jesus-messiah.com/studies/yahweh-full-copy.html http://mb-soft.com/believe/txth/namesgod.html http://www.eliyah.com/proof.html