Does God Have a Name?
Common answers:
▪ “His name is the Lord.”
▪ “He doesn’t have a personal name.”
What did Jesus say?
▪ “You must pray, then, this way: ‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.’” (Matthew 6:9) Jesus believed that God has a name.
▪ “I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.” (John 17:26) Jesus made God’s name known.
▪ “You will by no means see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’” (Luke 13:35; Psalm 118:26) Jesus used God’s name.
GOD himself tells us his name. He is recorded as saying: “I am Jehovah, that is my name.” * (Isaiah 42:8, American Standard Version) The name Jehovah is the best-known English form of the Hebrew name God gave himself. It may surprise you that this unique Hebrew name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. In fact, it appears more often than any other name mentioned in the Bible.
Some may answer the question, “What is God’s name?” by saying, “the Lord.” Really, though, that is no more informative than it would be to answer the question, “Who won the election?” by saying, “the candidate.” Neither provides a clear answer, since “Lord” and “candidate” are not names.
Why did God reveal his name to us? He did it so that we can come to know him better. To illustrate, a person may be called Sir, Boss, Dad, or Grandpa, depending on the circumstances. These titles reveal something about him. But the name of the person reminds us of everything we know about him. Likewise, titles such as Lord, Almighty, Father, and Creator call attention to different facets of God’s activities. But only his personal name, Jehovah, reminds us of everything we know about him. How can you really know God without knowing his name?
It is important not only to know but also to use that name. Why? Because the Bible tells us: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.”—Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32.
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