YHWH El-Emunah

Names of God – Part 20

The Faithful, strong LORD God

YHWH is the actual name of God, revealed to Moses. In English, it is usually spelt Yahweh or Jehovah, in many Bible translations it is written as LORD (in all capitals or small capitals).

El is a Hebrew word meaning God.

The third part of the name is how people relate to God, either as individuals or as a nation, or other group.

I will have to admit I found writing this one difficult, on the surface, looking at English translations of the Bible, it would appear to be no different from last week’s Names of God blog. Both El Emeth and El-Emunah are translated God of Truth in the Authorized Version and Faithful God in modern translations.

So what is the difference?

El Emeth showed that the God of truth is faithful to us; El Emunah shows that God is faithful in himself. Emunah means firm, it is used of Moses where it says Moses’ Hands were firm. Deuteronomy 34:2 says in the ESVUK:

[God] The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.

When we want to give up, when we want to surrender, when we look at the situation in our country or in the world, especially the political situation, and say, “We’re doomed,” God is still God, God is strong and faithful in himself, God is in control and God never changes. We can come to God for safety, God is our source of strength. The Prophet Habakkuk put it like this:

The righteous shall live by his faith [or faithfulness]. Hab 2:4

When we are weak we can come to God for strength.