How Should I Call God?
Calling God as He Has Revealed Himself
Start
Introduction
Our starting point when it comes to how to call God must not be sentiment, as in “I feel like Jesus is my father” or “Jesus feels more like a father to me.” It must be revelation, i.e., what Jesus Himself has revealed to us concerning God.
It is very important to realise that our knowledge of God, knowingly or unknowingly, affects the way we address and relate to Him.
For this reason, we ought to make every effort to know God, not as we wish Him to be, but as He has revealed Himself.
A good starting point is what Jesus declared to be the greatest and first commandment:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37
How Jesus Spoke About God
Jesus referred to God as Lord, and to His Father as “Abba”, meaning “Father.” Just do as Jesus did: refer to God as Lord and to the Father as “Father.” In the same way, Jesus called the Holy Spirit “Holy Spirit”, “the Advocate”, and “the Helper.” Again, do as Jesus did: use the Names He used to refer to the Holy Spirit. That way, you know that you are calling God by the right Name — the Name He has revealed.
How God Himself Has Commanded That We Treat His Name
The second commandment states:
“You shall not misuse the NAME of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses His NAME.” — Exodus 20:7 This is a very clear command that God gives.
And yet today, sadly, even among Christians, “GOD” is used casually — as an interjection, for emphasis, and even as a swear word. The Holy Name of Jesus Christ is treated no differently. Nor is the name of Mary, the Mother of God.
What is the Name of God
Moses then said to God, ‘Look, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is his name?”, what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’. And he said, ‘This is what you are to 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 for all time, and this is my title for all generations.”
Exodus 3:13-15
When Moses asked God:
“What is His Name?”
God answered:
“I AM WHO I AM.”
And God added:
“This is My Name for all time.”
In Hebrew Scripture, this Divine Name appears as four consonants:
יהוה — YHWH
This is called the Tetragrammaton — meaning “four letters” in Greek.
This is the revealed Name of God.
Did Jesus ever use that Name?
No, there are no records of Jesus using that Name to address, refer to, or call upon God.
Neither did Jewish tradition by the time of Jesus use that Name or vocalise it in ordinary speech. In fact, out of reverence, Jews do not pronounce the Divine Name.
Christianity inherited this tradition, and the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament widely used by early Christians — rendered YHWH as Kyrios, meaning “Lord.” When you read the New Testament, you will also see that none of the apostles ever vocalised the Divine Name, but rather used “Lord” (Kyrios).
Catholic liturgy has kept that tradition of not vocalising the Name of God revealed to Moses.
Should You Use the Divine Name YHWH?
There are no records of Jesus using the Divine Name. There are also no records that the apostles after Him used the Name. The Catholic Church does not permit its vocalisation in the liturgy. So answer this: should you?
Here is a brief history of the pronunciation of the Name.
According to Jewish scholars, the most likely pronunciation of YHWH is “Yahweh.” Yet the most popular vocalisation is “Jehovah,” which is a grammatically impossible form in Hebrew.
The story of this “grammatical impossibility in Hebrew” begins in the Middle Ages with a Catholic priest and scholar who misunderstood how Jewish scribes preserved the sacred text.
Story of the “grammatical impossibility”
What Jewish Experts Say
Raymondus Martini
13th-century Dominican friar and theologian
From Yehovah to Jehovah
The Masoretic Pointing
"It is almost universally acknowledged by scholars that the name ‘Jehovah’ was a mistake originating with Christian theologians, who incorrectly vocalized the Tetragrammaton, misunderstanding how Jews had added the vowels of Adonai to avoid pronouncing the divine name. Rabbi Louis Jacobs – The Jewish Religion: A Companion
JEHOVAH:
By: Emil G. Hirsch: A mispronunciation (introduced by Christian theologians, but almost entirely disregarded by the Jews) of the Hebrew "Yhwh," the (ineffable) name of God (the Tetragrammaton or "Shem ha-Meforash"). This pronunciation is grammatically impossible. https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8568-jehovah
Conclusion
How, then, should you call God?
