The derivation of Jehovah, or I AM, is now pretty generally admitted to be from HAVAH, the old root of the Hebrew verb "to be;" a root-form so ancient as to have been entirely dropped from the prose of the Pentateuch, and retained only in the poetic form of the imperative, as in Genesis xxvii. 29, in the prophetic benediction of Isaac: HEVEH, "Be' lord over thy brethren." "This old root-form, HAVAH, found its. equivalent in HAYAH, the ordinary form of the Hebrew verb 'to be;' and it is in the third person singular, future, of this later verb, HAYAH ('to be'),-namely, in the form of its old future, YAHVEH,-that we find the true place and pointing of the word rendered 'Jehovah' by our translators. It is this form, Yahveh (literally, He will be), turned into the noun, or name, YAHVEH-HE WHO WILL BE,-which God adopts as His name and memorial to all generations,

God

Himself originally set forth the meaning of this great prophetic name in the plainest terms (Exod. iii. 14). First, by the prophecy, 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE;' next, by the statement, 'I, WHO WILL BE,' hath sent me unto you; finally, by giving as His memorial name, 'YAHVEH,' that is, 'HE WHO WILL BE.’

“That the force of these transitions may be appreciated, we will transcribe the passage in which they occur, the future being used in the original throughout: 'And God said unto Moses, I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE, and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I WHO WILL BE hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou

say unto the children of Israel, HE WHO WILL BE, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations.'"*

Some writers maintain that Moses was indebted for information respecting to what transpired before his day, not to God, but to two different documents, which they have been pleased to designate the Elohistic and the Jehovistic. Such a conclusion has been arrived at because Moses in one chapter writes of the Divine Being as Elohim or God, and in another as LORD or Jehovah. It is scarcely necessary to add that such views are rejected by all those who believe Moses to have written "by inspiration of God.”

On the other hand there are many persons, who revere the Scriptures as the word of God, who think that the names by which He has at different times made Himself known to men are of the same import, and who also say that but little, if any, importance is to be attached to the different manifestations which He has made of Himself. In consequence of such views as these being entertained, many of the Lord's people are often in trouble and perplexity.

With reference to the difference which there is between the meaning of Jehovah and God, it may be well to say that "Jehovah is God outwardly manifesting Himself, revealing Himself, living, working, and reigning in history, ever unfolding there, more and * "Yahveh Christ," by Alex. McWhorter, pp. 22-24.

The name

more, His character and being Elohim indicates absolute fulness and power of life, and assures us that every product of His activity is rich in, and capable of development, that it may perfectly unfold and attain its goal, but not that it certainly shall do so. On the other hand the name of Jehovah guarantees the development itself, and that the potency will ultimately reach its proper termination."*

It was Jehovah who made the covenant with His people (Gen. xv. 18; Num. x. 33, &c.). In this connexion Elohim occurs but once (Ps. lxxviii. 10), and even with the article Ha-Elohim, which expresses more personality than Elohim alone, is found but seldom (Jud. xx. 27; 1 Sam. iv. 4). The Israelites were enjoined to observe the commandments of Jehovah (Lev. iv. 27, &c.), to keep His law, and to worship Him alone. Hence the phrase to "serve Jehovah" (Exod. x. 7, 8, &c.), is applied to denote true worship; whereas, "to serve Ha-Elohim," is used but once in this sense (Exod. iii. 12), and Elohim occurs in the same association only when the worship of idols is spoken of (Deut. iv. 28; Jud. iii. 6). As Jehovah, the only true God, is the only object of true worship, to Him belong the sabbaths and festivals, and all the ordinances connected with the religious services of the Israelites (Exod. x. 9; xii. 11; Lev. xxiii. 2). His are the altars on which offerings are made to the true God; the priests and ministers are His (1 Sam. ii. 11;

* Kurtz.

xiv. 3), and so exclusively that a priest of Elohim is always associated with idolatrous worship. To Jehovah alone are offerings made (Exod. viii. 8), and if Elohim is ever used in this connexion, it is always qualified by pronominal suffixes, or some word in construction with it, so as to indicate the true God; in all other cases it refers to idols (Exod. xxii. 20; xxxiv. 15). It follows naturally that the temple and tabernacle are Jehovah's, and if they are attributed to Elohim, the latter is in some manner restricted as before. The prophets are the prophets of Jehovah, and their announcements proceed from Him, seldom from Elohim. The Israelites are the people of Jehovah (Exod. xxxii. 11), the congregation of Jehovah (Num. xvi. 3), as the Moabites are the people of Chemosh (Jer. xlviii. 46). Their king is the anointed of Jehovah; their wars are the wars of Jehovah (Exod. xiv. 25; 1 Sam. xviii. 17); their enemies are the enemies of Jehovah (2 Sam. xii. 14); it is the hand of Jehovah that delivers them up to their foes (Jud. vi. 1; xiii. 1, &c.); and He it is who raises up for them deliverers and judges, and on whom they call in times of peril (Jud. ii. 18; iii. 9, 15; Josh. xxiv. 7; 1 Sam. xvii. 37. In fine, Jehovah is the theocratic King of His people. (Jud. viii. 23); by Him their kings reign and achieve success against the national enemies (1 Sam. xi. 13; xiv. 23).*

In Exodus iii. 14, we read, as we have already seen, that God appeared to Moses as "I AM THAT I

* See further, Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, article "Jehovah."

AM." In Exodus vi. 2, 3, we are informed that "God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD-Jehovah- and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God AlmightyEl Shaddai :-but by my name of JEHOVAH was I not known to them." It must be admitted that at first sight it appears impossible to reconcile this statement with Genesis xiii. 4; xxvi. 2; xxvii. 20; xxviii. 13, 16, where we read, "There (at Bethel) Abraham called on the name of the LORD (Jehovah)." "And the LORD (Jehovah) appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of." "Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the LORD (Jehovah) before my death." "And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD (Jehovah) thy God brought it me." "And behold the LORD (Jehovah) stood above it-the ladder-and said, I am the LORD (Jehovah) God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed." "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD (Jehovah) is in this place, and I knew it not."

It may be well to quote a few more passages for the purpose of showing that LORD, or Jehovah, was applied to the Divine Being both before and during the patriarchal age. Immediately after the fall of our first parents in the garden of Eden, the LORD God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between thee and the