We must not, however, suppose that pious Israelites would consciously and systematically discriminate between these names, any more than ordinary Christians do between God, Lord, Father, Christ, Saviour, Jesus. Their usage would be governed by changing currents of sentiment very difficult to understand and explain after the lapse of thousands of years. In the year A.D. 3000, for instance, it will be difficult for the historian of dogmatics to explain accurately why some nineteenth-century Christians preferred to speak of “dear Jesus” and others of “the Christ.”
But the simple Divine names reveal comparatively little; much more may be learnt from the numerous compounds they help to form. Some of the more curious have already been noticed, but the real significance of this nomenclature is to be looked for in the more ordinary and natural names. Here, as before, we can only select from the long and varied list. Let us take some of the favourite names and some of the roots most often used, almost always, be it remembered, in combination with Divine names. The different varieties of these sacred names rendered it possible to construct various personal names embodying the same idea. Also the same Divine name might be used either as prefix or affix. For instance, the idea that “God knows” is equally well expressed in the names _Eliada_ (El-yada’), _Jediael_ (Yada’-el), _Jehoiada_ (Jeho-yada’), and _Jedaiah_ (Yada’-yah). “God remembers” is expressed alike by _Zachariah_ and _Jozachar_; “God hears” by _Elishama_ (El-shama’), _Samuel_ (if for Shama’-el), _Ishmael_ (also from Shama’-el), _Shemaiah_, and _Ishmaiah_ (_both from_ Shama’ _and_ Yah); “God gives” by _Elnathan_, _Nethaneel_, _Jonathan_, and _Nethaniah_; “God helps” by _Eliezer_, _Azareel_, _Joezer_, and _Azariah_; “God is gracious” by _Elhanan_, _Hananeel_, _Johanan_, _Hananiah_, _Baal-hanan_, and, for a Carthaginian, _Hannibal_, giving us a curious connection between the Apostle of love, John (Johanan), and the deadly enemy of Rome.
The way in which the changes are rung upon these ideas shows how the ancient Israelites loved to dwell upon them. Nestle reckons that in the Old Testament sixty-one persons have names formed from the root _nathan_, to give; fifty-seven from _shama_, to hear; fifty-six from _’azar_, to help; forty-five from _hanan_, to be gracious; forty-four from _zakhar_, to remember. Many persons, too, bear names from the root _yada’_, to know. The favourite name is _Zechariah_, which is borne by twenty-five different persons.
Hence, according to the testimony of names, the Israelites’ favourite ideas about God were that He heard, and knew, and remembered; that He was gracious, and helped men, and gave them gifts: but they loved best to think of Him as God the Giver. Their nomenclature recognises many other attributes, but these take the first place. The value of this testimony is enhanced by its utter unconsciousness and naturalness; it brings us nearer to the average man in his religious moments than any psalm or prophetic utterance. Men’s chief interest in God was as the Giver. The idea has proved very permanent; St. James amplifies it: God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. It lies latent in names: Theodosius, Theodore, Theodora, and Dorothea. The other favourite ideas are all related to this. God hears men’s prayers, and knows their needs, and remembers them; He is gracious, and helps them by His gifts. Could anything be more pathetic than this artless self-revelation? Men’s minds have little leisure for sin and salvation; they are kept down by the constant necessity of preserving and providing for a bare existence. Their cry to God is like the prayer of Jacob, “If Thou wilt give me bread to eat and raiment to put on!” The very confidence and gratitude that the names express imply periods of doubt and fear, when they said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” times when it seemed to them impossible that God could have heard their prayer or that He knew their misery, else why was there no deliverance? Had God forgotten to be gracious? Did He indeed remember? The names come to us as answers of faith to these suggestions of despair.