What's in a name?

In the first reading from today’s Mass we are told, “Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, “LORD” (cf. Exodus 34:5).

The wording in the Lectionary differs slightly from that found in the Biblical text to assist in the public reading of the passage. Because of the way the Lectionary has omitted part of the passage read (Exodus 33:7-11, 34:5b-9, 28), an introductory clarification is needed to the verse. But this is – perhaps – a topic for another day.

I want to draw attention to the name that Moses proclaimed: “LORD.”

Two things ought to be noticed here: (1) the name is not really a name but a title, and (2) that the “name” is capitalized the whole way through.

Throughout the Old Testament – if your Bible is a decent translation – you will likely notice the word “LORD” occurs frequently in all capitalization. The reason for this is simple: wherever the word LORD occurs in the English translation, the word in Hebrew is the sacred name of God, the name he revealed to Moses.

When Moses asked who sent him to Pharaoh, he received this answer, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The English transliteration of the Hebrew name is YHWH, the tetragrammaton, the sacred name of God. The name might also be translated “I AM WHAT I AM” or “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.”

In this way, the Lord gave Moses not simply his name but also his description.

With the passage of time, the people pronounced the sacred name less and less, wishing always to honor it and to avoid using it vain, in violation of the command of God (cf. Exodus 20:7). Rather than pronounce his name, the tetragrammaton was replaced by the Greek adonai or kyrios, both meaning, in English, “Lord.”

The early Christians maintained the Jewish practice of substituting “Lord” in place of the name of God, a practice which we continue even to this day, hence the capitalization of the name.

When Moses proclaimed the name of God, he proclaimed the name of a God who desires a relationship with his people, for which reason Moses says to him, “If I find favor with you, O LORD, do come along in our company” (Exodus 34:9).

Let each of us maintain a deep reverence for the name of God and, with Moses, ask him to come along in our company that we might both know him and be known by him.