The Reformed Olive Press

The Ethiopian Bible and the Missing Name "Yahweh" Many people assume that the name "Yahweh" has always been central to every biblical tradition. However, when we examine one of the world's oldest Christian traditions—the Ethiopian Church—we find something surprising: the name "Yahweh" is largely absent from its biblical manuscripts and liturgy. This raises an important question: If "Yahweh" was God's personal name, why is it missing from one of Christianity's oldest surviving biblical traditions? The Ethiopian Biblical Tradition The Ethiopian Bible was translated into Geʽez, an ancient Semitic language of Ethiopia. Rather than preserving the Hebrew divine name יהוה (YHWH), Ethiopian manuscripts typically use titles such as: - Egzi'abher ("Lord of the Universe") - Amlak ("God") - Egzi'e ("Lord") This mirrors a broader trend found throughout ancient Christia...

From Man and Woman to Husband and Wife: The Development of Marriage in Genesis Modern readers often assume that Genesis 2 presents a fully developed doctrine of marriage. But the Hebrew terminology is more complicated than that. Genesis begins with ʾish (“man”) and ʾishshah (“woman”). The later Torah provides the legal framework for regulating marriage and household relationships. The distinction becomes especially interesting because the Hebrew words can shift between the meanings “man/husband” and “woman/wife.” Genesis Begins with “Man” and “Woman” Genesis 2:23 explicitly says: “This one shall be called Woman [ʾishshah], because from Man [ʾish] she was taken.” The immediate terminology is therefore man and woman. Genesis 2:24 then says: “Therefore a man [ʾish] shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife [ʾishshah], and they shall become one flesh.” The Hebrew word ʾish can mean “man” or “husband,” while ʾishshah can mean “woman” or “wife.” Context determines the trans...