Thanks a lot. How did you come up with all that information so quickly?Hi @synergy, glad to be back.
YHWH (יהוה) - The Divine Name
Meaning in Hebrew: YHWH is considered the personal, covenantal name of God in Hebrew, often translated as "the LORD" in English translations to honor Jewish tradition, which avoids pronouncing it directly.
LXX Translation: Κύριος (Kyrios), meaning "Lord" or "Master." This translation reflects the Jewish practice of substituting "Adonai" (meaning "Lord") in place of YHWH out of reverence. "Kyrios" thus became a central term in Greek to signify YHWH’s uniqueness and authority over Israel.
Implications: This term appears frequently in the New Testament, especially in reference to Jesus (e.g., Philippians 2:11, "every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [Kyrios]"). Early Christians' use of "Kyrios" for Jesus linked Him to the divine identity of YHWH, a profound statement of His divinity within the context of monotheistic Judaism.
2. Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) - God in Majesty
Meaning in Hebrew: Elohim is a plural form of "El," a general Semitic term for "god" or "deity," but it is used with singular verbs and pronouns when referring to the God of Israel, indicating a "plurality of majesty" rather than a literal plural.
LXX Translation: Θεός (Theos), simply meaning "God." This translation is straightforward and functional, and it conveys the monotheistic belief of Jewish tradition while still distinguishing Israel’s God from pagan gods.
Implications: "Theos" in Greek was a familiar term, yet the singular usage without qualifiers (e.g., "the God of Israel") emphasized Israel’s monotheism. In the New Testament, Jesus is often called "Theos" (e.g., John 1:1), another affirmation of His divine nature.
3. Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) - The Lord, My Master
Meaning in Hebrew: Adonai translates to "my Lord" or "my Master." In the Hebrew Bible, it is often used as a respectful substitute for YHWH, particularly in liturgical settings. "Adonai" emphasizes God's sovereign authority.
LXX Translation: Κύριος (Kyrios), identical to the translation of YHWH. The overlap of YHWH and Adonai both being rendered as "Kyrios" in the LXX means that the Greek text doesn’t distinguish between them. However, the context usually clarifies whether "Kyrios" is being used in the sense of the covenantal name YHWH or as a title meaning "Lord."
Implications: When Jesus is referred to as "Kyrios" in the New Testament, it evokes both senses: that of YHWH (covenantal name) and Adonai (lordship). This dual meaning consolidates the early Christian belief in Jesus’ divine authority and identity with YHWH, as seen in verses like Romans 10:9, "Jesus is Lord."
4. Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה) - "I Am Who I Am" (Exodus 3:14)
Meaning in Hebrew: This phrase, spoken by God to Moses, is commonly translated as "I Am Who I Am" or "I Will Be Who I Will Be." It expresses God’s self-existence, eternity, and unchanging nature.
LXX Translation: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Ego eimi ho ōn), meaning "I am the One Who Is" or "I am the Being." This phrase in the LXX attempts to capture the eternal, self-sufficient nature of God.
Implications: The Greek "ego eimi" (I am) became an important phrase in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John, where Jesus uses it to reveal His divine nature. For example, in John 8:58, Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am" (ἐγώ εἰμι), echoing the LXX wording of Exodus 3:14, directly aligning Himself with God’s self-identification.
5. Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) - "I Am"
Meaning in Hebrew: This singular form of "I Am" reaffirms God’s self-identification, focusing on His present reality and constancy.
LXX Translation: ἐγώ εἰμι (Ego eimi), "I am." In contexts like Exodus 3:14, where God states "I Am," the LXX translation "ego eimi" reflects the immediacy and personal nature of God's presence with His people.
Implications: This term’s significance in the New Testament, especially in John’s Gospel, is profound. Jesus’ repeated use of "ego eimi" as a self-identifier (e.g., John 6:35, 8:12, 10:11) echoes God’s self-revelation, portraying Jesus as sharing in the same divine, self-existent identity.
6. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב) - Covenant Identity
Meaning in Hebrew: This phrase reflects God’s covenantal relationship with the patriarchs, anchoring God’s identity within the history and promises made to Israel.
LXX Translation: Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ (Theos Abraam kai Theos Isaak kai Theos Iakōb), "God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob."
Implications: The continuity of God’s identity from the patriarchs to the New Testament era reinforces the claim of Jesus’ unity with the God of Israel. In passages like Matthew 22:32, Jesus refers to this title, emphasizing that God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living," a profound statement of both the covenantal identity of God and the divine authority Jesus shares.
Septuagint Translations: Greek Old Testament texts available from sources like the Lexham English Septuagint and Brenton’s Septuagint translation.
Interlinear Bibles and Lexicons: Hebrew and Greek language tools, such as the Lexham Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible, the Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint, and Strong's Concordance, which offer the original language text and translation aids.
Academic Texts on Biblical Theology: Scholarly works such as “Invitation to Biblical Hebrew Syntax” by Russell T. Fuller and “Septuagint and Old Testament Studies” provide background on the translation choices made in the LXX, particularly around names of God.
Early Christian Writings and Lexicons: Early church writings, along with lexicons like BDAG (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature), contribute insights on how Greek terms were used in the context of Jesus' divinity.
Hope this is helpful.
J.
A quick run through your information clearly proves that Jesus is YHWH and Adonai by virtue of being called Lord, he is Elohim by virtue of John 1:1, and he is "I Am" as he said so himself in John 8:58.
The not so obvious one is "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" name. Here you have to bring in the Theophany of the Trinity to prove that the Preincarnate Jesus is present when God declared his name as such in Ex 3:14-16.
Thus, this is unmistakable proof that only obstinate Judaizers like Unitarians, JWs, and Muslims are not only blind but also deaf to the Deity of Christ.