3. How was an important feature of the Bible almost lost as a result of tradition?

³ An outstanding feature of the Bible, almost lost as a result of tradition, is that of establishing a relationship with God, our heavenly Father and Creator, in the most personal of terms, by addressing him by his name. Who is the person that has a dear and beloved friend whose name he refuses to use or even to mention when asked about it? Usually only an enemy is so despised that one prefers not to honor him by even mentioning his name. The special relationship that existed between ancient Israel and their God​—whereby they knew him by his name—​is beautifully expressed by the ancient psalmist: “Because he is devoted to Me I will deliver him; I will keep him safe, for he knows My name.”​—Psalm 91:14.

4, 5. What is the meaning of God’s name?

⁴ From the point of view of the Bible, there has never been any question as to the name of the true God. When God spoke to Moses, explaining that He would use him to lead the nation of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, Moses asked a logical question: “When I come to the Israelites and say to them ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” God answered: “Thus shall you speak to the Israelites: The LORD [Hebrew, יהוה = YHWH = Yahweh, or, since the 13th century C.E., Jehovah], the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: This shall be My name forever, this My appellation [memorial, JP] for all eternity.”​—Exodus 3:13, 15, italics ours.

⁵ This name is full of meaning for one who speaks the Hebrew language. It comes from the basic Hebrew root הוה, h·w·h, meaning “to become.” However, the name is in the causative form, Hiph·ʽilʹ, according to Hebrew grammar. Therefore its basic sense is not relating to God’s eternal existence but rather to his causing things to come to be or to come about. This is especially true in a unique way regarding his purposes. As he purposed to free his chosen nation from Egyptian bondage, so he caused it to be. No power could stand in the way of his express will. Jehovah is the God who causes his purposes to be fulfilled. He thus causes himself to become the Fulfiller of his promises. This was also true of his purpose to free his nation from Babylonian captivity. The same is true regarding his purpose to bring paradisaic conditions to this earth. His very name gives meaning and a guarantee to these promises.​—Isaiah 41:21-24; 43:10-13; 46:9, 10.

6-9. (a) How do we know that God does not forbid the use of his name? (b) How and when did a prohibition on the use of God’s name become part of Judaism?

⁶ But do not the Ten Commandments forbid the pronouncing of God’s name? By no means! Although many have interpreted the third commandment in this way, note what the Encyclopaedia Judaica comments: “The avoidance of pronouncing the name YHWH . . . was caused by a misunderstanding of the Third Commandment (Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11) as meaning ‘Thou shalt not take the name of YHWH thy God in vain,’ whereas it really means ‘You shall not swear falsely by the name of YHWH your God.’”⁵ Notice that the text does not forbid ‘taking up’ or pronouncing God’s name. However, even if it meant taking God’s name “in vain,” note what the Hebrew lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner states regarding the Hebrew term translated “in vain” (Hebrew, lash·shawʹʼ): “name a name without reason . . . misuse a name.”⁶ Therefore, this commandment does not forbid the use of God’s name but, rather, its misuse.

⁷ But what of the argument that God’s name is “too holy to be pronounced?” Well, does it not seem reasonable that if God viewed his name as too holy for men to pronounce, he would not have revealed it in the first place? The very fact that in the original text of the Hebrew Scriptures, God’s personal name appears over 6,800 times shows that he wants men to know him and to use his name. Far from restricting the use of his name to prevent disrespect, God repeatedly encourages and even commands his people to use his name and to make it known. Doing so was evidence of their close relationship with him, as well as their love for him. (Psalm 91:14) The prophet Isaiah showed clearly what God’s will is in this matter when he stated: “Praise the LORD [Hebrew, יהוה = YHWH = Jehovah], proclaim His name. Make His deeds known among the peoples; declare that His name is exalted.”​—Isaiah 12:4. See also Micah 4:5; Malachi 3:16; Psalm 79:6; 105:1; Proverbs 18:10.

⁸ If Jehovah did not want men to pronounce his name, he could have explicitly forbidden it. However, nowhere does the Bible forbid the proper use or the pronouncing of his name. Faithful men of Bible times used his name freely. (Genesis 12:8; Ruth 2:4; 4:11, 14) In fact, God repeatedly condemned those who would cause his people to forget his holy name.​—Jeremiah 23:26, 27; Psalm 44:21, 22 (44:20, 21, NW).

⁹ But how did this prohibition become a part of Jewish thought, since it was so clearly not a part of the Bible? Comments by Dr. A. Cohen, a rabbi and author of the book Everyman’s Talmud, show that the tradition took hold gradually over a period of many centuries. Dr. Cohen writes: “In the Biblical period there seems to have been no scruple against its use in daily speech. The addition of Jah or Jahu to personal names, which persisted among the Jews even after the Babylonian exile, is an indication that there was no prohibition against the employment of the four-​lettered Name. But in the early Rabbinic period the pronunciation of the Name was restricted to the Temple service.” Regarding further developments during this period, he remarks: “Instead of JHVH the Name was pronounced Adonai (my Lord) in the Synagogue service; but there is a tradition that the original pronunciation was transmitted by the Sages to their disciples periodically​—once or twice every seven years (Kiddushin 71a). Even that practice ceased after a while, and the method of pronouncing the Name is no longer known with certainty.”⁷ Such was the effect of the “commandment of men.”​—Isaiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:2; see the section “The Bible—Inspired by God?,” paragraphs 15-16.