Call Him as He has revealed Himself.
Call Him as Jesus called God.
Call Him with reverence.
Do not treat the Divine Name as ordinary speech.
And if the Lord has commanded that His Name not be misused, then perhaps the safest, most loving response is this:
To honour the Name so deeply that you handle it with awe — and speak of God in the way He Himself has taught you to speak.
Reflection Question: When you hear the Name of God used as an interjection or swear word, how does it affect you — and in your own speech, have you ever treated the Holy Name that way? Challenge: For the next 30 days, stop using God’s Name as an interjection. If it slips out, correct yourself immediately. Choose words that show respect instead of habit.
Thanks for taking this microlearning!
murielakahi.com
Jewish scholars have long pointed out that “Jehovah” is a mispronunciation that arose from Christian scholars misreading Jewish scribal traditions. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan explains that the vowels of “Adonai” were added to YHWH in Hebrew texts to remind readers to say “Adonai” instead. These vowels were never intended to create a new name.
Nehemia Gordon, a Hebrew scholar, notes that this misunderstanding happened because Christian scholars were unfamiliar with Hebrew reading traditions. Jewish scribes never meant for the vowels of “Adonai” to be combined with YHWH to form a new word.
The name “Jehovah” was first used by Raymondus Martini. Martini was working with Hebrew texts and came across the Tetragrammaton YHWH, the four-letter Name of God in the Hebrew Bible.
Jewish tradition, out of respect for the sacredness of this Name, does not pronounce it. Instead, Jews say “Adonai”, which means “Lord.”
The Masoretes, Jewish scholars responsible for preserving the text of the Hebrew Bible, had added vowel marks to the Tetragrammaton. They placed the vowels of “Adonai” beneath the consonants YHWH to remind readers to say “Adonai” instead of pronouncing the Divine Name. When Martini saw this combination of YHWH with the vowels of “Adonai,” he mistakenly thought it represented the actual Name of God. The result? The name “Jehovah” was invented.
This is the simplest representation of how the Masoretes inserted the vowels from "Adonai" into YHWH to help readers pronounce "Adonai" instead of vocalising YHWH:
Yod (י) with Sheva (ְ) underneath.
He (ה) with no vowel. Vav (ו) with Cholem (ֹ) above. He (ה) with Kamatz (ָ) underneath.
This hybrid creation was never meant to form a new name but to serve as a reminder for readers not to pronounce YHWH directly.
Picture 1 is the Name as is. Picture 2 is the Masoritic pointing.
While Raymondus Martini first introduced the name “Jehovah,” it was William Tyndale, the English Bible translator, who brought it into popular use in the 16th century. Tyndale used the form “Iehouah” (later “Jehovah”) in his translation of the Pentateuch in 1530. His translation played a key role in spreading the mistaken name “Jehovah” in English-speaking Christian communities.
Later Christian scholars, when misreading YHWH, thought the Name should be pronounced as “Yehovah.” Over time, the “Y” sound (from Hebrew) was replaced with a “J” sound in Latin and English, leading to the form “Jehovah.”
This misunderstanding became widespread, appearing in translations such as the King James Version in 1611.
In 2008, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, at the time with Cardinal Francis Arinze as its Prefect, issued a directive titled:
“Letter to the Bishops’ Conferences on the Name of God” (29 June 2008). This document instructed that:
- The four-letter divine Name YHWH is not to be pronounced in the liturgy.
- In translations intended for liturgical use, it should be rendered as “LORD.”
Following this directive, liturgical editions and lectionaries were adjusted to comply, and newer Bible translations for Catholic audiences followed the directive.
For instance, the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB, 2019) replaced “Yahweh” with “LORD” in conformity with liturgical norms, and the CTS New Catholic Bible (2007) was produced to align with Vatican directives, replacing “Yahweh” with “the LORD.”
The purpose of the directive was not to remove the Name of God from Scripture, as critics have suggested, but to return to the traditional rendering of the Divine Name as “LORD,” as it should be.
