Page 123 - Attractive Deception - The False Hope of the Hebrew Roots Movement

man proclaims himself to be speaking the words of Yahweh, he should make very certain that his
words are indeed Yahweh’s words. The punishment for prophesying falsely in the name of Yahweh
was that the prophet was to be stoned.

Was it such a great issue that a man should speak something that was untrue? We know that Yahweh
also forbid lying, but we are not told that liars were to be stoned. False prophets were to be stoned
because they went beyond lying and they used Yahweh’s name in a false manner. They ascribed
something to Yahweh that He did not say or command to be spoken. This was a most serious
violation and it touches on the commandment regarding how men are to use Yahweh’s name.

The intent of the commandment regarding Yahweh’s name is that His name is to be used faithfully,
honestly, and with good purpose. It is not to be used falsely, deceptively, or in a vain or trivial way.
Unfortunately, many translators even today have a false understanding of this command and it is the
practice to not write out the name of Yahweh at all. Yet we are plainly told in scriptures that man was
given this name as the name by which Yahweh was to remembered throughout all generations.

Exodus 3:15
And Elohim, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'Yahweh, the
Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has
sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.”

The name Yahweh is often also rendered in a shortened version as Yah... As one realizes this they can
see that it was not the practice of the ancient Hebrews to avoid usage of the names Yah and Yahweh,
for many of them had His name as part of their own. Elijah is Eli-yah, his name meaning mighty Yah.
Jeremiah is Jeremi-yah, his name meaning Yah will rise. Joshua is Yah-shua, his name meaning
Yah’s salvation. There are many more instances of Israelites who had Yah’s name as part of their
own. Clearly, they had no understanding that His name was not to be uttered.

As one looks at the root of the word hallelujah it is further evidence that there was no prohibition in
using His name. The word hallelujah is hallelu-yah. (The J in old English was pronounced as a Y, and
only in recent years has the pronunciation changed, but not when this word is pronounced.) The word
hallelujah is of Hebrew origin and it means praise Yah...
[End Excerpt]

Theologians refer to the divine name in the Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament as the
Tetragrammaton. Tetragrammaton is a word of Greek derivation meaning “consisting of four letters.”