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occurs 7,600 times in the O.T. About 6,800 times it is rendered "LORD" and 800 times
"GOD". In Exod. 6: 3; Psa. 83: 18; Isa. 12: 2 and 26: 4, the A.V. uses the
English equivalent "Jehovah". The name also occurs in the English title Jehovah-Jireh,
Jehovah-Nissi and Jehovah-Shalom.
Should any be disturbed by the theories of Higher Criticism regarding this name, it
may be helpful to remind them that the Moabite Stone, which was erected in the days of
II Kings 3:, has the name Jehovah engraved upon it, the spelling being exactly as we
find it in the Hebrew Bible to-day.
The title is a combination in one word of the three periods of existence. It places the
future first: Yehi = "He will be", then the present participle hove = "being", and finally
the short tense used in the past, hahyah = "he was". This meaning of the word is
supported by the Targum of Jonathan, and better still by the book of the Revelation:--
"Who is, and was, and is coming" (Rev. 1: 4, 8).--The hope of His people.
"Was, and is, and is coming" (Rev. 4: 8).--The hope of creation.
"Who art, and wast" (Rev. 11: 7).--The future omitted. The kingdom set up.
The R.V., following the critical texts, omits from the last passage the words: "is to
come." The promise involved in the covenant name having been at last attained, that part
of the title omitted.
In one passage of the book of Genesis, the title Jehovah is explained by the Lord
Himself, and to this we must turn. The passage is Gen. 21: 33, and the context speaks
much of covenant and oath. As a result of the oath between Abimelech and Abraham, the
name of the place was called Beer-Sheba = "The well of the oath" (Gen. 21: 31), and it
was there that Abraham called upon the name Jehovah El olam = "The God of the age".
The moment we realize that the title Jehovah indicates the great invisible God, Who is
Spirit, as "The God of the age", we immediately perceive that this title is in direct
opposition to that which belongs to Satan, "The god of this age" (II Cor. 4: 4).
With the record of Eden and the advent of the Serpent, comes the introduction of the
title "Jehovah-Elohim", and He Who in fullness of time condescended still more to
become Emmanuel = "God with us", definitely came in the flesh and blood "to destroy
him that had the power of death, that is the Devil" (Heb. 2: 14), and was manifested to
"undo the works of the Devil" (I John 3: 8).
Jehovah is essentially the title of God in redemption:--
"By My name JEHOVAH was I not known unto them . . . . . I will redeem . . . . . ye
shall know" (Exod. 6: 3-7).
While the name Jehovah is used in Genesis by Abram, Isaac and Jacob, they did not
know experimentally, as did Israel at the exodus, the great redemption with which the