How Should I Call God?
Muriel Akahi
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Transcript
How Should I Call God?
Calling God as He Has Revealed Himself
Start
Introduction
Our starting point when it comes to how to call God must not be sentiment, as in “I feel like Jesus is my father” or “Jesus feels more like a father to me.” It must be revelation, i.e., what Jesus Himself has revealed to us concerning God. It is very important to realise that our knowledge of God, knowingly or unknowingly, affects the way we address and relate to Him. For this reason, we ought to make every effort to know God, not as we wish Him to be, but as He has revealed Himself. A good starting point is what Jesus declared to be the greatest and first commandment:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37
How Jesus Spoke About God
Jesus referred to God as Lord, and to His Father as “Abba”, meaning “Father.” Just do as Jesus did: refer to God as Lord and to the Father as “Father.” In the same way, Jesus called the Holy Spirit “Holy Spirit”, “the Advocate”, and “the Helper.” Again, do as Jesus did: use the Names He used to refer to the Holy Spirit. That way, you know that you are calling God by the right Name — the Name He has revealed.
How God Himself Has Commanded That We Treat His Name
The second commandment states: “You shall not misuse the NAME of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses His NAME.” — Exodus 20:7 This is a very clear command that God gives. And yet today, sadly, even among Christians, “GOD” is used casually — as an interjection, for emphasis, and even as a swear word. The Holy Name of Jesus Christ is treated no differently. Nor is the name of Mary, the Mother of God.
What is the Name of God
Moses then said to God, ‘Look, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is his name?”, what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am’. And he said, ‘This is what you are to 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 for all time, and this is my title for all generations.”
Exodus 3:13-15
When Moses asked God: “What is His Name?” God answered: “I AM WHO I AM.” And God added: “This is My Name for all time.”
In Hebrew Scripture, this Divine Name appears as four consonants: יהוה — YHWH This is called the Tetragrammaton — meaning “four letters” in Greek. This is the revealed Name of God.
Did Jesus ever use that Name?
No, there are no records of Jesus using that Name to address, refer to, or call upon God. Neither did Jewish tradition by the time of Jesus use that Name or vocalise it in ordinary speech. In fact, out of reverence, Jews do not pronounce the Divine Name. Christianity inherited this tradition, and the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament widely used by early Christians — rendered YHWH as Kyrios, meaning “Lord.” When you read the New Testament, you will also see that none of the apostles ever vocalised the Divine Name, but rather used “Lord” (Kyrios). Catholic liturgy has kept that tradition of not vocalising the Name of God revealed to Moses.
Should You Use the Divine Name YHWH?
There are no records of Jesus using the Divine Name. There are also no records that the apostles after Him used the Name. The Catholic Church does not permit its vocalisation in the liturgy. So answer this: should you? Here is a brief history of the pronunciation of the Name.
According to Jewish scholars, the most likely pronunciation of YHWH is “Yahweh.” Yet the most popular vocalisation is “Jehovah,” which is a grammatically impossible form in Hebrew.
The story of this “grammatical impossibility in Hebrew” begins in the Middle Ages with a Catholic priest and scholar who misunderstood how Jewish scribes preserved the sacred text.
Story of the “grammatical impossibility”
What Jewish Experts Say
Raymondus Martini
13th-century Dominican friar and theologian
From Yehovah to Jehovah
The Masoretic Pointing
"It is almost universally acknowledged by scholars that the name ‘Jehovah’ was a mistake originating with Christian theologians, who incorrectly vocalized the Tetragrammaton, misunderstanding how Jews had added the vowels of Adonai to avoid pronouncing the divine name. Rabbi Louis Jacobs – The Jewish Religion: A Companion
JEHOVAH: By: Emil G. Hirsch: A mispronunciation (introduced by Christian theologians, but almost entirely disregarded by the Jews) of the Hebrew "Yhwh," the (ineffable) name of God (the Tetragrammaton or "Shem ha-Meforash"). This pronunciation is grammatically impossible. https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8568-jehovah
Conclusion
How, then, should you call God? Call Him as He has revealed Himself. Call Him as Jesus called God. Call Him with reverence. Do not treat the Divine Name as ordinary speech. And if the Lord has commanded that His Name not be misused, then perhaps the safest, most loving response is this: To honour the Name so deeply that you handle it with awe — and speak of God in the way He Himself has taught you to speak.
