Divine Names of God

Divine Names of God:

The early portion of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), from Genesis 1, to Exodus 6, contains what appear to be possibly two original documents. This early portion of the Pentateuch, Genesis and Exodus seem to contain two original documents characterized by their separate use of the Divine Names of God and by other peculiarities of style. We find not only scattered verses, but whole sections characterized as such and throughout this portion of the Pentateuch the name Jehovah prevailing in some sections and Elohim in others, yet in English, both translate, God.

There are a few sections in Scripture where both names are employed indifferently; and there are sections of some length in which neither the one nor the other occurs. And I find moreover that in connection with this use of the names of God there is also a distinctive and characteristic phraseology, phraseology meaning style and choice of words. Also that the style and idiom, idiom meaning individual peculiarity of language of the Elohim sections, is quite different than that of the Jehovah sections.

After Exodus 6:2, and 7:7, the name Elohim almost ceases to be characteristic of whole sections; the only exception to this rule being Exodus 13:17-19, and also chapter 18. Such a phenomenon as this obviously has some significance. The use of God’s Divine Names are to be accounted for throughout by a reference to their etymology (the history of a word) – if the author uses the one when his purpose or design is to speak of God as the Creator and Judge (Jehovah) or the other (Elohim) when his object, or motive is to distinguish God as the Redeemer.

It does appear remarkable that only up to a particular point in Scripture do these names stamp separate sections of the narrative, and afterwards all such distinctive criterion cease. Still this phenomenon of the distinct use of the Divine Names of God, Jehovah and Elohim would hardly on their own prove the point that there may have been two documents which form the groundwork of the existing Pentateuch.

Strangely we find the two accounts manifestly interwoven; and we also find certain favorite words and phrases which distinguish that possibly two writers may have put their pens to the task, or, maybe not! This most likely is the way the Holy Spirit intended when He gave Moses these words. No-one can, or should be dogmatic about either because we cannot verify either through the word of God.

Let’s begin by separating the two accounts found in Genesis and arrange them for comparison; you can make up your own mind as to whether one or two writers may have worked on this section of Scripture, or not, by doing your own investigation. 

The Divine name Jehovah:

1. Gen.6:5, “And God (Jehovah) saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD (Jehovah) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

Compare with the Divine name Elohim; 

Gen.6:12, “And God (Elohim) saw the earth, and behold it was corrupt; and all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

2.  Gen.6:7, “And God (Jehovah) said, I will not blot out man whom I have created from off the face of the ground.”

Compare with,    

Gen.6:.13, “And God (Elohim) said to Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold I will destroy them with the earth.”

3.  Gen.7:1-2-3, “And God (Jehovah) said to Noah —- Thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.  

Compare with,

Gen.6:9, “Noah a righteous man was perfect in his generation. With God (Elohim) did Noah walk.”

4. Gen.7:2, “Of every clean beast thou shalt take of thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.”

Compare with,

Gen.6:19, “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee, they shall be male and female.” 

5. Gen.7:3, “O fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.”

Compare with,

Gen.6:20, “Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.”

6. Gen.7:4, “For yet seven days and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.”

Compare with,

Gen.6:17, ” And, behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.” 

7. Gen.7:5, “And Noah did according unto that the LORD (Jehovah) commanded him.”

Compare with,

Gen.6:22, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God (Elohim) commanded him, so did he.”

So, in the above we can observe that these duplicate narratives are characterized by their own peculiar modes of expression; and that, generally, the Elohim and Jehovah sections have their own distinct and individual coloring. But let us be sure of this one thing, one account does not contradict the other and if they came from different pens, or from the same pen, both were given to man by God’s Holy Spirit.

Phil LaSpino  www.seekfirstwisdom.com