So...You Think the Words "L-rd" and "G-d" are Pagan?

by Rabbi Eved Banah (Host of the Brutal Planet Radio Program and Rabbi of Beit Geulah)
Ok, I keep seeing memes and getting emails, that say the name G-d is the name of a pagan deity. Let me educate those who think this. First of all the word G-d is the English equivalent of אֶל, אֶלוּה and אֶלוּהַי which are all names for......G-d in Hebrew. These individuals claim that the word גָּד equates to not only word luck but a deity of fortune. They don't realize one of the names of the tribes was גָּד and that גָּד does mean luck but it also means troop. Which brings us to another one they go nuts over. 

The word בּעַל has many meanings, it means L-rd, Master and Husband. Now many equate the word בּעַל to a pagan deity in 2nd Kings. Thought it is the same word, the word בּעַל was not a personal name to a deity. Just like how many religions refer to their god(s) as G-d, they also do with the word בּעַל because their god is their master. And the scripture refers to our G-d as בּעַל several times in the Tanach and also in the New Testament we have the word ܡܪܝܐ via the Peshitta text referring to G-d, which also means "Master" but wait in the Aramaic we see the scribal tradition, proving its authenticity in the 1st Century by referring to G-d not by a sacred name Tetragrammaton but rather as ܐܠܗܐ which is the Aramaic equivalent to אֶלוּם meaning....G-d. 

Brethren this is why it is important to learn the languages so you don't fall victim to the armchair theologians who makes these ridiculous memes saying you shouldn't say G-d or L-rd. These people have no knowledge of their Bibles in the original languages.

Now let's take this in the realm of sacred name theology. We have proven the ignorance of these individuals with their missteps and untruths. They claim we are commanded to annunciate, and pronounce יהוה as opposed to saying "Hashem" or "G-d". Their talking point is "Hashem is not a name" or "G-d is a title" yet we see it as a part of the many names for G-d found in the Bible, many of the 72 of them. So what we need to do is investigate what שֶׁם means. Though שֶׁם literally translates to name, in Semitic idiom it is better translated as "personality" "character" or "encapsulation". It doesn't mean a vocalized or pronounced personal name. Instead it deals with attribute. 
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Now with this, G-d is the ultimate authority right? Now, anyone in authority, we have a title of elevation for them, such as President _____. Mr ____, Miss____, Mrs _____ Dr _____ Professor _____, mother or father etc. we do not call people in authority by a personal name. If we do then we are lowering them and elevating ourselves. This mustn't ever be done with G-d. Sadly, the sacred name movement carried with it not only an amazing amount of ignorance, but also arrogance thinking they can pull Hashem down go their level. This should not be done and it is because, I think, a majority don't know the real definition of the word שֶׁם.

But this brings up another point that needs to be addressed.  Many of the youtube theologians push for sacred name theology anyway because of their sacred name Bibles.  But, I have to ask, was any translating really done on these Bibles?  Or did they just replace Jesus with Yeshua, replaced the word G-d with a form of the 4 letter name, change L-rd to Elohim, and Sabbath to Shabbat using a search and replace function on Microsoft Word from a doc file of a previously translated Bible or did they actually translate them?  Well if they actually translated them I would have to ask, "Why didn't you include in your translation the 71 other names for G-d that are found in the Tanach alone?"  Such as these below: 

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