Reflection Question: When you hear the Name of God used as an interjection or swear word, how does it affect you — and in your own speech, have you ever treated the Holy Name that way? Challenge: For the next 30 days, stop using God’s Name as an interjection. If it slips out, correct yourself immediately. Choose words that show respect instead of habit.
Thanks for taking this microlearning!
murielakahi.com
Jewish scholars have long pointed out that “Jehovah” is a mispronunciation that arose from Christian scholars misreading Jewish scribal traditions. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan explains that the vowels of “Adonai” were added to YHWH in Hebrew texts to remind readers to say “Adonai” instead. These vowels were never intended to create a new name. Nehemia Gordon, a Hebrew scholar, notes that this misunderstanding happened because Christian scholars were unfamiliar with Hebrew reading traditions. Jewish scribes never meant for the vowels of “Adonai” to be combined with YHWH to form a new word.
The name “Jehovah” was first used by Raymondus Martini. Martini was working with Hebrew texts and came across the Tetragrammaton YHWH, the four-letter Name of God in the Hebrew Bible. Jewish tradition, out of respect for the sacredness of this Name, does not pronounce it. Instead, Jews say “Adonai”, which means “Lord.” The Masoretes, Jewish scholars responsible for preserving the text of the Hebrew Bible, had added vowel marks to the Tetragrammaton. They placed the vowels of “Adonai” beneath the consonants YHWH to remind readers to say “Adonai” instead of pronouncing the Divine Name. When Martini saw this combination of YHWH with the vowels of “Adonai,” he mistakenly thought it represented the actual Name of God. The result? The name “Jehovah” was invented.
This is the simplest representation of how the Masoretes inserted the vowels from "Adonai" into YHWH to help readers pronounce "Adonai" instead of vocalising YHWH: Yod (י) with Sheva (ְ) underneath. He (ה) with no vowel. Vav (ו) with Cholem (ֹ) above. He (ה) with Kamatz (ָ) underneath. This hybrid creation was never meant to form a new name but to serve as a reminder for readers not to pronounce YHWH directly.
Picture 1 is the Name as is. Picture 2 is the Masoritic pointing.
While Raymondus Martini first introduced the name “Jehovah,” it was William Tyndale, the English Bible translator, who brought it into popular use in the 16th century. Tyndale used the form “Iehouah” (later “Jehovah”) in his translation of the Pentateuch in 1530. His translation played a key role in spreading the mistaken name “Jehovah” in English-speaking Christian communities. Later Christian scholars, when misreading YHWH, thought the Name should be pronounced as “Yehovah.” Over time, the “Y” sound (from Hebrew) was replaced with a “J” sound in Latin and English, leading to the form “Jehovah.” This misunderstanding became widespread, appearing in translations such as the King James Version in 1611.
In 2008, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, at the time with Cardinal Francis Arinze as its Prefect, issued a directive titled: “Letter to the Bishops’ Conferences on the Name of God” (29 June 2008). This document instructed that:
- The four-letter divine Name YHWH is not to be pronounced in the liturgy.
- In translations intended for liturgical use, it should be rendered as “LORD.”
Following this directive, liturgical editions and lectionaries were adjusted to comply, and newer Bible translations for Catholic audiences followed the directive. For instance, the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB, 2019) replaced “Yahweh” with “LORD” in conformity with liturgical norms, and the CTS New Catholic Bible (2007) was produced to align with Vatican directives, replacing “Yahweh” with “the LORD.” The purpose of the directive was not to remove the Name of God from Scripture, as critics have suggested, but to return to the traditional rendering of the Divine Name as “LORD,” as it should be.