ﻧﮕﺮش ﺗﻮﺻﯿﻔﯽ ﺑﻪ اﺳﻤﺎء اﻻﻫﯽ در ﮐﺘﺎب ﻣﻘﺪس ﻋﺒﺮي

The Names of God in Old Testament: A Descriptive Research

ﺑﺤﺚ درﺑﺎر ۀ اﻫﻤﯿﺖ ﻧﺎم ﻫﺎ، ﺑﻪ وﯾﮋه ﻧﺎم ﻫﺎي ﺧﺪاوﻧﺪ ﺑﺤﺚ ﭘﯿﭽﯿﺪه اي اﺳﺖ. در دوره ﻫﺎي ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺎن ﻧﺎم ﯾﮏ ﺷﺨﺺ ﯾﺎ ﺧﺪا ﺑﺎ ﺷﺨﺼﯿﺖ و ﻫﻮﯾﺖ وي ﺑﺮاﺑﺮ ﺑﻮد و آﮔﺎﻫﯽ از ﻧﺎم ﺧﺪا ﯾﺎ ﺷﺨﺺ ﮐﺎرﮐﺮدي ﺟـﺎدوﯾﯽ داﺷﺖ. ﻣﺴﺌﻠﮥ ﻧﺎم در ﻋﻬﺪ ﻋﺘﯿﻖ ﻧﻤﻮد وﯾﮋه اي دارد. ﺧﺪاوﻧﺪ در ﻋﻬﺪ ﻋﺘﯿﻖ ﺑﺎ ﻧﺎم ﻫﺎي ﮔﻮﻧـﺎﮔﻮﻧﯽ ﭼـﻮن اِل، اِل ﺷَﺪاي، اِﻟﻮﻫﯿﻢ، اَدوﻧﺎي و ﯾَﻬﻮه ﺧﻮاﻧﺪه ﻣﯽ ﺷﻮد. ﺑﺮﺧﯽ از اﯾﻦ ﻧﺎم ﻫـﺎ ﺑـﺴﯿﺎر ﮐﻬـﻦ اﻧـﺪ و ﺑﺮﺧـﯽ دﯾﮕﺮ ﺧﺎﺳﺘﮕﺎﻫﯽ ﺳﺎﻣﯽ دارﻧﺪ. اِل اﺻﻄﻼﺣﯽ راﯾﺞ ﺑﺮاي ﺧﺪا در ﻫﻤﮥ ﻗﺒﺎﯾﻞ ﺳﺎﻣﯽ، و ﯾﻬﻮه ﻧﺎم ﺷﺨﺼﯽ ﺧﺪاي ﺑﻨﯽ اﺳﺮاﺋﯿﻞ اﺳﺖ ﺑﻪ زﺑﺎن آوردن ﻧﺎم ﺷﺨﺼﯽ ﺧﺪا ﺗﺎﺑﻮ ﺑﻮد و ﮔﻨﺎﻫﯽ ﺑﺰرگ ﺑـﻪ ﺷﻤﺎر ﻣـﯽ آﻣﺪ. ﺑﻨﺎﺑﺮاﯾﻦ، ﺑﺮاي ﺣﻔﻆ ﺣﺮﻣﺖ ﻧﺎم ﻣﻘﺪس، اﺻﻄﻼح اَدوﻧﺎي (ﺳﺮور) ﺟﺎﯾﮕﺰﯾﻦ آن ﺷﺪ ﻫﺮﯾﮏ از ﻧﺎم ﻫﺎﯾﯽ ﮐﻪ در ﻋﻬﺪ ﻋﺘﯿﻖ ﺑﺮاي ﺧﺪا ﺑﮑﺎر رﻓﺘﻪ، ﺳﯿﻤﺎﯾﯽ ﻣﺘﻔﺎوت از ﺧﺪاي ﺑﻨﯽ اﺳﺮاﺋﯿﻞ را اراﺋﻪ ﻣﯽ دﻫﺪ. ﺑـﺮاي ﻧﻤﻮﻧﻪ، اِل ﺧﺪاﯾﯽ رﺋﻮف، و اِﻟﻮﻫﯿﻢ، داور اﺳﺖ. ﻧﺎم ﯾﻬﻮه در ﺟﺎﯾﯽ ﻧﺸﺎﻧﮕﺮ ﺻﻔﺖ رﺣﻤـﺖ ﺧﺪاﺳـﺖ و در ﺟﺎي دﯾﮕﺮ از او ﺧﺪاﯾﯽ اﻧﺘﻘﺎم ﺟﻮ ﻣﯽ ﺳﺎزد. ﭘﮋوﻫﺶ ﺣﺎﺿﺮ در ﭼﺎرﭼﻮب ﯾﻬﻮدﯾـﺖ ﺑﺎﺳـﺘﺎﻧﯽ و ﺑـﺎ روﯾﮑﺮدي ﺗﻮﺻﯿﻔﯽ- ﺗﺎرﯾﺨﯽ در ﺣﺪ ﺗﻮان ﻣﯽ ﮐﻮﺷﺪ ﺟﻨﺒﻪ ﻫﺎي ﮔﻮﻧﺎﮔﻮن اﯾﻦ ﻣﺴﺄﻟﻪ را ﺑﺎزﻧﻤﺎﯾﺪ.

Talking about the importance of names, particularly God’s names, is a complicated issue. In ancient era the name of a person or a deity was equal to his/her identity, therefore, knowledge of names had a magical function. The subject of name has been markedly expressed in Old Testament. God has revealed there by several names, such as El, ElShaddai, Elohim, Adonai and YHWH. Some of these names are very ancient and others are of Semitic origin. El is a common term in all Semitic tribes and YHWH is the personal name of the God of Israel. Calling the personal name of God was taboo and therefore considered as a great sin. So for expressing reverence the sacred name was replaced by the term Adonai (Lord). Every name in Old Testament reveals different aspect of the God of Israel, for example, El is a compassionate God, and Elohim is the Lord of Judgment. In some passages YHWH is the God of mercy, while in others is portrayed as an avenger. This essay, with a descriptive-historical approach, tries to shed light on this issue.