Asked by Twilightdreamlover 22 months ago

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In different translations of the Old Testament, I have seen the names "Jehovah", "Yahweh", "Adonai", and "Elohim", but never "Hashem". I recently overheard a Jewish person saying this name in a restaurant conversation, and am wondering about its origin. Can anyone out there answer this? Thank you!


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""The name""

 by PamPerdue on Mar 24 2008 (22 months ago)
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"HaShem" is literally "The Name", הַשֵּׁם in Hebrew.  It's used by some religious Jews as a way of avoiding saying the name of God directly, which would be seen as disrespectful.  You may also see the name God written as "G-d" by American Jews; it's the same sort of thing.

God is given a many different names in the Torah.  "The" name is יְהוָה,  which is often given as "Yahweh" or "Jehovah".  (The latter is a Latinization.)  A better pronunciation would be "yehvah", but it's never actually read that way.  When you encounter it in text, you say "Adonai".

Adonai is אֲדֹנָי in Hebrew, literally "Lords".  (The pluralism is intended as a sign of respect, rather than indicating that there's more than one of them; it's like the royal "we".).  It's also sometimes written יי, roughly "YY", but still pronounced "Adonai". 

"Elohim" is also a plural, and "El" is another name for "God", literally meaning "power".  It's also used to refer to "gods" in general, but when "Elohim" means "God" it's the same kind of royal "we". 

They'll use all of them, like in the first of the Ten Commandments; "אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ", I am the Lord (Adonai) thy God (Elohecha, conjugated so that it's "thy god").  And it ends with "ינפ-לע םירחא םיהלא ךל-היהי אל", thou shalt have no other gods (elohohim) before me (ani, the same pronoun used for humans).

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"There are many names for God in Judaism. HaShem is one that can be used freely in common speech."

 by curious7777777 on Mar 25 2008 (22 months ago)
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The primary 2 names in the Torah are:

  • Elohim
  • YHWH...the Tetragrammaton...which is never uttered per se. "Adonai", which means "my Lord", has been spoken in place of the Tetragrammaton for centuries

These 2 names are used in litugy--for prayer.  Orthodox Jews will only say Elohim and Adonai in prayer.  Outside of prayer, Orthodox Jews will replace:

  • Elohim with EloKim, and
  • Adonai with HaShem

HaShem literally means "the Name". Ha=the; Shem=name.

 

In common speech, outside of prayer, Orthodox Jews will use HaShem to mean God.

 

For example:

  • Baruch HaShem - May God be blessed.  E.g., Daughter: "We landed safely in a thunderstorm." Mother: "Baruch HaShem! ...Now eat! You're so thin!"
  • Be'ezrat HaShem - With the help of God; God willing. E.g., Son: "I can't believe it! I'm going to graduate from high school in June!"  Mother: "Be'ezrat HaShem! Now get upstairs and study!"
  • :)

 

 

 

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"Ha-Shem is Hebrew for "The Name""

 by Hawk74 on Mar 25 2008 (22 months ago)
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In Hebrew Ha means THE and Shem is NAME.  It is the way that Jews speak about the name of God and God they say Ha-Shem meaning the one who has the name.  They do this because God is so holy and his name is so Holy that we  should not speak it.  You may have seen that sometimes when Rabbis are writing they will, instead of typing out God they will write G-d this is again to signify the importance and holiness of the name of God.

This is used both in referring to God and when reading in the Hebrew scriptures you get to the places where the four letter name of God is written (YHVH) usually referred to as the tetragrammaton - people will substitute Adonai or Hashem.  This is party because you will notice that the transliteration of the Hebrew into YHVH has no vowels.  Hebrew is written without vowels and you would have to either know what the vowels were or intuit them from the context.  But the vowels that made up the name of God were (reportedly) only known to the high priests of the Temple.  Through time the correct pronunciation of this name has apparently lost, or has been lost to the most of us.

So in trying to keep the name holy people will say Lord or The Name to respect God
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"It means "The Name""

 by Christian on Mar 25 2008 (22 months ago)
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Out of reverence for God the Jewish people do not pronounce His name.  In biblical times the word Adonai was substituted for YHWH ... Yahweh or Jehovah.  The vowels added are uncertain.  The name of God in Hebrew Scripture has the vowels removed, so you cannot pronounce it.  Yaweh and Jehovah contain guess at the vowels of the Name of God.

 

Elohim is not the Name of God, but simply the generic word God, which can be used for God or false gods.  Adonai means Lord.  When it is LORD (all capitals) in our English Bible it is used for YHWH in reverence for the Name which cannot be pronounced.

 

Hashem - "the Name" takes this even farther.  Jews who use the word Hashem "the Name" are refusing to use even Adonai (the Lord) to describe God and so in order to show reverence they simply say "the Name!"

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"Hashem"

 by 2Bgreat on Mar 25 2008 (22 months ago)
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This meaning is "THE NAME".  Since the names of G-d can not be pronounced, this name is substituted.
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Latest post on this question's discussion board:

PamPerdue, I guess you noticed that the Biblical Hebrew for Exodus 20:3 that you included in your answer was captured backwards. I suspect that was a technical glitch.

'ani which is "I" in Modern Hebrew, is not used in this commandment. 'anochi is used.

'al panai would be literally be translated as "before my presence". Panai is the 1st person possessive form of panim which is the plural form referring to God's face.
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