Name of God/en

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The Name of God is written in the Bible using a nomina sacra, "YHWH". In some translations, that is expanded to "Jehovah", or further obscured as "LORD" (all capital). The name of God is understood to be powerful, and the law includes certain commandments regulating the use of that name. It's important to understand that the phrase "Name of God" has a broader meaning than just the sound expressed by a vocalization of the label YHWH (and indeed, we have no record to help us know the exact pronunciation of that title). For example, Abraham is said to "call upon the name of the Lord" in Genesis 12:7-8 and 13:4, but God says in Exodus 6:3 that Abraham did not know the name "YHWH". Therefore, for lack of knowledge of God's name, Abraham called upon God by some other reference to God's identity, and that was sufficient grounds for God to inspire the authors of scripture to use the phrase "called upon the name of the Lord" in reference to Abraham's action, without introducing any inaccuracy to scripture.

This topic will cover passages and laws which help us understand what the Name of God is, by what means it is invoked, and what parameters govern acceptable invocation of the Name of God.

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