On this Bible Prophecy Decoded post I explain why I use the name Yah for the Heavenly Father in my Bible prophecy explanations.
The answer is that Psalms 68:4 specifically tells us to praise and extol his name. The King James says,
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
The Hebrew word 3050 for JAH is YAH.
The New King James Version says, “Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him.”
The World English Bible says, “Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!”
So the real question is, why didn’t most Bible translators use the name YAH in Psalms 68:4?
The Hebrew word YAH is in 44 other Bible verses, but the translators rendered His name as LORD.
Why did they do that? Why would they not simply use the underlying Hebrew name?
In the King James, Exodus 15:2 says,
“The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
The word LORD is YAH in the Hebrew.
It should read “YAH is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation.”
Verses like Psalms 106:1 are really interesting, as they use the title LORD twice, but the underlying Hebrew words are different.
“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
It should read “Praise ye Yah.”
Praise is halal in Hebrew, so it’s saying HalleluYAH.
HalleluYah means Praise Yah!
The second LORD in the verse is Hebrew Y@hovah.
So it’s saying “Praise YAH. O give thanks unto the Yahovah; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalms 106:48 in the KJV reads,
“Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.”
Applying the Hebrew names, it should read,
“Blessed be Yahovah Elohim of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. HalleluYAH.”
Psalms 111:1 in the KJV reads,
“Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.”
Applying the Hebrew names, it should read,
“Praise ye YAH. I will praise Yahovah with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.”
Psalms 135:1 in the KJV reads,
“Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.”
Applying the Hebrew names, it should read,
“Praise ye YAH. Praise ye the name of Yahovah; praise him, O ye servants of Yahovah.”
Do you see what’s been hidden from our eyes?
So it’s ironic that some people call me a Hebrew Roots person because I use the Hebrew name Yah.
But I’m a Scriptural Roots person who uses the Hebrew name that our Heavenly Father gave us. And the enemy has hidden His name.
The truth is that names in Scripture have meaning.
The name Elijah is based on the Hebrew name Eliyahu, which means “My Elohim is Yah.”
The name Matthew is based on the Hebrew name Mattityahu which means “The gift of Yah.”
The name John in Hebrew is Yohanan/Yahanan which means “Yah Is Gracious.”
I hope this helps you see the truth about the meaning of names in Scripture.
When reading or singing a praise song, instead of using the generic title of God, I use His name, Yah.
HalleluYah that He opens our eyes to see Scriptural truth!
In another video, I’ll talk about why I use the title Messiah.
This is a very sweet study and video. I appreciate your statement, ‘So it’s ironic that some people call me a Hebrew Roots person because I use the Hebrew name Yah.But I’m a Scriptural Roots person who uses the Hebrew name that our Heavenly Father gave us.’ HalleluYAH!
Thank you for your comment Tom! I hope that the study helps open people’s eyes about the name that our Father gave us to use! HalleluYAH for Him giving us eyes to see!
I just stick with the name Jesus. If we have Him we have the Father Scripture says.
Indeed, salvation is through the anointed one, Jesus Christ!
Interestingly the Jehovah’s witness bible has Jah in psalm 68:4, but with a note saying ‘Yah is short for Jehovah’. The geneva bible has Lord in Ex.15:2, but the dutch Petrus Canisius translation (1939) has Yahweh (also throughout that translation).
Thanks for sharing that insight about those Bible versions!
Brother David, how I appreciate your thorough Investigations of the Scriptures, like the Bereans in Acts 17!! This is a very intriguing discussion, that proves yet again the deviation from Scripture that we’ve been previously mislead down, and to ask why the translators changed YAH to Lord, is a brilliant question, very significant, to say the least! We must all be of this mind-set, and is how I found you going on two years ago, I’m so grateful. It truly blows my mind, that the more we hunger & thirst for the truth, YAH continues to reveal it to us!! After 40 years of being deceived by the mainstream teachings, it is incredibly refreshing to finally understand many truths!
Thank you, Shalom to you, brother!
Brother Mike, thank you for your message and your support! Praise Yah that He’s given us eyes to see, for these truths seems to be hidden from many people. Indeed, Yah is faithful to teach us when we pray for truth and seek it out. Shalom!
David, thank you for this information. I hope you’re having a good day my friend!
So what is the answer to a question you asked. What reasons did the KJV translators give to justify substituted Lord instead of Yah?
And what are the real reasons why they did this?
Heath, I can’t really say why the translators used LORD instead of Yah and Yahovah.
Question David, I was recently watching a teaching from a young man who said that the actual name of God is Yah hu ah and that Jesus name is Yah hu shah. He mentioned that Hovah in Hebrew means destruction or ruin and that we shouldn’t use the name Jehovah (yah hovah) for that reason. I’m autopsy on your thoughts of this. I can also send you a link to the video if you are interested. Thank you!
Ross, some expand the tetragrammaton YHUH to form YaHUaH, and by extension YaHusha. As for Yahovah, its declared in the Hebrew text, so I’ll depend on that over someone’s misapplication of the meaning of Hovah.
Hi David, thank you again for exposing the truth! When getting sucked into the rabbit hole of names, there are many who teach they replaced the word Yah with Lord because Lord means Baal, so they are getting us to blaspheme his name. It does not seem farfetched if the Jesuits could get us to declare messiah as antichrist (Dan 9:27). Any clarity?
Thank you, again!
Brian, I don’t have anything to add to what you said. People make up narratives to change the meanings of names.
Hi David
Though I do not have an issue with using the name Yah or Messiah, to say one has eyes to see in using the Hebrew names would say that all those before us were ignorant of this revelation .
I know that you use many great theologians of times gone by for your research , have any of them spoke as you do with the names “Yah and Messiah “ ?
The Holy Scriptures speak of many names for our Heavenly Father .
I’m just struggling with the statement you make in regards to having eyes to see in revelation to the names Yah and Messiah .
I have never heard or read great teachers of the past or the martyrs that spoke as you do .
Learning and growing in the knowledge of Truth
Suzette
Hi Suzette, Here are some commentaries about the name in Psalms 68:4 from people who wrote whole Bible commentaries.
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: By his name JAH – This refers to his riding or marching at the head of his forces through the desert, in the character described by that name – or, as יה Yahh; that is, יהוה Yahweh. Yah (Jah) is an abbreviation of the word Yahweh (Jehovah), which was assumed by God as His special name, Ex 6:3. The word Yahweh is usually rendered, in our version, Lord, printed in small capitals to denote that the original is יהוה Yahweh; the word itself is retained, however, in Ex 6:3; Ps 83:18; Isa 12:2 (see the notes); and Isa 26:4. The word “Jah” occurs in this place only, in our English translation. It is found in combination, or in certain formulas – as in the phrase Hallelujah, Ps 104:35; 105:45; 106:1. The meaning here is, that God went thus before His people in the character of the true God, or as Yahweh.
Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible: By his name Jah – יה Yah, probably a contraction of the word יהוה Yehovah; at least so the ancient Versions understood it. It is used but in a few places in the sacred writings. It might be translated The Self existent.
I am thankful to have been shown that the Bible translators replaced the name YAH with the title of LORD. It’s an amazing revelation, as I would rather call Him by the name that He declared.
I can’t explain why more people have not pointed this out. All I can do is share what the Spirit has shown me in my studies.
David