In recent years I have begun to wonder why modern translations of the Bible use the word “LORD” (all capitals) instead of Yahweh since the actual word they are translating is the four consonant word (tetragrammaton) “YHWH”. So why is this the word LORD selected as the translation of YHWH? Is that what it actually means? No. That is not the correct translation. In fact, the Bible translators aren’t even making a translation by their use of the word LORD. It is a conscious word substitution and not a translation. The actual translation of the Hebrew word that God used when revealing his name to Moses in Exodus 3:14 is “I AM”. While this is beyond the scope of this blog post, it is worthy of a much deeper discussion. See the references below for more information. What I would like to discuss briefly in this article is WHY the use of the word LORD is used, and what I see as ramifications for its use.

Modern translations of the Bible often use the word “LORD” instead of “Yahweh” due to a combination of tradition, reverence, and historical practice. Here are a few reasons:

1. Jewish Tradition: In Jewish tradition, the name of God, represented by the tetragrammaton YHWH (Yahweh), is considered sacred and too holy to be spoken aloud. Instead, Jews use “Adonai” (Lord) when reading scriptures. This practice has influenced Christian translations.
2. Septuagint Influence: The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, used the word “Kyrios” (Lord) in place of YHWH. Since the Septuagint was widely used in the early Christian church, this convention carried over into many Christian translations.
3. Reverence and Consistency: Using “LORD” maintains a sense of reverence and continuity with past translations like the King James Version, which also used “LORD” in place of Yahweh. This practice aligns with a long tradition of not pronouncing or writing the name of God too casually.
4. Reader Familiarity: Many readers are accustomed to seeing “LORD” in their Bibles. Changing this to “Yahweh” might create confusion or disrupt the flow for those familiar with traditional readings.

While some modern translations, like the New Jerusalem Bible, do use “Yahweh,” most maintain “LORD” to respect these traditions and practices.

The problems with this name substitution is that the Bible translators have:

1. Not provided an accurate translation of the words in the original manuscripts
2. Depersonalized the “person” of God by using a general and unfamiliar name. God revealed His name as YHWH (we pronounce it Yahweh or the Latin pronunciation “Jehovah”). For me to call him “LORD” is like my friend calling me “man”, or my wife calling me “husband”. Doing so communicates a lack of intimacy, familiarity, and proximity between the parties involved.

As a believer in Jesus Christ with a desire to know God the Creator more authentically I have decided to start to use the name of God as revealed to us by Him in the Old Testament: Yahweh. And it hasn’t been easy! I find myself resisting the practice because it sounds so odd and unfamiliar because of 45+ years of habit and a Christian subculture that rarely uses the proper name of the Creator of the universe.

However, I find that when I do address God by His revealed name, I perceive Him to be more of a person with whom I have a familiar and intimate relationship with, rather than an abstract, unknowable entity. This allows me to express my love for Him and to receive His love for me in a very personal way. After all, Yahweh is my Father. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then He is yours too.

So then. What’s in a name? The personalization of the God who revealed himself. His name is YHWH (Yahweh).

NOTE: There is much more that can be discussed on the topic of how the tetragrammaton is actually pronounced. See the references below for more information.

Excellent references for further reading:

• https://www.logos.com/grow/nerd-jehovah-in-bible/
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yahweh
• https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/YHVH/yhvh.html#loaded