Did Abraham know the Name of YHWH?

This last Shabbat’s Torah reading started with Sh’mot (Exodus) 6, and almost immediately when we started to read, we noticed something that seemed to be a contradiction in the Torah. This got us to look deeper into the matter and once we did that, we realized that it is not a contradiction at all.

To understand the Word of YHWH, we need to understand the Hebrew and also the meanings of the Hebrew names and also the Hebrew idioms, prophecy, etc.

The so called contradiction appears in Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:3 where it says, “And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitschaq, and to Ya’aqov, as Ěl Shaddai. And by My Name, יהוה (YHWH), I did not make myself known to them”. You see, it seems like this verse is saying that Abraham, Yitschaq (Isaac) and Ya’aqov (Jacob) did not know the Name of the Almighty. I have spoken to many people (especially Christians) that use this verse to say that the Name of YHWH was only revealed for the first time to Mosheh (Moses). This is not at all true and can very easily be proven so by just reading the Scriptures. Let us look at a few verses that prove that the Name of YHWH was known since the days of Adam. The following Scriptures are a translation of the Hebrew and the Name 'YHWH' is actually recoreded there

“And יהוה (YHWH) appeared to Abram and said, “To your seed I give this land.” And he built there an altar to יהוה (YHWH) who had appeared to him. And from there he moved to the mountain east of Bĕyth Ěl, and he pitched his tent, with Bĕyth Ěl on the west and Ai on the east. And he built there an altar to יהוה (YHWH), and called on the Name of יהוה (YHWH)” (Gen 12:7-8). Here you can clearly see that Abraham, at this time still called Abram, knew the Name of YHWH and used His Name too.

“to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the Name of יהוה (YHWH)” (Gen 13:4). Here you can see once again, Abram calling on the Name of YHWH.

“And he planted a tamarisk tree in Be’ĕrsheva, and there called on the Name of יהוה (YHWH), the Everlasting Ěl. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days” (Gen 21:33-34). Here Abraham called once again on the Name of YHWH.

“And יהוה (YHWH) appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the Elohim of your father Abraham. Do not fear, for I am with you, and shall bless you and increase your seed for My servant Abraham’s sake.” And he built an altar there, and called on the Name of יהוה (YHWH), and he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Yitschaq dug a well there” (Gen 26:24-25). Here we can see that Yitschaq (Isaac) also knew the Name of YHWH and he too called on the Name of YHWH.

But we can even go further back than Abraham, to find people who knew and used the Name of the Almighty which is YHWH.

“And to Shĕth, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it became profaned to call in the Name of יהוה (YHWH)” (Gen 4:26). Here is an example of a verse that is incorrectly translated in every single English translation of the Scriptures. The above is a direct translation of the Hebrew text, whereas the English versions of the bible have it as, “Then it was begun to call on the Name of יהוה (YHWH).” As you can see, this is a very different meaning. All the translations state that the Name of YHWH only became known in the days of Enosh. Even this disproves that it was revealed for the first time to Mosheh. But the original Hebrew tells a different story.

The Hebrew states that in the days of Enosh, it became profaned to call on the Name of YHWH. The Hebrew word used here is L¢GhD (Huchal) which means ‘to begin to profane’. This is because paganism became very rampant in those days and that they were using the Name above all names as if it were a common word and were using it in vain and even mocking it. This proves to us that the Name of YHWH was known long before Enosh came. This also proves that the Name of YHWH was not revealed for the first time to Mosheh and the Israelites, but was known by many people throughout history, even from the beginning of time, leading up to the time of Mosheh.

Okay, now we have seen proof that the Name of YHWH was known and used by Abraham and his sons, but why is it then written that He only revealed Himself as El Shaddai and not as YHWH? Well, firstly we need to understand the meanings of the words El Shaddai and also the meaning of the Name of YHWH and its prophetic and idiomatic meanings too. To really understand this concept, we need to also look at it with a Hebrew mindset. So lets analyze these two “names”.

El Shaddai

El Shaddai comes from 3 different words. Namely El, which is a shortened form of Elohim, which basically means ‘Mighty Ones’, it is however a plural form, which could indicate ‘Mighty One’s’ but in Hebrew thought, plural could also indicate the magnitude of a being, as in this case, a very very Mighty One.

The second word is ‘shad’ which literally means ‘breast’. This is where milk or nourishment comes from.

The third word ‘dai’ literally means ‘sufficient’ as in the word ‘dai’eynu’ which mean ‘that would have been enough (or sufficient) for us’

So when the Almighty revealed Himself to Abraham, Yitschak and Ya’akov as El Shaddai, he revealed Himself as the Mighty One that supplied them with all there needs.

But why not as YHWH? Well, we firstly need to look at what YHWH stands for.

YHWH

YHWH reveals the prophetic meaning or requirement of the revelation of His Name in Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:6-7. There are four specific requirements to be fulfilled in order that the Name of YHWH can be ‘made known’ to them. Let us read these two verses and see if we can find them in there.

“And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisra’ĕl whom the Mitsrites (Egyptians) are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I am יהוה (YHWH), and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites (Egyptians), and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites (Egyptians)” (Exodus 6:5-7).

I have highlighted the four statements above. Let us have a closer look at them individually.

1)      I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites (Egyptians)

2)      I shall deliver you from their enslaving

3)      I shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments

4)      I shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim

(Also note that this prophecy is going to be repeated on the great Day of YHWH, at the return of the Messiah Yehoshua ben Dawid.)

The Name of YHWH being revealed to the Israelites in the time of Mosheh was the fulfillment of prophecy. Notice that YHWH said that “He remembered His covenant that He made” and so Mosheh was to reveal His Name as YHWH. It was the time in which He would carry out His promise that he had made to Abraham and to Yitschaq and to Ya’aqov. For up until that time, the time had not yet come for the Promised Land to be given to them.

Now we can see why it is written that the Name of YHWH was not revealed to Abraham, Yitschaq and Ya’aqov, even though they knew His Name and even used it. It is speaking of the fulfillment of prophecy or covenant, which was not fulfilled during the time of Abraham, but was going to be fulfilled during the time of Mosheh.

Now we can understand the character of the Name of YHWH and why He teaches us that, “This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations” (Sh’mot 3:15)