Matthew 6:9-10
Our Father
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In English Bibles, “LORD” represents the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh. Out of respect, Israelites stopped writing and saying Yahweh, replacing it with the Hebrew word for lord. So “Yahweh” is translated as “LORD.”
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E21
Restoring God’s Name and Reputation
Yahweh chooses Israel to represent his name and reputation to the nations—to show who he is and what he’s like. But the people fail, and God’s name is dishonored. In this prayer, Jesus prays for the restoration of Yahweh’s reputation in the world.
In English Bibles, all occurrences of “LORD” (written in all capital letters) represent the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh. Over the centuries, Israelites stopped uttering the divine name of Yahweh out of respect. They replaced the name with the Hebrew word “Adonai,” which means Lord. Because of this, English Bibles continue to translate “Yahweh” with “LORD” in all caps. In the story of the Bible, Yahweh chooses Israel to represent his name and reputation to the nations as holy, which means utterly unique, one-and-only, and honored. But the people fail in this vocation, and as a result, God’s name is dishonored. Israel’s prophets hope for a time when Yahweh will restore his holy name and reputation among the nations. In his teaching and ministry, Jesus is claiming to fulfill these hopes as he invites his followers to join him in praying for the restoration of Yahweh’s holy reputation in the world.